Sociological Perspective Essay
Chapter 1: Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method
What is the Sociological Perspective?
Reveals the power of society to shape individual lives.
C. Wright Mills called this point of view the “sociological imagination,” which transforms personal troubles into public issues.
Being an outsider or experiencing a social crisis encourages the sociological perspective.
The Importance of a Global Perspective
Global awareness is an important part of the sociological perspective because:
Where we live shapes the lives we lead.
Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected.
What happens in the rest of the world affects life here in the US.
Many social problems that we face in the US are far more serious elsewhere.
Thinking globally …show more content…
Any militant group in the US that would plot to destroy Western society would be an example of a counterculture.
Cultural change results from
Invention (e.g. the telephone and the computer)
Discovery (e.g. the recognition that women are capable of political leadership)
Diffusion (e.g. the growing popularity of various ethnic foods and musical styles)
Cultural lag results when some parts of a cultural system change faster than others.
Ethnocentrism links people to their society but can cause misunderstanding and conflict between societies.
Cultural relativism is increasingly important as people of the world come into more contact with each other.
Theories of Culture
Structural-functional theory views culture as a relatively stable system built on core values. All cultural patterns play some part in the ongoing operation of society.
Social-conflict theory sees culture as a dynamic arena of inequality and conflict. Cultural patterns benefit some categories of people more than others.
Feminist theory highlights how culture is “gendered,” dividing activities between the sexes in ways that give men greater power and privileges than women …show more content…
The importance of socialization is seen in the fact that extended periods of social isolation result in permanent damage.
Socialization is a matter of nurture rather than nature.
A century ago, most people thought human behavior resulted from biological instinct.
For us as human beings, it is our nature to nurture.
Understanding Socialization
Sigmund Freud’s model of the human personality has three parts:
Id: innate, pleasure-seeking human drives
Superego: the demands of society in the form of internalized values and norms
Ego: our efforts to balance innate, pleasure-seeking drives and the demands of society
Jean Piaget believed that human development involves both biological maturation and gaining social experience. He identified four stages of cognitive development:
The sensorimotor stage involves knowing the world only through the sense.
The preoperational stage involves starting to use language and other symbols.
The concrete operational stage allows individuals to understand causal connections.
The formal operational stage involves abstract and critical thought.
Lawrence Kohlberg applied Piaget’s approach to stages of moral
What is the Sociological Perspective?
Reveals the power of society to shape individual lives.
C. Wright Mills called this point of view the “sociological imagination,” which transforms personal troubles into public issues.
Being an outsider or experiencing a social crisis encourages the sociological perspective.
The Importance of a Global Perspective
Global awareness is an important part of the sociological perspective because:
Where we live shapes the lives we lead.
Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected.
What happens in the rest of the world affects life here in the US.
Many social problems that we face in the US are far more serious elsewhere.
Thinking globally …show more content…
Any militant group in the US that would plot to destroy Western society would be an example of a counterculture.
Cultural change results from
Invention (e.g. the telephone and the computer)
Discovery (e.g. the recognition that women are capable of political leadership)
Diffusion (e.g. the growing popularity of various ethnic foods and musical styles)
Cultural lag results when some parts of a cultural system change faster than others.
Ethnocentrism links people to their society but can cause misunderstanding and conflict between societies.
Cultural relativism is increasingly important as people of the world come into more contact with each other.
Theories of Culture
Structural-functional theory views culture as a relatively stable system built on core values. All cultural patterns play some part in the ongoing operation of society.
Social-conflict theory sees culture as a dynamic arena of inequality and conflict. Cultural patterns benefit some categories of people more than others.
Feminist theory highlights how culture is “gendered,” dividing activities between the sexes in ways that give men greater power and privileges than women …show more content…
The importance of socialization is seen in the fact that extended periods of social isolation result in permanent damage.
Socialization is a matter of nurture rather than nature.
A century ago, most people thought human behavior resulted from biological instinct.
For us as human beings, it is our nature to nurture.
Understanding Socialization
Sigmund Freud’s model of the human personality has three parts:
Id: innate, pleasure-seeking human drives
Superego: the demands of society in the form of internalized values and norms
Ego: our efforts to balance innate, pleasure-seeking drives and the demands of society
Jean Piaget believed that human development involves both biological maturation and gaining social experience. He identified four stages of cognitive development:
The sensorimotor stage involves knowing the world only through the sense.
The preoperational stage involves starting to use language and other symbols.
The concrete operational stage allows individuals to understand causal connections.
The formal operational stage involves abstract and critical thought.
Lawrence Kohlberg applied Piaget’s approach to stages of moral