Sociological Concepts and How They Relate to My Life - Essay Example

Sociological concepts Affiliation Sociological Concepts and how they relate to my Life Introduction Sociology is the study of human social activities, particularly the study of their origins, institutions, organization, and advancement of the human society. It analyzes a particular societal group as a self-contained unit or its relation to the society in general. Concept is an overall idea, thought or notion obtained from a certain instance or happening and is usually formed in the people’s minds. Most of what I know about social behaviors and societies has been derived from the various sociology concepts. Whereas various theories are disregarded or have fallen out of favor, others seem to maintain their broad acceptance, although all have participated enormously in our comprehension of society and social behavior. As a member of the society, there are a couple of concepts that I can say I relate with including symbolic interaction, conflict theory, functionalist theory, labeling theory and rational choice theory. Symbolic Interaction Theory Symbolic interaction concept is based on the symbolic meaning that people grow and depend on in the course of social interaction. It analyzes the society by dealing with the skewed meanings that people enforce on behaviors, events and objects. Here, subjective meanings are given dominance due to beliefs that people behave based on what they suppose and not just on what is impartially true. Consequently, the society appears to be socially created through human understanding. People construe one another’s conduct, which eventually creates the social bond (Abrutyn, 2013, pg. 140). As an individual, there are many instances I have had to compromise what I perceive to be right just so as to fit into what the society or peers expects of me. I know alcohol and drugs are bad and pose a health risk but being involved makes one cool, according to my peers. Therefore, in order to fit into what other students deem as cool, I have to adopt their behaviors. Also, where I come from, one must acquire a degree in order to be recognized by the society, hence, I have to pursue careers that are not necessarily my passion in order to be regarded by my people. Conflict Theory Conflict concept accentuates the role of compulsion and power in producing a social order. The society is normally divided into groups that contend for economic and social resources. The social order is upheld by supremacy, with power in the possession of individuals that have the greatest economic, political, as well as social resources (Delanty, 2011, pg. 69). When agreement exists, it is featured to individuals bonding around common interests, often in conflict to other groups. Therefore, inequality exists because those in control of an uneven distribution of society’s resources vigorously guard their advantages. As a student, I have had experiences before, whereby, based on my social class, I have had discriminations and such. Some of the schools I have attended before were not well equipped because it was deemed for the low-income families (Schaefer, 2013, pg. 36). Those in power ensure proper funding for high class family schools and less for the poor. Functionalist Theory Functionalist concept defines every part of society based on how it contributes to the steadiness of the whole society. Society is more than the sum of its divisions; rather, every division of society is useful for the stability of the entire society and each relies on the other (Delanty, 2011). The government provides me with the education I am currently undertaking and in turn I pay taxes through the fees I pay. The government uses my fee to support it and my parent who pays for my fee depend on the state to offer me education so that I can get a job and be able to provide for my family. The process will continue as I will start paying taxes for education of my children and so forth. Therefore, we all depend on each other for the proper functioning of the society. Labeling Theory Labeling theory starts with the supposition that no act is essentially criminal. Interpretations of criminality are defined by individuals in power through the invention of laws and the understanding of those laws by correctional institutions, police, and courts. Deviance is the process of relations between the deviants and non-deviants and the circumstance in which criminality get interpreted (Ossewaarde, 2014, pg. 172). There was this once instance where I overstepped my boundaries and bit my classmate after an argument. Although I received my punishment, people including teachers, still view me as an aggressive person, yet it was just one instance that I regret up to date. Even new students who were not there see me as a psycho even when I have never done anything aggressive from then. The label stuck in their minds and it is hard to erase it. Rational Choice Theory People tend to be motivated by their individual goals and wants and are, hence controlled by their personal desires. However, due to the fact that it is impossible to achieve all the various things they desire, they are, therefore, forced into making choices that related to both achieving their goals as well as the means for doing so. Consequently, people must be hopeful of the outcomes of different courses of action as well as determine which action will be suitable for them. Normally, rational people select the course of action that is possible to give them the greatest fulfillment. Usually, there is a belief that every action is essentially rational in character which contradicts other theories by its denial to the existence of the forms of action than the solely calculative and rational one. It argues that all social activities can be viewed as rationally provoked, regardless of how much it may seem to be irrational (Ossewaarde, 2014, pg. 178). The theory is very significant in my life as everything I do is well thought about and calculated before I engage. From the way I organize my daily schedule including what every time is for to my holidays and how I spend m money, I plan everything. Conclusion Sociological concepts seems to govern our lives, from the time one is born to the time one dies and there appears to be nothing much one can do to oppose it. Rather, everyone has adopted them and despite the consequences that some of them poses, there is no argument that this will continue for many more generations. However, we have an obligation to fight for what is right and correct and counter what have been imposed on us by set standards to believe in. For example, everyone deserves a second chance, even a violent thief, but the permanent label placed on him remains as his legacy until the time he dies or relocates to a place where no one recognizes him. I believe we have the ability to change the worse concepts within the society, one at a time. References Abrutyn, S. (2013). Teaching Sociological Theory for a New Century: Contending with the "Time Crunch". American Sociologist, 44(2), 132-154. Delanty, G. (2011). Varieties of critique in sociological theory and their methodological implications for social research. Irish Journal Of Sociology, 19(1), 68-92. Ossewaarde, M. (2014). Sociological Imagination For The Aged Society. Canadian Journal Of Sociology, 39(2), 159-180. Schaefer, R. T. (2013). Sociology. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw-Hill. Read More