What is Sociology?

What is Sociology?
Sociology is, perhaps, one of the most misunderstood disciplines of the entire social and behavioral sciences. While most people have a general sense of what psychology, anthropology, history, and economics is all about, they are often perplexed when trying to ascertain what sociology focuses on. This could be, in part, because sociology is the newest of the social sciences (having only coming into its own in the 19th century). It could also be because so many people hear or see the word sociology and automatically think of words like socialism, communism, and Karl Marx. With this, people often see sociologists as radicals, subversives, and/or threats to the established order, which really is not the case at all. Yes, sociologists do often question authority and put to test social realities, however, this is not necessarily due to a subversive nature, rather it is due to an inquisitive mind. To ask questions is the first step to wisdom.

Sometimes, though, asking questions tends to make people nervous and wonder "why we can't just sit still" and leave things as they are. Another reason for confusion surrounding the purpose of sociology is, perhaps, because the discipline often sounds like psychology, anthropology, history, and/or economics and some may wonder why we even need sociology. The answer to this is quite simple and can be understood through the definition of sociology. Sociology is the scientific study of society and human behavior (Henslin, 1998). Embedded in this basic definition is the larger scale of sociological analysis. Within society itself there exist several aspects which are of particular interest to sociologists:

social structure; social institutions; social class; social groups; and social interaction.

Social Structure is basically the preexisting patterns of social reality that influence each of us on a daily basis. This structure is in place before we come into the world and has influenced generations before us. In essence, social structure is that framework of society that dictates to us appropriate behaviors and attitudes depending on our particular status (or position) within the overall structure of society. Social Institutions are those organized entities that are established to meet specific needs for the overall society. There are several social institutions that influence us all in unique ways. The five most obvious of these are (arguably all of equal importance): The Economy, which provides society with a monetary base and the means to produce and distribute goods; Politics, which is responsible for providing leadership and laws governing behavior; The Family, which provides the means to reproduce and to socialize children; Education Systems, which provide
the means to teach members of society how to be productive and intelligent members, and Religion, which provides guidance for many issues, the most basic being the meaning of life and death.

One's social class is his/her relative position within the overall social structure and this, too, influences individual behaviors and attitudes. Social class consists of one's education level, occupational prestige, income, wealth, and may also include other factors such as race and gender. Research continues to demonstrate that individuals are greatly influenced by one's social class in many ways. For example, depending on one's social class there are distinct differences in attitudes and behaviors regarding work, religion, racial, and gender issues. Finally, social groups and social interaction are of interest to sociologists
as both influences individual behaviors. Within groups (two or more people sharing common interests who interact with one another on a regular basis), there is interaction (verbal and nonverbal communications) and the overall groups' structure as well as the interaction itself greatly influences the attitudes and behaviors of individuals within groups.

So, then, the interest of sociologists lies within the overall analysis of society, which differs from other disciplines in understanding human behavior. For example where psychology focuses on the individual and
how he/she thinks, sociology focuses on the overall influence of social structure, social institutions, social class, groups and social interaction on individual behavior. It is this approach that C. Wright Mills referred to as the sociological imagination -- the ability to see how overall social structure of society influences individual behaviors and circumstances.