What is sociology and what does it deal with?

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Sociology is a discipline that we all relate to. But do you know exactly what a sociologist does? What does this science deal with? Find out!

What science do you think is responsible for helping us better understand the world around us and improve it? The sociology, a science that seeks to advance towards more egalitarian societies in different spheres (gender, religion, migrations, work…).

Its object of study is different societies, social life and groups. This discipline is responsible for studying what happens (or has happened) in society.

A sociologist must have an attitude of critical conscience towards society. What else do we know about this discipline? What methodologies do you use to investigate? Where and what can a sociologist work? Discover more!

“The scope of sociology is extremely broad and ranges from the analysis of ephemeral encounters between individuals on the street to the investigation of global social processes.”

-Anthony Giddens-

What is sociology and what does it deal with?

Sociology is a science, specifically a social science, which has society as its object of study. Thus, it is responsible for the scientific analysis of human society or the regional population, according to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy).

Thus, analyzes human relationships, how people interact in different environments or in response to different problems or challenges (that is why it has many points in common with social psychology), how social structures and communities are created, etc.

In its origins, we find authors such as: Karl Marx, Auguste Comte, Beatrice Webb, Max Weber and Talcott Parsons, among others. What does sociology study specifically?

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All those collective phenomena produced by the social activity of human beings within the historical-cultural context in which they are immersed. That is, it always takes into account the social, cultural, political… context of the society or population it is analyzing.

What does it cover?

We have seen how sociology studies society and human social behavior, that is, its tendencies. But up to what levels?

According to Giddens et al. (1991), The study of sociology can go from the “microscopic” level (microsociology)that is, one that studies interaction and organizations, up to a more macro level, which would encompass the different systems and social structure.

And what topics does sociology cover? The range is very large: social class, religion, gender, social deviance, health, the economy, penal institutions, the Internet, education, scientific knowledge… that is, everything that has to do with social behavior in general. Spheres that directly affect society and people’s lives, whether individually or collectively.

What methodology(ies) do you use?

Like any science, sociology uses a series of methodologies to investigate its object of study. In this case, uses interdisciplinary research methodologiesthat is, from different disciplines and fields, in order to analyze and interpret the causes and meanings that motivate the appearance of certain trends in social behavior.

Specifically, sociology uses three types of methods when analyzing society. These are:

Qualitative methods: According to Babbie (2014), “qualitative properties are the scientific method of observation for collecting non-numerical data.”Quantitative methods: they cover empirical research systematics of observable phenomena through statistical or mathematical techniques.Comparative method: is the one that studies the correlation between one or more study phenomena.

What applications does it have?

It depends on the specific field of sociology, There are sociologists who do research in order to apply their results to social policy and well-being; others, who seek to understand social processes. And as for professional opportunities? What can a sociologist do?

Professional outings

The sociologist can work in both the public and private spheres. In addition, they are a key figure in the third sector (that is, the one that includes NGOs, associations, foundations…). What are your professional opportunities? Some of the activities that a sociologist can develop are the following:

Teaching.Training in organizations and companies.Opinion surveys.Market studies.Marketing and communication.Social and cultural dynamization and medication.Research (in social sciences and interdisciplinary).Management of public projects.Human resources.Etc.

As we see, sociology is a fairly extensive field, as well as very versatile, since it covers many areas. It focuses on the study of human society, and that involves studying, analyzing and understanding how a society behaves.

In addition, it also has the objective of improving social reality through the understanding of its phenomena. Their study and research includes areas (and elements) as diverse as education, work, health, gender roles, stereotypes, fashions, racism, solidarity, etc.