UCTLREU

RGVEENTOMN
PANOHOLGYOTR
OICTYES
ISOCLOYOG
Acquisition of Knowledge
 Sociology is a behavioral science that deals with the study of society. Derived from
the two Greek terms “socius” which means group or partners and “logos” which means
study.

Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociology’s

subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state,
from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and
from social stability to radical change in whole societies.
 Sociology focuses on the ubiquity (or the "everywhere-ness") of social forces in
unlikely forms: sex, gender, religion, class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and
the like.

Social forces represent a constellation of unseen yet powerful forces influencing

the behavior of individuals and institutions. In this sense, social forces can be
interpreted as any human created way of doing things that influence, pressure, or
force people to behave, interact with others, and think in certain ways.
 The constellation of these forces characterize social actors' social maps, which in
turn determine the set of opportunities and life chances they can expect in life.

A social map refers to a person's specific economic and political location. The
assumption here is that a person's coordinates in his/her social map determine
his/her enduring opportunities and limitations in life.
 C. Wright Mills (1959), an American social critic, argued
that individuals can still transcend the limitations posed by
their respective social locations.

This state of mind, which Mills termed

"sociological imagination," allows social actors to
discern opportunities where there is none by
converting their personal troubles into public issues.
“what is going on in their world and what may be
happening within themselves”
 Quick History of Sociology

Sociology was born in Europe (especially in Germany, England,

and France) during the period of the Industrial Revolution.

The first set of sociologists starting with Auguste Comte (1798-1857),

credited to be the father of the discipline for having coined the term
sociology, Karl Marx (1818-1883), Emile Durkheim (1858-1977), and Max
Weber (1864-1920) were the first to raise critical questions about the
deluge of changes brought about by the mushrooming factories (and
associated technologies) within and outside the major cities of England.
 With his monumental work on suicide, he
introduced the concept of "social fact," which
later sealed the eventual institution and
recognition of sociology (at least initially in
France) as a new social science.

Social fact is another name for social

phenomenon.
 Social fact, according to Durkheim, was a characteristic
feature of the power of ideas to create social realities for members
of society. He proved the existence of social fact by demonstrating
that the three forms of suicides he observed from different
societies were all triggered by the individuals' assessment of their
moral standing in relation to the rules and norms of their
respective cultures. Social fact is a precursor to the concept of
social forces.
Here are some of the results when one engages in the study of Sociology:

1. Demonstrates an understanding of the concepts on cultural variation, social

differences and social changes.
2. Demonstrates an understanding of the significance of studying society.
3. Develops a comparative perspective to explain the diversity of human
societies.
4. Describe how social structures and institutions operate.
5. Communicate sociological concepts and its applications effectively.
 The American Anthropological Association describes
anthropology as a science seeking to "uncover principles of
behavior that apply to all human communities." To an
anthropologist, diversity itself-seen in body shapes and sizes,
customs, clothing, speech, religion, and worldview provides a
frame of reference for understanding any single aspect of life in
any given community.
 As a social science, anthropology focuses on human diversity around the
world. Anthropologists look at cross-cultural differences in social
institutions, cultural beliefs, and communication styles. They often seek to
promote understanding between groups by "translating" each culture to the
other, for instance by spelling out common, taken-for-granted assumptions.
 An Unofficial Story of Anthropology

Anthropology has been pejoratively called "a child of colonization"

because discoverers of new territories were always accompanied by
missionary documenters (a.k.a. ethnographers).

The primary function of these documenters was to record, to the minutest

details, all their observations and reflections about the conquered territories,
their people, practices, language, rituals, and idiosyncrasies. These so-called
"scribes of cultures" became instruments of the colonizers in achieving their
ultimate, yet oftentimes undisclosed, goals-the subjugation of native cultures.
 An Unofficial Story of Anthropology

Ethnography can either be a research design or a

specific research method where people are observed in
their natural rather than in a formal research setting.
As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the
fascination to understand familiar and exotic cultures
gave the discipline a distinctive take on the issue of
equality and difference when applied to cultural
taxonomy.
 Forms of Diversity: Social and Cultural

The phrase "cultural diversity" means a range of different societies or people

of different origins, religions, and traditions all living and interacting together.

