Intro to sociology
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The document defines sociology as the study of human social life, emphasizing direct and indirect relationships influenced by social forces. It differentiates between community and society, exploring concepts such as social interaction, social institutions, and the sociological imagination that impacts individual lives within the broader societal context. It also highlights the importance of cultural understanding in fields like transcultural nursing, aiming for effective communication and care based on diverse cultural backgrounds.
Intro to sociology
- 1. C. Settley
- 2. DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY • Sociology can be defined as the study of human social life. • Relationships can be direct, face to face relationships eg – such like our families, school friends or at college. • Can be indirect- actions and decisions of people not known to us personally eg- healthcare policy makers.
- 3. Sociology/ Social science • Direct • Indirect
- 4. SOCIOLOGY AND OTHER SCIENCE • Sociology is one of a group of science called social science. • It is the broadest. • Shares however common characteristics with other social science. • Such as human behaviour. Some disciplines focus on what is going on inside the individual.- neurology, psychology. • Sociologist are interested in interaction between two or more people, whether married couple in conflict, a teacher/ student in classroom situation, a patient/ healthcare practitioner in a therapeutic environment. • They focus on the social forces that influence the way in which people interact with one another. • How people make sense of their private lives and the social worlds they occupy. • And how every day social interaction creates society.
- 5. Concepts • Anthropology - The study of human beings and their ancestors through time in terms of physical character, environmental and social relations and culture. It can also be known as the scientific and humanistic study of human species and their various diversities. - Specialises in: Sociocultural, linguistic, physical. Simple, traditional and non- industrialized societies. - The study of humankind, in particular: the comparative study of human societies and cultures and their development. • Sociology • The study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society: the study of social problems. - The study of the development, structure, interaction and behavior of organized groups of human beings. - Social institutions (economic life education, family, politics and religion), social stratification (by age, gender, race and ethnicity, and social class), social change and social problems. - Focuses on complex and modern societies.
- 6. • Social life • At the most basic, social life is the combination of various components: activities, people, and places. • While all of those components are required to define a social life, the nature of each component is different for every person, and can change for each person, as affected by a variety of external influences. • Social perspective • The sociological perspective is a perspective on human behavior and its connection to society as a whole. • It invites us to look for the connections between the behavior of individual people and the structures of the society in which they live. • Typically, we tend to think of our society as just natural. Concepts
- 7. THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION • Sociologist study familiar routines of daily life, but look at it differently. • They see and understand the larger historical picture. • As well of the impact of social forces on our private lives. • Refiloe’s story- page 5 • While we think life is all about individual actions and free choices, many are influenced by social circumstances that we cannot always control. • The story illustrate the key idea of sociology- to understand people and the phenomena in their personal lives • Sociological imagination allows us to recognise that solutions to many of our problems are not in changing the personal situations and characteristics of individuals, but in changing the social institutions and roles available to them. • Problems such as drug addiction, homelessness, sexual violence will not be solved by treating or punishing the individuals. • But rather that social institutions should provide programmes to assist such individuals.
- 8. The Sociological Imagination • Example #1 Fat and thin girl • A girl tries to lose weight to look desirable according to the perception of the society. • In order to be thin, she becomes anorexic and experiences severe health problems. • Now, if we see this case in isolation, we will think that it's her personal problem ,and she is spoiling her life on her own. • But if we apply sociological imagination, we would realize that it's the obsession of society in general for the fair skin and thin body that has indirectly affected this girl. • It is the media that represents society, portrays beautiful, and desirable girls as thin and fair. • This kind of representation affects many people directly or indirectly as it happened in case of this particular girl.
- 9. The Sociological Imagination • Example #2 Job rejection • A guy gets rejected in an interview and resorts to illegal activities. • He tries very hard to get a job, but fails. • Now, he joins the a gang and engages in illegal and criminal activities. • If you analyze this case individually, then you may say that this boy did not try hard enough to get a job and resorted to illegal activities to gain easy money. • But if you see this case with the sociological imagination perspective, then you would see that the larger forces such as, economic meltdown, unemployment, the lack of regulation in the sub prime mortgage industry, etc., had a direct impact on the life of this guy. • We could have blamed the personal character of the individual if very few guys went through the similar situation.
- 10. Social interaction • A social interaction is an exchange between two or more individuals and is a building block of society. • Social interaction can be studied between groups of two (dyads), three (triads) or larger social groups. • By interacting with one another, people design rules, institutions and systems within which they seek to live.
- 11. Social interaction • Symbols are used to communicate the expectations of a given society to those new to it, either children or outsiders. • Through this broad schema of social development, one sees how social interaction lies at its core.
- 12. More Concepts • Society • the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community. • a body of individuals living as members of a community.
- 13. More Concepts • Community • a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. • the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.
