Social psychologist observe human behavior and significance of influence by outside sources such as people, society, environment, and culture. Social psychologist focus on facts that underline human behavior in social settings and how individuals’ conduct him or herself under various conditions, thus, leading to behavior, actions, and feelings. According to Mcleod (2007), “Topics examined in social psychology include: the self-concept, social cognition, attribution theory, social influence, group processes, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal processes, aggression, attitudes and stereotypes” (para. 3). Social Psychology
There are two major aspects in regards to the sociological perspective, the first being interaction between social structure and an individual and the idea of two levels of analysis. When it comes to the interaction of social structure and the individual, sociologists tend to concentrate not so much on the characteristics of an individuals behavior but rather on the precedents that are collective amongst individuals in regards to society and groups around them. The key to grasping sociology comes from the inevitability and repetition, which are seen in customary social behaviors throughout society and individuals. Social structures are socially embodied in the actions, thoughts, beliefs, and long-lasting temperaments of individual human beings. The typical being often has a
Compare and contrast any two major theoretical perspectives in Sociology Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. Through sociology, we are able to understand the structures and dynamics of our society. In our society, we have institutions, which are basically organisations that exist over time. Although people may change, the structure continues to exist. Examples include the family, education, religion, and economic and political institutions.
Sociologists do not simply declare their beliefs indisputable truths – they do research to determine whether those beliefs are correct. Their investigations are rooted in the scientific method that distinguishes the sociological perspective from “commonsense” interpretations of the world. The sociological perspective emphasizes that people’s thoughts and action are strongly influenced by the groups to which they belong as well as by impinging social factors such as beliefs, values, practices and institutions. From birth to death individuals are imbedded within and influenced by groups and larger structures. As sociologists our main goal is to understand social situations and look for repeating patterns in society.
Sociologists carry out their research from a number of theoretical perspectives, and depending on the views they adopt they will have different ideas about the nature of social problems and know how to solve them. Early positivist and functionalist sociologists, such as Comte and Durkheim, would argue that sociology was a science and would discover both the cause of social problems and scientifically based solutions to them. Both positivist and functionalists see social policies beneficial to society as a whole, and contribute to it running smoothly. For example, educational policies help to promote equal opportunity and reduce class boundaries. However Marxists would argue that social problems such as underachievement are simply aspects of a wider structure of class inequality, and unlike functionalists, they do not see the state and its policies beneficial to all members of society.
By understanding the concepts of the each theories a person can see how they can affect the social institution, such as the family, differently and can present a more much better understanding of the concepts as they apply to reality. What are the Sociological theories? Functionalism, the Conflict Theory, and Interactionism comprise the three main sociological theories. These theories affect the way people think and perceive the world around them. As a result, the development, nature and understanding of different social institutions, including the family, health-care systems, religion, education, media, politics and economy, are determined or affected by these three social theories.
Using the Sociological Imagination when working with those living with disability (1) allows us to see the bigger picture i.e. it allows us to focus on the social issues determining the quality of life of those living with disability to
Social Psychology Definition Paper February 3rd, 2013 Psy/400 Adrian Fletcher Axia Campus University of Phoenix Social Psychology Definition Paper Social psychology is a study in which a researcher or psychologist studies individuals in their social context and is also a discipline that uses scientific methods. Social psychologist’s look at or study many social topics, some of these topics include; social perception, group behavior, conformity, leadership, prejudice, and aggression. Social psychology is not only about looking at social influences, it is also about social perception and social interaction which needs to be understood first before one is able to understand social psychology completely. Social psychology is very important to us because it allows us to study how individuals will act in different social situations. For instance; we are able to learn how stereotypes are formed, why there is racism, and also how a person’s behavior changes in different types of situations.
The impact on the personality of the individual, it has the characteristics of participation in the life of the community. The variety of contacts, relationships and active participation in the life of the surrounding general give shape to the human personality. There are two types of social structure, macro and micro which allows the individual to notice, whatever man is constantly in contact, which affects the shape of humans’ personality. One of the most important perspectives of sociological theories is the distinction between structural and social action. Structural action, in other words structuralism, is a perspective which is concerned with the overall structure of society and sees individual behavior molded by social institutions like the family, the educations, the mass media and work.
This essay will explain how the sociological imagination aspect works in society. It will define ‘sociological imagination’ and discuss how it can be applied to possible cases. It will also define ‘critical thinking’, ‘de-familiarizing’ and the ‘general in particular’ with particular cases to show its understanding of how these terms work in society. Sociological imagination is what C. Wright Mills defined as a “process whereby you link individual experiences with social institutions and one's place in history. In this perspective, people who are in poverty could link their personal situation to the social forces relevant to their present circumstance” (Macionis and Plummer, 2008: 11-12).