SOCIOLOGY PERSPECTIVE CHAPTER 7 REPORT VED 5

Educational Purposes Only

1. PART 2 : THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE CHAPTER 7 NEXT

2. WHAT IS Sociology Sociology is the study of human behavior. NEXT Socio logy Latin: “ Socius ” = Companions or Associate Greek: “Logos” = Study

3. MEANING OF SOCIOLOGY NEXT

4. Man is not just a mere biological being. His immediate group naturally provide an answer for his own needs. How he interacts with other members of his group is a vis-à-vis his own needs is a major sociological consideration. NEXT

5. NEXT Sociology, can, therefore, be defined as a scientific study of man's behavior as a consequence of his being a member of a social group. That is why it is improper to judge another's behavior as primitive and uncivilized based on popular standards. To illustrate this with an example: Consider the practice of communal living and resource sharing in certain indigenous societies. From a Western perspective, which often values individual ownership and competition, this practice might be viewed as primitive or uncivilized. However, sociology teaches us to understand these behaviors within the context of the indigenous group's social norms and values. In many indigenous cultures, communal living and resource sharing are crucial for survival and social cohesion. These practices ensure that all members of the community are taken care of, fostering a strong sense of solidarity and mutual support. Judging this system as primitive disregards its social efficacy and the values it upholds within that specific cultural context.

6. A mountaineer may look awkward upon setting foot in the city for the first time. Supposing, however, a city-bred individual goes to the mountain for the first time, can his behavior be as awkward as that of the mountaineer? Why? NEXT A city-bred individual going to the mountains for the first time may also display awkward behavior. This individual is likely to be unfamiliar with the practical skills required for survival and navigation in a mountainous environment. Because their socialization has equipped them for urban life, but not for the challenges and norms of mountain living. From this, the next meaning of Sociology comes in...

7. The meaning of sociology stems from the individuals behavior as affected by his relationship with the other of his group. Sociology means the scientific study of human society: its origin, structure, function and direction. The macroscopic meaning of sociology is not at all different from its microscopic meaning. The study of human society as a whole eventually redounds to the study of its effects on the behavior of each individual member. Thus, sociology can be defined from two angles: individual behavior in relation to society and the whole society in relation to its members. NEXT

8. SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE NEXT

9. The foregoing popular conceptions, according to Scott McNall, are both misleading and spurious ( false or fake ). He claims that accurate fore-casting is no more the property of physics than of sociology. He substantiates this as: “Not only is it easier to take a census of the number of people in a town than to scant the number of fish in a lake the number of deer in a forest, the number of rabbits in a field, or the number of birds in the sky, but the results are far more accurate. Human fertility, mortality, and migration are all better recorded. Investigators do a better job of ascertaining the ages of large groups of human beings than of leopards, sharks, pelicans, or penguins.” McNall further purports ( falsely ) that human behavior is consistent, amenable to generalizations, and predictable. Human beings are highly consistent in their actions that a sociologist's job is far much easier than the natural scientists who have no way of predicting natural events like floods, epidemics, mountain slides, and earthquakes. Therefore, Scott McNall asserts that dismissing sociology's ability to provide accurate forecasting in favor of physical sciences is unjustified. NEXT

10. Thank you! TO BE CONTINUED... NEXT