Essential Concepts In Sociology
Social life is in a constant process of change, and sociology can never stand still. As a result, contemporary sociology is a theoretically diverse enterprise, covering a huge range of subjects and drawing on a broad array of research methods. Central to this endeavour is the use of core concepts and ideas which allow sociologists to make sense of societies, though our understanding of these concepts necessarily evolves and changes.
Essential Concepts in Sociology
This clear and jargon-free book introduces a careful selection of essential concepts that have helped to shape sociology and continue to do so. Going beyond brief, dictionary-style definitions, Anthony Giddens and Philip W. Sutton provide an extended discussion of each concept which sets it in historical and theoretical context, explores its main meanings in use, introduces relevant criticisms, and points readers to its ongoing development in contemporary research and theorizing.
Organized in ten thematic sections, the book offers a portrait of sociology through its essential concepts, ranging from capitalism, identity and deviance to the digital revolution, environment, postcolonialism and intersectionality. It will be essential reading for all those new to sociology as well as anyone seeking a reliable route map for a rapidly changing world.
Core Concepts in Sociology is a comprehensive guide to the essential concepts relevant to the current study of the discipline and wider social science. The contributing authors cover a wide range of concepts that remain at the heart of sociology including those from its academic founding and others much more recent in their development. The text contains contributions from an international panel of leading figures in the field, utilizing their expertise on core concepts and presenting an accessible introduction for students.
Drawing on the widest range of ideas, research, current literature and expert assessment, Core Concepts in Sociology contains over 90 concepts that represent the discipline. Coverage includes concepts ranging from aging to capitalism, democracy to economic sociology, epistemology to everyday life, media to risk, stigma and much more. This vital resource:
Written for students, researchers and wider professionals with an interest in the field of sociology, Core Concepts in Sociology offers a concise, affordable and accessible resource for studying the underpinnings of sociology and social science.
Home >> Basic Sociological Concepts google_ad_client = "pub-5302226604711226";google_ad_width = 336;google_ad_height = 280;google_ad_format = "336x280_as";google_ad_type = "image";google_ad_channel =""; Basic Concepts & Terms of Sociology The basic premise of sociology is that human behavior is largely shaped by the groups to which people belong and by the social interaction that takes place within those groups. The main focus of sociology is the group not the individual. The sociologist is mainly interested in the interaction between the people - the ways in which people act towards respond and influence each other. Sociology is characterized by its approach to phenomena (the approach to science) and by its subject matter (human interaction). It is rightly defined as scientific study of human interaction. Sociology is about society, its constituent institutions, their inter relationship and the actors. Sociologists study the patterns in social interactions.
According to Bogardus sociology has a long past but only a short history. The earliest attempts at systematic thought regarding social life in the west may be said to have begun with the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and his disciple Aristotle. Plato's Republic is an analysis of the city community in all its aspects and in Aristotle's Ethics and Politics the first major attempt to deal systematically with the law, the society and the state. In 16th century writers like Hobbes and Machiavelli provided more clear distinctions between state and society. 'The Prince' of Machiavelli is an objective discussion of the state that he formulated on the basis of historical data. Sir Thomas Moore who in his book Utopia published in 1515 tried to deal with every day social problems by means of depicting an ideal social order out what really meant for emulation. Italian writer Vico and French writer Montesquieu contributed towards the scientific investigation of social phenomenon. Vico in his book The New Science contended that society was subject to definite laws that can be observed through objective observation and study. Montesquieu in his famous book The Spirit of Laws had analyzed the role that external factors especially climate play in the life of human society.
Sociology emerged in the context of the sweeping changes that the Industrial Revolution brought to Europe. Two other factors operating at the time also encouraged the development of sociology. The example of natural sciences if there methods could make so much sense of the physical world could they not be applied successfully to the social world. The second factor was the exposure of Europe to the radically different societies that their colonial empires had taken over. Information about the contrasting social practices of these societies raised fresh questions about society in general. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) holds the title of Father of Sociology who established two specific problems for sociological investigation - social statics and social dynamics. Social statics refers to the problem of order and stability and social dynamics refers to the problem of social change. He believed that a science of sociology should be based on systematic observation and classification. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) applied the theory of organic evolution to human society and developed theory of social evolution. Karl Marx (1818-1883) saw social conflict and inevitability of revolution as part of the society. Durkheim emphasized the basic needs of the society comparing it to a living organism. Max Weber stressed the regular patterns of action that can be discerned and result from particular beliefs. All these men were reacting to the crisis brought about in society by the flood of ideas upon which the revolutions were borne. Each searched for the dynamics that would explain the underlying causes of social change and in doing so they were also searching for the basis of social order.
We have explained in details the various terms and concepts used in Sociology. Check out the alphatically listed terms of sociology for your reference. If there are any terms commonly used in Sociology and that have not been explained in out list of Sociology Terms, please write to us and we will add it to the list of terms of sociology for your benefit. After all it is the basic concepts of any subject that requires clarity and if your basic concepts of Sociology is not clear you are bound to remain unclear with many topics and underperform in your examination.
Drawing on the widest range of ideas, research, current literature and expert assessment, Core Concepts in Sociology contains over 90 concepts that represent the discipline. Coverage includes concepts ranging from aging to capitalism, democracy to economic sociology, epistemology to everyday life, media to risk, stigma and much more. This vital resource:
Written for students, researchers and wider professionals with an interest in the field of sociology, Core Concepts in Sociology offers a concise, affordable and accessible resource for studying the underpinnings of sociology and social science.
During your sociology studies, if you haven't already, you are sure to come across some recurring sociological concepts used in theories and research. It is important that you understand not only the meaning of these recurring concepts, but also how they are used and applied in sociological research.
Macrosociology refers to the large-scale approach to studying sociology. Using a macro-sociological approach means sociologists look at the overall structural processes within society. They study the relationships between society and societal processes and systems.
In contrast, microsociology studies society using a small-scale approach, such as observing and studying human interactions. Interactionists believe that society should be studied in this way, as individuals shape society and not the other way around. Microsociology focuses on the smaller-scale issues, interactions and processes within society.
For the purposes of understanding the concept in sociology, we will consider values that are held by society. A value can act as a guide for behaviour; due to this, it can be extremely beneficial to study a society's values.
The previous concepts that we have come across can be learned by socialisation. We are taught what to do and what not to do through primary and secondary socialisation.
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Well-educated sociology BA graduates acquire a sense of history and knowledge of various racial, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic groups, the interconnectedness of social life, and different frameworks of thought. They are proficient at gathering information and putting it into perspective. Sociological training helps students bring breadth and depth of understanding to the workplace. 041b061a72