Meaning and Uses of Sociology
Assignment 8, Chapter 14, the Meaning and Uses of Sociology.
By Chris Rao on 5/5/2006
I think the five most important issues of sociology are: inequality, social power, culture, institutions, social deviance, and social change. Inequality is most apparent in society. Inequality is the original source for social power. I think the most critical role for institutions is to address the inequality issue. How institutions address the inequality issue determine whether a society can prosper. Culture is like levees holding the river in its course. Social deviance is like the breach of the levees. Only when the breach is big enough and makes the levees fail, the river can change its course. Gradual acceptance of social deviance makes the social changes.
Since I started learning sociology, I feel that I was rediscovering the world the second time. Two issues I am thinking about the most are inequality and social power. There are theories about inequality such as the just awards, social closure, and exploitation. Each theory gives me a different perspective to the same issue – inequality. I feel that inequality is the source of social balance. Without inequality, the society may not exist. If that society existed, it had to be very boring; nobody in this society would want to live in it. In military, inequality between soldiers and generals are required to have orders executed smoothly. If everyone is equal, then everyone should more or less do the same thing. Then everyone had to be a farmer, an engineer, and doctor, etc, at the same time. If everyone is self-sufficient, then the society would not need to be existed. Social power is like a mirror image of inequality. If every one were equal, there would be no power for any group over another group.
By Chris Rao on 5/5/2006
I think the five most important issues of sociology are: inequality, social power, culture, institutions, social deviance, and social change. Inequality is most apparent in society. Inequality is the original source for social power. I think the most critical role for institutions is to address the inequality issue. How institutions address the inequality issue determine whether a society can prosper. Culture is like levees holding the river in its course. Social deviance is like the breach of the levees. Only when the breach is big enough and makes the levees fail, the river can change its course. Gradual acceptance of social deviance makes the social changes.
Since I started learning sociology, I feel that I was rediscovering the world the second time. Two issues I am thinking about the most are inequality and social power. There are theories about inequality such as the just awards, social closure, and exploitation. Each theory gives me a different perspective to the same issue – inequality. I feel that inequality is the source of social balance. Without inequality, the society may not exist. If that society existed, it had to be very boring; nobody in this society would want to live in it. In military, inequality between soldiers and generals are required to have orders executed smoothly. If everyone is equal, then everyone should more or less do the same thing. Then everyone had to be a farmer, an engineer, and doctor, etc, at the same time. If everyone is self-sufficient, then the society would not need to be existed. Social power is like a mirror image of inequality. If every one were equal, there would be no power for any group over another group.
posted by Unknown at 11:08 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home