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148 views5 pages

Essay 1

Uploaded by

jcorniel130637
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Essay #1

Josemanuel Corniel

Bergen Community College

SOC-101-W099

Professor Jacqueline Behn, MSW, PhD

January 5, 2025
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Essay #1

Prompt

What is sociology and the sociological perspective? What do you see are some of the

most important uses of sociology? What is meant by the nature vs. nurture debate in the social

sciences? Describe and compare and contrast functional theory, conflict theory, and symbolic

interactionism. Who are the major contributors (theorists) to each theory? Which theory is a

macro level theory and which is a micro level theory? What is a demographic variable?

The study of Sociology allows us to examine human society, social behaviors, and the

structures communities have that shape them. It examines individuals' actions while interacting

with one another and larger groups. “The sociological perspective is a way of looking at the

world through a sociologic lens,” (Ferris & Stein, 2024). It allows one to step back and digest

human behavior in its social context. It also challenges common-sense assumptions and

examines the influence of one's culture, socialization, and social structures.

One of the most important uses of sociology allows us to identify the root causes of

inequalities from community to community like poverty, discrimination, and crime. We can

study groups to understand their issues which allow us to help improve and prevent them from

happening in the future. With these studies, we can also recognize patterns and predict when a

new issue may arise.

The nature vs. nurture debate in social science questions whether human behavior is

determined by their biology or environment. Some believe that genetics and biology are the main

roots of human nature, while others believe that the environment and culture dictate human

behavior. Most sociologists agree that both factors work together to shape human behavior.
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Three major theories in sociology are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic

interactionism. Functionalism looks at society as a system that has a bunch of parts working

together that allow it to be stable and run properly. Solidarity, the degree of integration or unity

within a particular society, is one of the major factors in functionalism (Ferris & Stein, 2024).

Émile Durkheim was one of the main figures known to support this theory. He believed that

most people bond due to similarities they share like a job position, religion, and experience.

Conflict theory focuses on the inequalities and power within a society. Karl Marx is

widely known as a supporter of this theory. His studies revolved around capitalism and class

conflict which formed the framework of this theory also making it known as “Marxism.” This

perspective also highlights issues like gender inequalities and racial discrimination.

Symbolic interactionism takes a micro-level approach, focusing on the role of symbols

and language. Exploring how individuals create and interpret meanings in their lives. George

Herbert Mead was mainly recognized for this theory, “Mead proposed that both human

development and the meanings we assign to everyday objects and events are fundamentally

social processes,” (Ferris & Stein, 2024). Nowadays most clothing people wear has a symbol.

These symbols also known as logos are looked at in society and can represent a person's wealth

and status.

Functionalism and conflict theory are known as macro-level theories due to the large-

scale social structures and processes they are involved in. Functionalism focuses on how

institutions/communities work together to maintain stability while conflict theory critiques these

institutions for inequalities. Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on

individual and small-group interactions.


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Some demographic variables that are often examined by sociologists are race/ethnicity,

social class, and gender. These characteristics are used to categorize people within a population.

These variables are important when it comes to sociological research because they help highlight

patterns and trends within societies. For example, studying demographics can help reveal

individuals or even groups that have a harder time accessing healthcare or education.
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References

American Sociological Association. (2018). Sociologists on Sociology. In YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqbFRa3UyQQ

Ferris, K., & Stein, J. (2024). The Real World: an Introduction to Sociology (9th ed.). W.W.

Norton.

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