- 14. Community Society Population is one of the most essential characteristics of a community irrespective of the consideration whether people have or do not have conscious relations. Population is important but here the population is conditioned by a feeling of oneness. Thus conscious relations are more important than the mere population for a society. A community by nature is discrete as compared with society. By nature and character society is abstract. Community area or locality is very essential and that perhaps is the reason that the community had a definite shape. Society is area-less and shapeless and for a society area is no consideration. A community has comparatively narrow scope of community sentiments. A society has heterogeneity and because of its wide scope and field can embrace people having different conflicts. The scope of community is narrow than that of society because community came much later than the society. Though the primitive people might not have understood the importance of community but they realized that of the society and lived in it. The society has much wider scope as compared with the community. In a community every effort is made to avoid differences or conflicts and to bring likeness as nearly as possible because cooperation and conflicts cannot exist in a community. In a society likeness and conflict can exist side by side and in fact the scope of society is so vast that there is every possibility of adjustment.
- 15. Characteristics of a society • Definite territory • A society occupies a definite area. • Continuity of relationships • Includes representatives of the fundamental human types, that is men, women and children. • These relationships exist over a long period of time.
- 16. Characteristics of a society • A functioning group • Basic human group. • Analysed in terms of relationships. • Processes that occur within these groups. • Differentiated from temporary groups such as an audience etc.
- 17. Characteristics of a society • Sexual reproduction • Fundamental. • Source of new members. • Additional members by means of adoption, immigration. • Sexual reproduction is the principal source of increase.
- 18. Characteristics of a society • A comprehensive culture • A sociological society contain cultural patterns. • Diversified. • Enables group to fulfil all requirements of social life. • Every full member of the group must possess enough culture of the group to enable him to play his part in the system of interaction. • No one person can possess the entire culture of the group.
- 19. Characteristics of a community • Independence • Not a subgroup of any other group.
- 20. Characteristics of a community • A common territory • Forms the physical boundaries of social interaction. • A group of people alone can’t form a community. • A group of people forms a community only when they reside in a definite territory. • The territory need not be fixed forever.
- 21. Characteristics of a community • Special bonds of unit • Race, religion, etc. are often evident. • The members of a community are similar in a number of ways. • As they live within a definite locality they lead a common life and share some common ends. • Among the members similarity in language, culture, customs, and traditions and in many other things is observed.
- 22. Characteristics of a community • Community feeling • Sense of belonging. • Interpersonal interaction • The individual feels that he/she has a role to play in the community. • This is vitally important to the individuals existence. • Materially and spiritually dependant on the community as it satisfies physical and psychological needs.
- 23. Characteristics of a community • Provision of institutions and organisations • To satisfy the basic biological, psychological and social needs of its members. • Includes schools, churches, businesses, etc.
- 24. Differences between a community and a society • The primary difference between a community and a society is that a community is limited to a specific geographic location, but a society can be made up of people who live in different places. Another difference is that a society is made up of direct and indirect social connections between people, but a community is made up of individuals who are more closely connected. For example, people who live in a town represent a community, whereas everyone who lives in the state (or province) of the town is located in makes up a society.
- 25. What is an urban area? • An urban area is a location characterized by high human population density and vast human- built features in comparison to the areas surrounding it. What is a rural area? • A rural area is an open swath of land that has few homes or other buildings, and not very many people. A rural area’s population density is very low. • Isolated farm settlements. • Country trade centres usually centered in a village.
- 26. Urban and Rural areas Urban area Rural area
- 27. Interaction between urban and Rural areas Chapter 5, page 10 in reader • Interaction in the country takes place to a greater or lesser degree depending on factors such as distance, rivers, mountains etc. nature of soil and availability of raw materials. • Town is supplied with raw materials from the country. • Finished articles which are made in town from these raw materials are supplied to town markets • There is always interaction between urban and rural • There’s more social interaction between rural and urban due to the development of roads, motor and air transport, there’s more social interaction
- 28. Interaction between urban and Rural areas Continued • People from towns can more easily visit urban areas and vice versa • The development of boarder industries is bringing urbanization (Urbanization is the process in which the number of people living in cities increases compared with the number of people living in rural areas).
- 29. Culture • The sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Culture is transmitted through language, material objects, ritual, institutions, and art, from one generation to the next.
- 30. Social Structures • Social organization based on established patterns of social interaction between different relationships (such as those between parents and children, teachers and students, employers and employees), regulated through accepted norms and shared values.
- 31. Concepts related to social structure • Ascribed status: • Received at birth • No control • At birth • Eg being a son/daughter/mexican etc • Achieved status: • Earned by personal achievements, efforts • Eg qualified nurse/specialist • Master status: • Dominates • Known by members of the community • Eg princess of wales
- 32. Concepts related to social structure • Role Conflict- more than one status
- 33. Concepts related to social structure • Role Sets- number of roles with one status
- 34. Concepts related to social structure • Role Strain- While role strain is a tension that occurs when a person is facing a single role having multiple statuses. It means that it occurs with in a single role.
- 35. Social groups • A social group is a collection of people who interact with each other and share similar characteristics and a sense of unity. • A social category is a collection of people who do not interact but who share similar characteristics.
