Study of Society
Study of how people live together in communities and how these communities function, evolve, and affect individuals.
Study of Individuals and Groups
Study of how people behave individually and in groups, how identities like caste, gender, class, etc. shape that behavior.
Study of Societal Institutions, Cultures and Structures and how they influence you
Study of how the major building blocks of society (like family, religion, economy) and how they create rules, norms, expectations that shape our lives( action, thoughts, paths, decisions etc.)
Understanding and Theorising Society
Developing concepts and theories to explain how society works, how power flows, how inequality is created and maintained.
Understanding the Relationship of an Individual with Society
Study of how individuals are both shaped by and help shape the society they live in and how personal life link with public .
Definition :
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life.
-- Wikipedia
Societal Institutions/Structures
These are systems that dictate the shape of your social life, they define roles, regulate behaviour and structure your relationships.
- Caste
- Religion
- Class
- Tribe/Ethnicity
- Gender
- Family
Social Processes
These are interactions and mechanisms through which society develops and changes.
- Exercise of Power, Authority
- Migration/Urbanization
- Development/Industrialization
- Society and Ecological Change
Social Movements
Collective actions that emerge when people demand or resist change in social norms, policies, or institutions. They reflect:
- Change – Push for a new social order or reforms
- Resistance – Opposition to changes or reforms
- Mobility – Efforts to gain or block upward social movement
Sociological Imagination
Introduced to us by C.Wright Mills it's an idea that promotes sociological thinking , now what it means is that to truly understand people's lives, we must look beyond personal experiences and take into account the larger social forces influencing them.
What is Sociological Imagination?
It's the realization that personal problems ( unemployment , unjust behaviour ) are often not individual failures but a part of a bigger social issue.
It's understanding that society shapes the way you think, act, behave , and it's society who gives you opportunities and experiences.
“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.”- C.Wright Mills
How does it work?
"Sociological Perspective" - Peter Berger
- Berger says we should look beyond the obvious , look deeper into into the questions of why.
- Society seems "natural" but almost all of it is socially constructed by people and history.
"We are a part of bigger system" - Allen Johnson
- We do not act in isolation.
- We're shaped by systems like society, culture, history , gender roles, family norms etc.
- We should actively question,
why- Why do people behave this way?
- Is this normal or it has been made to see normal?
- who benefits from this setup?
