Sociology Final Project 2021

5-10-21

Emma Logeman
Sociological Point of View

The basic definition of sociology is that human behavior is shaped by

the groups that people belong to and the social interaction that takes place

in those groups. The sociological perspective allows us to look at our

familiar surroundings in a new way.

Without the sociological perspective, which is also known as

sociological imagination, people see the world through their limited

experience of a small circle of family, friends and coworkers. The

sociological imagination allows us to stand apart and see the link between

private concerns and social issues.

In the real world you can see the effects of sociological perspective

every day. You are able to see how someone’s social background can

influence their behaviors, attitudes and life chances. An example of this can

be found in children. A child who is neglected may not act as mature or

may lack simple motor skills that other kids of that age are advancing in. It

also works the other way around, a child who has lots of love and attention

may behave better and excel in school.

Social Structure

Social structure is used by everybody to see how they fit into a

specific group. The importance of social structure is that it helps people

interact or relate to each other easier. Social structure has helped us to

form some “social maps”, these help us to know how to act in certain

places and situations. We are not born with these maps but as we grow

and learn we develop an understanding of the social structure of different

groups by watching how others act in those groups.

An example of this is how kids behave at school. Of course the first

week or so children are excited and unsure of how to behave but as the

school year goes on and they continue to the next grade they learn the

social structure of the classroom. They know that they are supposed to

quietly listen while their teacher speaks to the class.

I’ve noticed that in our own school that after we were able to attend in

person classes after covid that lots of students lost the proper classroom

social structure. There was and still is chaos and disrespect in classrooms

as the students had to relearn how to fall back into the routine that was

learned way back in elementary school. This routine would include quietly

listening, walking down the hallway correctly and doing/turning in

homework on time.
 Socializing the Individual

Socializing the individual is a continuing process where an

individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values,

behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.

Socialization begins at birth and continues throughout the life cycle.

This is one of the most important things I believe to help sociologists

understand why a person behaves a certain way especially in different

situations. As people go from group to group throughout life you can see

changes in their personality and behavior based on their peers. As the

individual continues to socialize and grow they continue to change and

figure out who they are as a person.

Social Stratification

Social stratification is used to describe the system of social standing.

Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people based

on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power. A good way to

visualize social stratification or social structure is to imagine a period with

the wealthiest most powerful people at the top and the poorer, less

educated people at the bottom. Social stratification is not about individual

inequalities but about systematic inequalities.

 An example of this is teachers, they often have high levels of

education but receive relatively low pay. Many people believe that being a

teacher is noble and that they should teach for the love of teaching and the

good of their students- not for money. But no successful entrepreneur or

business executive would think that way. Cultural attitudes and beliefs like

these support and perpetuate social inequalities.

Social Institutions

Social institutions are mechanisms or patterns of social order

based on meeting social needs, such as government, economy,

education, family, healthcare, and religion. Some methods focus on

examining social institutions over time, or compare them to other

social institutions around the world.

The United States for example has a great system of free public

education but there is no universal health care program which is not

the case in many other democratic countries.

 Social institutions become most visible once they break down.

The strike of California teachers is a good example of this. They went

on strike for six days demanding smaller classes, more teachers, a

greater support staff, and higher pay. Just those six days caused

almost 125 million dollars and affected many individuals including

students, parents, and other teachers and administrators.

Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is when different races, ethnicities, ages,

abilities, languages, nationalities, genders, and religions are well

represented within a community. Cultural diversity is very important

because it allows for people to recognize that there is a large amount of

cultures that exist, respect each other’s differences, valuing what different

cultures have to offer, and celebrating differences rather than just tolerating

them.

Cultural diversity is very important to have in a workplace and

especially at school. It allows people to become accepting of all religions

and races around the world and students can partake in learning and

participating in new traditions. Cultural diversity in a school can lead to

deep learning, confidence and growth, preparation for the future, and more

empathy.

Benefits from cultural diversity in everyday life can include

compassion, innovation, new opportunities, productivity, and

problem-solving.

The world is filled with people of different backgrounds and within our

differences we can also find the similarities. Cultural diversity benefits many

people especially in a workplace and in education. It can help people to see

the work in new various perspectives.

 Resources

I. Robertson, Sociology, NY: Worth Pub. 1981: The Sociological

Perspective

Mc-Graw Hill Sociology Textbook: Social Structure and Status lesson

Mc-Graw Hill Sociology Textbook: Socialization through the Life Cycle

Lesson 4

Lumen Learning: Introduction to Sociology; other references used-

Köhler, Nicholas. 2010. “An Uncommon Princess.” Maclean’s, November 22. Retrieved

January 9, 2012 (http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/11/22/an-uncommon-princess/).

McKee, Victoria. 1996. “Blue Blood and the Color of Money.” New York Times, June 9.

Marquand, Robert. 2011. “What Kate Middleton’s Wedding to Prince William Could Do
for Britain.” Christian Science Monitor, April 15. Retrieved January 9, 2012
(http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0415/What-Kate-Middleton-s-wedding-to
-Prince-William-could-do-for-Britain).

Wong, Grace. 2011. “Kate Middleton: A Family Business That Built a Princess.” CNN
Money. Retrieved December 22, 2014
(http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/14/smallbusiness/kate-middleton-party-pieces/).
 Lumen Learning: Introduction to Society- Module 5: Society and

Groups

University of the People The Education Revolution: What is Cultural

Diversity and why is it Important? Copyright @ University of the People

2021