Sociology is the study of human social behavior, interactions based on social relationships, and groups and social structures and changes. In other words, it refers to the study of explaining how people live and why they live that way in connection with society. The central tasks in sociology include examining the structural characteristics of the society we live in, the patterns of individual social behavior, and changes in social structure.
Major Areas of Interest in Sociology
Sociology fundamentally aims to analyze social behavior that appears in the relationship between individuals and society. Therefore, rather than focusing on special or irregular behaviors, it pays attention to regular and repetitive behavioral patterns and social phenomena.
Sociological Imagination
Coined by C. Wright Mills in 1959, sociological imagination refers to the ability to identify the relationship between an individual's daily activities and the larger social forces that affect them.
Microsociology
This level of sociology studies specific actions that occur in everyday life while interacting directly with others.
Macrosociology
This level examines social processes and social structures that are larger and less easily detectable but affect the microscopic level. It includes political systems, economic systems, culture, and large-scale social phenomena.
Major Theories in Sociology
Positivism
An epistemological perspective and scientific philosophy that emerged in Western Europe in the late 19th century, based solely on sensory experience and empirical verification. Major researchers include Émile Durkheim, Auguste Comte, and Max Weber.
Anti-positivism
A theoretical position suggesting that the social domain cannot be studied by scientific research methods used in social science, and that research on the social domain requires different epistemologies. Major researchers include Max Scheler, Georg Simmel, and Peter L. Berger.
Functionalism
A perspective that understands social and cultural phenomena as functional relationships between components, seeing that social components contribute to the maintenance and integration of society as a whole in interdependent relationships. Major researchers include Émile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, and Robert K. Merton.
Conflict Theory
This theory argues that society is composed of individuals and groups, and that confrontation, competition, conflict, and change are interrelated. It posits that it is more appropriate to explain social phenomena in terms of conflict and division rather than harmony and agreement. Major researchers include Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Lewis Coser.
Social Constructionism
A theory that explains how social phenomena or consciousness are understood, created, and developed through the interaction of members of society. This theory notes that social concepts or meanings are not created by individuals, but through cooperative agreements with others. Major researchers include Peter L. Berger, Thomas Luckmann, and Michel Foucault.
Structuralism
A trend in modern philosophical thought that explores the overall structure and system that ultimately defines individual behavior or perception, based on the premise that the meaning of an object is defined according to its relationship with other objects. Major researchers include Claude Lévi-Strauss, Pierre Bourdieu, and André Leroi-Gourhan.
Symbolic Interactionism
A theory that primarily focuses on the interaction between members of society through symbols and understands social and cultural phenomena from a microscopic perspective. Major researchers include George H. Mead, Herbert Blumer, Charles Cooley, and W. I. Thomas.
Critical Theory
Developed by scholars of the Frankfurt School, this theory of social transformation and liberation explores social power and oppression, social inequality and social justice, power supervision, and the role of ideology, seeking social change and liberation. Major researchers include Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Jürgen Habermas.
Comparison of Functionalism and Conflict Theory
| Functionalism | Conflict Theory |
|---|---|
| Society is structured by continuous and stable elements | Every society is always changing |
| All societies are structured in which the elements are integrated | Society always shows disagreement and conflict |
| The social structure is based on consent | All societies are based on coercion |
| All components of society perform certain functions, contributing to the maintenance of society as a system | All elements of society contribute to the breakdown and change of society |
Understanding sociology essentially requires comprehending the characteristics of sociological research subjects, major areas of interest, and major sociological theories. Various theories have existed to understand the society we live in and explain social phenomena, and will continue to be studied and explored in the future. Through the development of various theories, we will be able to analyze the causes and consequences of social problems, lead to social change, and seek directions to solve problems in our society.
The field of sociology provides invaluable insights into the complex workings of human societies, offering tools and perspectives to address pressing social issues. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and complex, the role of sociology in understanding and shaping our social reality becomes ever more crucial.
