CHAPTER 1

undefined. CHAPTER 1. Sociology and the Real World.

1.1 What Is Sociology?.

[Audio] Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of social patterns of behavior which exist in human society. Covering all aspects of society from large-scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and individual interactions 'sociology' is taken from the Latin and Greek words 'socius' and 'logos' meaning the study of society. Society can be seen as a group of people coming together to use collective knowledge to shape their lives in ways that differentiate them from others. Investigating society’s interactions and conduct grants insight into our own lives and the world we live in..

[Audio] We live in a highly social world where we need other people to survive. Howard Becker has famously studied the unwritten rules of jazz musicians who could jump on stage and play together without knowing each other underlining our status as social beings. As Becker emphasizes in his famous citation: "Sociology is the study of people doing things together". Our sense of identity is shaped by our relations inside society such as families and neighbours. This chapter will focus on the concept of humans as social beings and how this affects our lives..

[Audio] Sociology is a social science that looks into the structure and development of societies. It examines the diversified means by which people respond with one another and the overall effects produced by such communication. It emphasizes the relationship between individual lives and the greater social context. Its scope ranges from the manner of speaking and dressing to involvement in community life and work. Sociology attempts to uncover the intricacies of human interaction and conduct..

[Audio] Examining the importance of sociology for understanding and predicting the behavior of individuals and societies we see that it overlaps with several social sciences such as economics anthropology political science and psychology whilst also covering a range of its own unique area of research. Through this sociology is able to provide insight into and make predictions about the world..

[Audio] Comparing the past and present studying human culture examining social institutions considering the relationship of people to places looking at human communication and studying the individual in relation to external social forces are all varied ways that Sociology interacts with the other social sciences. History and Sociology compare the past and the present but Sociology tends to be more focused on contemporary society. Anthropology and Sociology both study human culture but Sociology looks at societies at all levels of development. Economics Political Science and Sociology examine social institutions but Sociology looks at a range of social institutions not just one. Geography and Sociology both consider the relationship of people to places but Sociology is more concerned with people than the places themselves. Communication Studies and Sociology both look at human communication however Sociology studies both the social and interpersonal levels not just one or the other. Psychology and Sociology both study the individual and their relationships but Sociology looks at the individual in relation to external social forces. This overview of how Sociology interacts with the other social sciences may help explain why it is a focal point in the social sciences..