The Sociological perspective

Introduction

Shafqat Ullah
shafqat.u@gmail.com
LEARNING OUTLINE
Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this chapter .

 Definition and meaning of sociology

 Sociological imagination: individual problems
versus social problems
 Sociology as a science
 Relationship of Sociology with other social
sciences

2
DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY

A dictionary defines sociology as the

systematic study of society and social
interaction. The word “sociology” is
derived from the Latin
word socius (companion) and the
Greek word logos(speech or reason),
which together mean “reasoned
speech about companionship”
 Sociology is the scientific study of
human society and social behavior.
DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY
 It focuses primarily on the influence of
social relationships upon people’s attitudes
and behavior and on how societies are
established and change.

 The ultimate aim of sociology as summed

up by Samuel Koenig is “to improve
man’s adjustment to life by developing
objective knowledge concerning social
phenomena which can be used to deal
effectively with social problems.”
MEANING OF SOCIOLOGY
 Thestudy of the development, organization,
functioning, and classification of
human societies
 Thescience of human society and of
social relations
 The study of the beliefs, values, etc.
of societal groups and of the
processes governing social phenomena

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/s
ociology
Sociological imagination: sociological
perspective
 Pioneer sociologist C. Wright Mills called
the sociological imagination, referred to as the
“sociological lens” or “sociological perspective.”
 In a sense, this was Mills’ way of addressing the
dilemmas of the macro/micro divide in sociology.
 Mills defined sociological imagination as how
individuals understand their own and others’ pasts in
relation to history and social structure (1959). It is the
capacity to see an individual’s private troubles in the
context of the broader social processes that structure
them. This enables the sociologist to examine what
Mills called “personal troubles of milieu” as “public
issues of social structure,” and vice versa.
Sociological imagination: individual problems versus social problems

1. The sociological perspective is important

because it provides a different way of
looking at familiar worlds. It allows us to
gain a new vision of social life.
2. This perspective stresses the broader
social context of behavior by looking at
individuals’ social location, employment,
income, education, gender, age, and
race – and by considering external
influences – people’s experiences – which
are internalized and become part of a
person’s thinking and motivations.
Sociological imagination: individual problems versus social
problems
We are able to see the links between what
people do and the social settings that shape
their behavior.
3. The sociological perspective enables us to
analyze and understand both the forces that
contribute to the emergence and growth of the
global village and our unique experiences in our
own smaller corners of this village.
EXAMPLES: Individual problems versus social problems
 Mills reasoned that personal/individual problems like being
overweight, being unemployed, having marital difficulties,
or feeling purposeless or depressed can be purely
personal in nature. It is possible for them to be addressed
and understood in terms of personal, psychological, or
moral attributes, either one’s own or those of the people
in one’s immediate milieu.
 In an individualistic society like our own, this is in fact the
most likely way that people will regard the issues they
confront: “I have an addictive personality;” “I can’t get a
break in the job market;” “My husband is unsupportive;”
etc. However, if private troubles are widely shared with
others, they indicate that there is a common social
problem that has its source in the way social life is
structured.
 Sociology As A Science
 Sociological analysis: An analysis of human society
and culture with a sociological perspective. Also to
analyze the factors & forces underlying historical
transformations of society.
 Study of primary units of social life: It is
concerned with social acts and social relationships,
individual personality, groups, communities,
associations, organizations and populations.
 Development, structure & function of a wide
variety of basic social institutions: Such as the
family & kinship, religion & property, economic,
political, legal, educational and scientific, recreational
& welfare, aesthetic & expressive institutions.
 Sociology As A Science

 Fundamental social processes: Such as

cooperation & competition;
accommodation & assimilation; social
conflict including war & revolution;
communication; social differentiation &
stratification; socialization & indoctrination;
social control & deviance (crime, suicide);
social integration & social change.
 Emphasis on social research:
Contemporary sociology has tended to
become more and more rational &
empirical rather than philosophical &
idealistic.
 Sociology As A Science

Formulation of Concepts, Propositions, and

Theories:
 Concepts are abstracted from concrete
experience to represent a class of phenomena.
Terms such as social stratification, differentiation,
conformity, deviance etc. represent concepts.
 A Proposition seeks to reflect a relationship
between different categories of data or concepts.
For example, ‘lower class youths are more likely to
commit crimes than middle class youths’. This
proposition is debatable. It may prove to be false.
 Theories represent systematically related
propositions that explain social phenomena.
Sociological theories are mostly rooted in factual
Relationship of Sociology with other social sciences
 Sociology is similar to the other social sciences in some
ways but it is distinct because it looks at all social
institutions, focuses on industrialized societies, and looks
at external factors which influence people.

 The goals of science are a) to explain why something

happens; b) to generalize, going beyond the individual
cases and looking for patterns (recurring characteristics or
events) and then making statements that apply to a
broader group or situation; and c) to predict, specifying
what will happen in the future in light of current
knowledge.

 Science can be divided into the Natural Sciences and the

Social Sciences.
Relationship of Sociology with other social sciences
Natural Sciences: It attempt to comprehend,
explain, and predict events in our natural
environment.
Social sciences : It attempt to objectively study
the social world. Like the natural sciences, the
social sciences are divided into specialized
fields based on their subject matter.
Political science: It focuses on politics or
government.
Economics: It analyzes the production,
distribution, and allocation of the material
goods and services of a society.
Anthropology: attempts to understand culture (a
people’s total way of life) by focusing primarily
on preliterate people.