What is Sociology?

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of
human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies,
and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject
matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to
religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a
common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact, few fields
have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge.
Sociology provides many distinctive perspectives on the world, generating new ideas and
critiquing the old. The field also offers a range of research techniques that can be applied to
virtually any aspect of social life: street crime and delinquency, corporate downsizing, how
people express emotions, welfare or education reform, how families differ and flourish, or
problems of peace and war. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time,
it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies
and create programs. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for
social change and resistance, and how social systems work.

Sociology
Sociology is the systematic study of social life; including social change, and the social
causes and consequences of human behaviour. Sociologists investigate social institutions,
ranging from macro structures of culture, policy and economy; to meso-structures of
groups such as the family, the peer group, the school, the church, the workplace, and the
media; to micro-structures of interaction between individuals and how society shapes
identities. Since we assume that human behaviour is social in origin, the subject matter of
sociology ranges over a variety of social contexts; from the family to mass society; from
criminal subcultures and prisons to corporations; from churches to the state; from peaceful
to warring societies; from the divisions of class, race and gender to common cultures and
beliefs systems; from the sociology of local work and professions to the study of the mass
media and the cutting edge of information technology. In fact, few academic disciplines and
fields of work have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and the application
of theory to real world issues. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of
our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential in theory and practice is practically
unlimited.
 OBJETIVOS DE LECTO-COMPRENSIÓN:

1) Tiempo verbal Present Simple.

2) Omisión del artículo.
3) Conectores: from…to …; since ; in fact
4) Adverbios de modo. El sufijo –ly.

ACTIVIDADES DE LECTO-COMPRENSIÓN:

1) Lea ambas definiciones de la sociología y reflexione. ¿Son parecidas o diferentes?

2) Subraye los núcleos de los siguientes sintagmas nominales. Traduzca los sintagmas al
español.

a- The study of social life

Ejemplo:
Núcleo: study
Traducción: El estudio de la vida social

b- American Sociological Association

c- Social change
d- Subject matter
e- Organized crime
f- Shared beliefs
g- Relevance for research
h- Challenging issues
i- Rapidly expanding field

3) Busque los siguientes términos en el diccionario:

And / Since / In fact / Also / Or / Because

4) Los siguientes verbos fueron extraídos del texto. Colóquelos en la columna que
corresponda y busque sus significados en el diccionario.

investigate / interact / ranges / have / provides / offers / express / differ / flourish /

addresses / craft / create / understand / work / shapes / assume

I/You/We/You/They He/She/It