Social diversity refers to the gaps between people as measured by the presence
or absence of certain socially desirable traits. Although ideally this should be seen
as a neutral term, in reality the specific bases of what makes humans diverse
become the basis of their assessment with regards to rewards and social standing
in society.
Here are some of the goals in studying Anthropology:

1. Explore and study the various cultures of man.

2. Realize that anthropology as a discipline has a strong
commitment to issues of social justice.
3. Understand the process of anthropological interpretation and
representation.
 Political science is the systematic study of government and politics. It makes
generalizations and analyses about political systems and political behavior and uses
these results to predict future behavior (as in elections and similar processes where
predicting behaviors are important).

Political science includes the study of political philosophy, ethics, international

relations, foreign policy, public administration, and the dynamic relations between
different parts of governments.
 As such, it deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics which is
commonly thought of as the determining factor in the distribution of power and
resources.

Political scientists "see themselves engaged in revealing the relationships

underlying political events and conditions, and from these revelations they
attempt to construct general principles about the way the world of politics works."
 The Social as a Tool of Change
The term social change is used to indicate the changes that take place in
human interactions and interrelations.
Social change may be defined as the alteration of mechanisms within the
social structure, characterized by changes in cultural symbols, rules of
behavior, social organizations, or value systems. Society is a web of social
relationships and hence, social change means change in the system of social
relationships. This is understood in terms of social processes, social
interactions, and social organizations.
 Social activism consists of the efforts to promote, inhibit, or (re)direct
social, political, economic, or environmental issues with the desire to make
improvements in society and correct social injustice.

Forms of social activism range from writing letters to newspapers or

politicians, to political campaigning, to taking part in economic boycotts and
preferential patronizing of businesses.
 The Story of Political Science: A Crib Version

Political science is the discipline that problematizes the nature of power and
studies how possession and exercise of power can shape individual actions and
collective decisions for that matter.

Power Social Agreement

 Social thinkers, in different degrees and sophistication, argued for the
existence of the state in order to create a community of citizens free from the
brutalities of the state of nature, where every man is enemy to each one. The
contract requires the people to surrender, completely or in part, their rights to
whoever (a persona) or whatever (an office) who or which in return exercises the
same for the protection of everybody. The state emerged out of the contract.

The Story of Political Science: A Crib Version

Here are some of the goals in studying Political Science:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and principles of political
science.
2. Deepens your knowledge and understanding in the field of government and
politics.
3. Political Science trains students to develop critical skills.
4. Helps students to obtain practical knowledge and insights on political issues.
5. Helps the students understand why people behave the way they do politically.
STUDYING CULTURE...
Broadens tour perspectives on how we value our own and other's culture,
Gives us a background on how diverse and complex other's customs,
traditions and cultural practices are,
Teaches us the value of religious tolerance, respect for people with different
race, religion, gender and political background
Promotes the importance of arts, local and national heritage, oral history,
cuisine, and the myriad yet unique life ways of people across cultures.
Situates our understanding and appreciation of local realities like our
penchant for showbiz gossips, boxing and eating fish balls to name a few
STUDYING SOCIETY...
Gives meaning to the importance of the self in relation to others (kapwa)
Gives us a full understanding of how social groups affect our thinking and
behavior,
Acknowledges that social institutions (family, education, business, government,
etc.) shape and affect how we live our life and what we would become as a
citizen and member of this society,
Describes why and how we belong to a bigger global society that is comprised
of nation-states, international institution and transnational companies
working together and sharing resources to solve common problems like climate
change, poverty, inequality, human rights violation, racial descrimination to
mention a few
STUDYING POLITICS...
Educates us on the importance of exercising our rights and maximizing our
political participation to sustain, maintain or change society,
Examines power-relations in society and how these affect the recognition and
affirmation of our identity, rights, and duties as citizen;
Provides a bigger context on how government works and how rules,
regulations and laws maintain social order, cohesion and unity;
Gives us an overview of political leadership, duties and responsibilities of
public servants, and the check-and -balances in government to guarantee that
elected and appointive officials will not abuse their power and authority at the
expense of the people especially the poor and marginalized.