Sociology studies social roles.
Sociology is a science that is dedicated to the study of social groups (a set of individuals who live together in various types of associations). This science analyzes the internal forms of organization , the relationships that subjects maintain among themselves and with the system, and the degree of cohesion existing within the framework of the social structure .
For example: "My son wants to study Sociology when he finishes high school," "Last night I saw a very interesting debate about sociology on television," "The president may be a great economist, but he knows very little about sociology."
Before moving forward with the definition, it is important to determine the etymological origin of the term sociology. Specifically, its antecedents are found in Latin and more precisely in the union of the words socĭus , which would be translated as "partner or individual" ; and logy , which has several meanings, including "study" . Therefore, based on this we could make a literal translation that sociology is the study of the partner or individual .
Origin of sociology
It could be said that sociology has existed for a long time before it was developed as a science or its object of study was delimited. In the 5th century BC, Herodotus dedicated himself to making complete descriptions of the customs and rituals of various peoples. Ibn Khaldun ( 1332 – 1406 ), for his part, was the one who proclaimed the notion of Ilm el Iytima (the science of society or the social).
Auguste Comte , for his part, was responsible for shaping the concept of sociology, when in 1838 he presented his Course in Positive Philosophy . Sociology was consolidated as an autonomous science only in the mid- 19th century . Already late in the 20th century , different schools and dominant currents began to differentiate.
Collective behavior is part of the object of interest of sociology.
The vision of Max Weber
In this sense, it is interesting to make a small parenthesis to establish that sociology throughout history has not left great thinkers indifferent. Among them, the German Max Weber .
For Weber , what sociology does is confront social action in order to undertake the explanation causally, from a knowledge approach called interpretive , both on its development and its effects.
Urban legends, traditions and taboos are analyzed by sociology.
Characteristics of sociology
Sociological analysis is oriented to culture and social norms. Issues such as family dynamics, gender roles, the influence of the media on public opinion and political participation are analyzed, to mention some topics of interest.
Prejudices in communities, consumerism , protests driven by social movements, acculturation and crime can also be addressed from sociology. Field research with interviews and surveys and so-called participant observation are among the resources that sociologists use when developing their work.
It is important to indicate that sociology can appeal to different methods: qualitative methodology , which includes detailed descriptions and explanations of behaviors, situations and subjects, and which can also include the participants' stories told by themselves; and the quantitative methodology , which is responsible for the variables that can be represented by numerical values (numbers) and that allow us to search for possible relationships through statistical analysis.
Regarding the main sociological paradigms , functionalism can be highlighted (which states that social institutions are means developed collectively to satisfy the needs of society), Marxism (conflict theory), structuralism , symbolic interactionism and systems theory .
Thus, today it is very common for this science of the individual to be used to carry out interesting studies regarding latent aspects in our society that concern or interest us. In this sense, sociological studies are frequently carried out to examine the behavior of young people towards drugs or alcohol. Through these investigations, data is obtained on the ages at which they begin to consume, the reasons that lead them to drink or whether they feel pressured by their group of friends to do so, to mention a few possibilities.
Different branches
It is possible to recognize different branches of sociology depending on their object of study or scope of application:
- Urban sociology : Analyzes the relationships between people and social life within cities.
- Rural sociology : Studies the structure of communities in the countryside; that is, far from urban areas.
- Sociology of art : Uses sociological methodology to investigate artistic practices as a social product.
- Sociology of science : Focused on the social conditions that affect scientific work.
- Sociology of sport : Examines sporting activity as a social phenomenon.
- Sociology of knowledge : It is oriented towards the link between thought and the social context.
- Environmental Sociology : Dedicated to how human communities interact with their natural environment.
- Economic sociology : Observe the influence of culture on the economy.
- Sociology of the family : Evaluates social interaction within family groups, considering the family as an institution of society.
- Political sociology : Observe the sociological dimension of political phenomena.
Expert word
The Spanish sociologist Abel Ros is the author of the books “Trapped Thought” and “From Criticism.” Creator of the blog El Rincón de la Crítica and frequent collaborator in different media, he is also a political scientist and professor of Philosophy.
We consulted this sociology professional about how sociologists prepare and what resources or tools they use to avoid becoming outdated in the face of the constant transformations of communities:
Sociologists use quantitative and qualitative social research techniques. Such techniques take the form of surveys, life stories, discussion groups and participant observation, among others. Surveys, for example, show trends. They are necessary for the design of political strategies and market studies. The rapid change in social events requires them to be current. Hence, the sociologist works with recent surveys to avoid temporal bias in their interpretations.
Abel Ros