What is sociology?
- The study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.
- Analysis of a social institution or societal segment as a self-contained entity or in relation to society as a whole.
"Sociologists study the interrelationships between individuals, organizations, cultures and societies"
- Giddens ("Sociology", 1989)
- Giddens ("Sociology", 1989)
Why do I have to study sociology?
or
How does sociology help mankind?
For the first question, I'm afraid I can't help you there. Either you need the class to graduate, you took it because there's someone you really like who's taking the class, or you deeply and truly are passionate about the material. Maybe it just sounds like an interesting class.
For the second question, it's true that sociology doesn't produce any magic pills or atomic weapons. Sociology doesn't set out to conquer the natural world, as do the 'hard sciences' (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.). What it can do, however, is save you from yourself. If psychology attempts to describe the personality (i.e. a single individual), then sociology attempts to describe groups of individuals. Consider Hurricane Katrina not just as a meteorological event, but also a social one. Could a more rigorous social theory have predicted the fallout among the lower-economic tiers of New Orleans and diverted government resources more efficiently?
If you're better with numbers than you are with feelings, I'd recommend you look up economics and behavioral finance. They're flavors of sociology with more 'real world' (i.e. lucrative) applications.
or
How does sociology help mankind?
For the first question, I'm afraid I can't help you there. Either you need the class to graduate, you took it because there's someone you really like who's taking the class, or you deeply and truly are passionate about the material. Maybe it just sounds like an interesting class.
For the second question, it's true that sociology doesn't produce any magic pills or atomic weapons. Sociology doesn't set out to conquer the natural world, as do the 'hard sciences' (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.). What it can do, however, is save you from yourself. If psychology attempts to describe the personality (i.e. a single individual), then sociology attempts to describe groups of individuals. Consider Hurricane Katrina not just as a meteorological event, but also a social one. Could a more rigorous social theory have predicted the fallout among the lower-economic tiers of New Orleans and diverted government resources more efficiently?
If you're better with numbers than you are with feelings, I'd recommend you look up economics and behavioral finance. They're flavors of sociology with more 'real world' (i.e. lucrative) applications.
The best place to start would be to look at the histories of Marx and Weber. Get familiar with them, then attempt some of their writings.
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