- 36. Social groups • Expressive and instrumental • In and out • Open and closed • Vertical and horizontal • Permanent and temporary • Voluntary and involuntary
- 37. EXPRESSIVE GROUP - Expressive ties are social links formed when we emotionally invest ourselves in and commit ourselves to other people. - Through association with people who are meaningful to us, we achieve a sense of security, love, acceptance, companionship, and personal worth.
- 38. INSTRUMENTAL GROUPS - Social links formed when we cooperate with other people to achieve some goal - Purpose - Task group - Eg nursing professionals as they provide a task by caring for the patients
- 39. The in- group and the out- group The in-group • Symbols, names, slogans, clothing • Self positive evaluation • Mutual identification/loyalty • Tend to compete • Evaluation of social behaviour The out- group • Opposite of the in-group • Viewed as negative by the in-group • Both groups use as reference
- 40. The in- group and the out- group example ‘the in group identified at school level among kids VS the nerds’
- 41. Vertical and horizontal groups Vertical groups • Different social and economical classes • Eg church Horizontal groups • More or less the same financial, occupational social background • Eg DENOSA
- 42. Permanent and temporary groups Permanent groups • Eg the family • Long term existence Temporary groups • Eg residence in a neighborhood who exist for a short while to form a pressure group • Short term existence • Group dissolves after request have been met
- 43. Open and closed groups Open groups • No limitations • Any person can join • Eg Facebook, Twitter Closed groups • Limitations • Requirements • Eg SANC
- 44. Voluntary and involuntary groups Voluntary groups • Occupational groups, eg teachers nurses • Made a decision Involuntary groups • Not based on a decision • Eg family
- 45. Social institutions • Humans have basic social needs – belonging, support for the young etc. • These different fields of needs have been classified by Sociologists hence the concept: ‘social institutions’ • Defined: Social Institutions are the major spheres of social life, organized in such a way that they fulfill human needs
- 46. Social institutions • The Five basic Social Institutions: • 1) The family • 2) Education • 3) Religion • 4) Economics • 5) Politics
- 47. • The family is the most basic of all institutions • It serves the person’s need to belong and to receive and give love. • Satisfies the need for care and socialization • Cornerstone for individuals to function in society • More than 90% of all people prefer to live within a family unit Social institutions: the family
- 48. • Enables a society to survive economically. • Through the provision of services such as banks. • Fosters entrepreneurial potential in communities. • Without the economy, societies would not be able to trade, import and export goods etc. Social institutions: economy
- 49. Social stratification • Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. • Johnson (1986:315) describes SOCIAL STRATIFICATION as the social structures which provide wealth, power and status unequally among the members of different social classes. • It is a process in the sense that people classify themselves with regard to different status groups and associate themselves with the relevant wealth, power and prestige.
- 50. Social force • An element of society which has the capability of causing cultural change or influences people.
- 51. Transcultural nursing • Is a learned sub field or branch of nursing which focusses upon the comparative study and analysis of cultures with respect to nursing and health- illness care practices, beliefs and values with the goal to provide meaningful and efficacious nursing care services to people according to their cultural values and health-illness context
- 52. Transcultural nursing • Transcultural skills a nurse need to require: • The nurse who takes her job seriously and strives to provide optimal nursing, will find these conflicting cultural aspects interesting and challenging- not annoying! • Cultural competence: the understanding and respect of the norms, values and convictions of patients
- 53. Transcultural nursing • The nurse should respect and accept the various cultural beliefs and customs • She should realise that all people are not exactly like herself • She should therefore be sensitive to other cultural and ethnic backgrounds • Total patient care should take place • Physical care is important, but cultural needs should be taken into consideration
- 54. Transcultural nursing • It should be kept in mind that everyone, in spite of differences are special • The nurse should notice and deal with cultural differences which might have an impact on effective communication and/or nursing care • Nursing professionals should deal with cultural differences which might have an impact on effective communication and/or nursing care • She should provide sensitive assistance to patients who maintain negative beliefs, customs and behaviour and try to guide them towards positive health care
- 55. Transcultural nursing • It should be kept in mind that everyone, in spite of differences are special • The nurse should notice and deal with cultural differences which might have an impact on effective communication and/or nursing care • Nursing professionals should deal with cultural differences which might have an impact on effective communication and/or nursing care • She should provide sensitive assistance to patients who maintain negative beliefs, customs and behaviour and try to guide them towards positive health care
- 56. REFERENCES: -Pretorius, E. Matebesi, Z and Ackermann, L. (2013). Juta’s Sociology for healthcare professionals. Lansdowne, Cape Town, South Africa. Page 2- 6. -www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-sociology-perspective-324286. Retrieved on 3 July 2015. -https://www.boundless.com/.../social-interaction...social-interaction. Retrieved on 3 July 2015. -http://www.sociologyguide.com/basic-concepts/society-and-community.php. Retrieved on 3 July 2015.