Sociology Final Assignment
Sociology Final Assignment
Sociology Final Assignment
201350047
SOCIOLOGY
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
● Submit a portfolio of your learning’s of this course. Describes briefly
the learning from each of the section. Give real life example from all
these topics or areas which we have covered.
Sociology itself has actual substance. For the one who knows it, it has academic
implications. The study of sociology encourages us as a student and even as a
human to understand human society and the functioning of the social system. A
quantitative research on human societies helps one to understand that there are
many diverse alternatives to the common human dilemma of making a living in
people in various societies.
We have learnt numerous things about sociology and its functioning relating to
different matters in a very short span of time as this subject sociology is now
widespread spread enough to be a prolonged course.
A little concept of applied and clinical sociology i.e., In order to solve challenges,
applied sociologists propose functional improvements whereas Clinical
sociologists participate actively in social transformation by working in different
social fields. Also, there is some other notion for the origin of sociology and nature
of sociology.
Topic: Culture
In this topic, first of all we have learnt the definition of “Culture” as a general and
according to Linton too. A few Example of culture is customs, laws, dress,
architectural style, social standards, religious beliefs, and traditions. We learnt
different characteristics and elements of culture which are pretty much different for
every country.
Following are the two major parts of a culture:
Material culture consists of things that are created by humans. Material
culture is always a product of Non-material Culture. Examples include cars,
buildings, clothing, and tools.
Nonmaterial culture refers to the abstract ideas and ways of thinking that
make up a culture. Examples of nonmaterial culture include traffic laws,
words, and dress codes.
The Cultural Shock explains the effect of moving from a familiar to unfamiliar
culture. It includes the shock of a new environment, the meeting of many new
people and the way to learn about new country’s culture.
Example of culture shock would be a Desi person of Pakistan who travelled to
Korea will face a big culture shock when he/she will see the food menu in the
Korean pubs or restaurants. As in Pakistan he/she eats Biryani, Nihari, Chapati etc.
but in Korea their food is Kimchi, Soft tofu stew, Bulgogi etc.
Values are the ideas about what is good, right, fair, and just. Some of the
Examples of Values are Reliability, Loyalty, Consistency, Honesty.
Norms are unstated rules about what behavior is appropriate. Norms are further
divides into Mores and Folkways. Examples of Norms: Say Assalam-u-Alaikum
when entering house or meeting someone, maintain a space when talking to other
etc.
Beliefs are the tenets or convictions that people hold to be true. For Example, we
as a Muslim believe that there is no god but, Allah.
Subculture refers to cultural patterns that set apart some segment of a society’s
population. Example rock music fans, bikers, goth etc.
Social Control are the attempts made by the society to regulate the behavior of its
members. Example an extremely usual rude behavior with your inferior that has to
stop.
Ethnocentrism the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one own
culture. Example it is normal for some people to eat insects but other people will
start to judge them as disgusting or absurd.
Cultural Relativism the practice of judging a culture by its own standards.
Example starting to think that why people chose to eat insects. They are full of
proteins and even a few amounts will be enough to eat.
Cultural universals are patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies.
Examples gender roles, cooking, music etc.
Cultural Alternatives refer to two or more forms of behavior in a particular
society which are acceptable in a given situation.
For example, care for a patient is a universal aspect of cultures; but the way people
care for patients varies. There are many diverse ways of doing the same thing.
Cultural Change the reconstruction of the cultural concept of a society. Example
war and disaster will result in cultural change as people only focus will be on
surviving.
Topic: Socialization
Socialization is a highly complex process that is ongoing. It often occurs
without any conscious awareness.
Examples includes: Interacting with friends and family, being told to obey
rules, being rewarded for doing chores, and being taught how to behave in
public places.
These family, friends, peers, teachers, colleagues, media all are the Agents of
Socialization.
There is always a debate of Nature vs. Nurture in socialization.
Nature refers to innate qualities like human nature or genetics. Example: there are
high chances that an angry father will have an angry son than a polite father who
have never raised a voice. This can be because of the genes the son inherits or
because of the way seeing his father angry in all of his life.
Nurture refers to care given to children by parents or, more broadly, to
environmental influences such as media and marketing. Example: we are always
taught to be kind and humble by our parents. It is something that hasn’t been
taught in schools.
Socialization and personality are explained under different theories such as:
Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud- Id, Ego, Superego
Erik Erikson – 8 stages of Development
Stage 1: Infancy (the challenge of trust vs. mistrust)
Stage 2: Toddlerhood (the challenge of autonomy vs. doubt and shame)
Stage 3: Preschool (the challenge of initiative vs. guilt)
Stage 4: Preadolescence (the challenge of industriousness vs. inferiority)
Stage 5: Adolescence (the challenge of gaining identities vs. confusion)
Stage 6: Young adulthood (the challenge of intimacy vs. isolation)
Stage 7: Middle adult (the challenge of making a difference vs. self-absorption)
Stage 8: Old age (the challenge of integrity)
Charles Horton Cooley- Looking Glass Self
George Herbert Mead- The Self
Topic: Social Group and Organization
Social Group can be a group of two or more people who interact with one another,
share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity.
Examples of social groups include: families, companies, circles of friends, clubs,
local chapters of fraternities and sororities, and local religious congregations.
A social group can be:
Primary or Secondary Group
Informal and Formal Group
Small and Large Group
Social Action is about people coming together to help improve their lives and
solve. the problems that are important in their communities.
Examples includes: Delivering speech, raising slogans, leading a procession and
holding out banners.
Social Structure is an arrangement of persons in institutionally controlled or
defined relationship. Examples family, religion, law, economy, and class.
Deviance is any behavior that violates social norms, and is usually of sufficient
severity to warrant disapproval from the majority of society. Deviance can be
criminal or non‐criminal. Examples include: robbery, theft, murder etc.
Social control is described as a certain set of rules and standards in society that
keep individuals bound to conventional standards as well as to the use of
formalized mechanisms. Examples: set laws and rules that are stopping the peoples
from committing crime.
There are two types of Social Control:
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Medicine ---Any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness.
There are four sociological perspective and they are given below:
The most favorite topic in this whole course for me is “Types of societies”. As I
always wanted to know how did the human survived in back days when there were
no such technologies like nowadays. How come we have invented so many things
that if by any chance you started to think the procedure or a process of
commencement of a commodity, as a consequence you will be completely
astonished and sometimes even zoned-out of this world about how far we have
come!!
In this topic, we have learnt that how societies change from time to time. There are
Five main societies:
Hunting & Gathering Societies
Pastoral Societies
Horticultural Societies
Agricultural Societies
Industrial Societies
Pastoral Societies
Members of pastoral societies, which first emerged 12,000 years ago, pasture
animals for food and transportation. Pastoral societies still exist today, primarily in
the desert lands of North Africa where horticulture and manufacturing are not
possible. It is the beginning of religious belief and inequality. They are larger in
size and has better productive strategy than Hunting and Gathering societies.
Pastoral societies allow certain of its members (those who are not domesticating
animals) to engage in no survival activities. Traders, healers, spiritual leaders,
craftspeople, and people with other specialty professions appear. Examples: North
& Northeast Africa, Sahel, Sub-Saharan Africa.
Horticultural Societies
Horticultural societies rely on cultivating fruits, vegetables, and plants. It came into
existence about 4000 B.C today in sub-Saharan Africa. These societies first
appeared in different parts of the planet about the same time as pastoral societies.
Horticultural societies occasionally produced a surplus, which permitted storage as
well as the emergence of other professions not related to the survival of the society.
The surplus production allows some wealthy individuals to become more powerful
than others. This leads to the emergence of political institutions in the form of
chieftainships. Warfare is more common. Horticultural societies are also the first
known societies to support the institution of slavery. Examples for horticultural
societies: Guru rumba Tribe in New Guinea, Masai people of Kenya.
Agricultural Societies
Agricultural societies use technological advances to cultivate crops (especially
grains like wheat, rice, corn, and barley) over a large area. Agricultural
Revolution refers to the technological changes that occurred as long as 8,500 years
ago that led to cultivating crops and raising farm animals. Increases in food
supplies then led to larger populations than in earlier communities. This meant a
greater surplus, which resulted in towns that became centers of trade supporting
various rulers, educators, craftspeople, merchants, and religious leaders who did
not have to worry about locating nourishment. As villages and towns expanded
into neighboring areas, conflicts with other communities inevitably occurred.
Farmers provided warriors with food in exchange for protection against invasion
by enemies. A system of rulers with high social status also appeared. Examples:
China, India, Peru.
Industrial Societies
Industrial societies are based on using machines to produce goods. during the 18th
century when the production of goods in mechanized factories began as
the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution appeared first in Britain, and
then quickly spread to the rest of the world. As productivity increased, means of
transportation improved to better facilitate the transfer of products from place to
place. Great wealth was attained by the few who owned factories, and the masses
found jobs working in the factories. Family and Kinship begins to lose its
importance. Religion also loses its hold over people. Importance of Science,
education, status and class increases. Examples: United States, Japan, Europe etc.