Sociology Past Paper PDF

is expected of you in Sociology? VVhat get involved in discussion in your explore lessons Tobecome a good researcher To respect other people' views and not speak in a derogatory way about any social group...

is expected of you in Sociology? VVhat get involved in discussion in your explore lessons Tobecome a good researcher To respect other people' views and not speak in a derogatory way about any social group To'think like a sociologist'! In The Socio/ogica/ Imagination, Mille coined the same famous phrase, which is used throughout sociology today. cal Thesociological imaginatiQös the concept of being able to "thinkourselves away" fromthe famijiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them anew. Mills definedsociological imagination as "the vivid awareness of the relationship between experienceand the wider society." It is the ability to see things sociall and howthey interactand influence each other. To have a sociological Imagina Ion, a personmust bFäblöto pull away from the situation and think from an alternative oint of view. Thisabilityis central to one's development of a sociologica perspectiveon t e world.  all started... in Sociology began with Auguste-Comie He was a Frgnchnhilosopherwho is of the founder Of S6ci6iogy and the dpg!fine and he influenceo-ålot of as Maw Comte to introduce a cohesive religion of which, though largely u_psuccessftll, was influentialin the deVöVopmentof various Secular Humanist or @öjääIi6nsin the COE. He also created and defined the term altruism" Durkheim The modern academic disci line of socio ogy egao with the work of Durkheim (1858—1917). He is commonly cited as the principal architectof modernsocial science and father of sociology He elieved in stud ing social phenomena as socia facts tha couldbe objectively analysed and was a of structural fyggtiqnabsm Did a famous study on suicide Sociology common sense from in three important Xvays Sociologists use a sociological imagination This means they look at familiarroutines of daily \ife from a differentangle Oikean They re-examine existing assumptionsby looking ai how things were in the past, how they've changed, how theydiffer they between different societies and how be in the future. on Sociologists explanations are based evidence using established precise research procedures maintain objectivity Sociologists strive to work. in their and value freedom  ο o o ο ο ο Definition — Anderson (1983) Anderson describes societies as 'imagined communities'— things that only exist in the mind. He points out that 'the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion.'  constructed ooc\eües ate Geographica\ borders that set $ysica\ boundaries system of government wtfich may involve a royal family, parliamentand civil service Common language, customs and traditions that people share A sense of belonging and entificationthat involves developingthe view that 'our' society is different from others; Indians, fot example,see themselves as differentto Pakistanis ov Bangladeshis  o O -ι  languages e' British The Food.Q\tutes Sec ol cultures have two basic parts: Material culture involving physical objects like cars, phones and books that society produces and that reflect cultural knowledge, skills and interests 2. Non-material culture which is the knowledge and beliefs valued by a particular culture 3. This includes religious and scientific beliefs as well as the meaning people give to material objects. (Mertone(t957),suggested that objects such as cars, houses and clothes can function In two ways. Their manifest function refers to the purpose for which they exist; clothes for example, function to keep you warm. Their latent function, however,may be hidden. For example, material objects may function as status symbols —owning something a culture feels is desirable says somethingaboutyou to others.  The idea that cultural objects can have different meanings suggests that cultural interaction is both sophisticated and complex. The more sophisticated the interaction in any society, the more open it is to misunderstanding. To make sense of cultural interaction then, we need to create common meanings and establish a structure within this structure, behaviour can happen in predictable ways. For society to function, it has to have order and stability; to get this, people's behaviour must display patterns and regularities While cultures may develop differently, they are all constructed from the same basic materials: norms, values and roles  Ro\es exist in te\aüon to other roles. So fot instance, to play the tole of a teacher, someone has to play the role Of a student. A mother plays a role to a child etc. Roles contribute to the creation of a culture because they require social interaction. They help individuals developthe ability to form groups and communities Roles come with expectations and responsibilities o Φ Φ Φ Φ Φ S- a\ues Na\ues are beliefs or ideas that are important to the people who hold them. A value expresses a beliefabout how something should be Values are common expectations that help provide a sense of order and predictability Playing a role is guided by values, e.g. a mothershould care for her child, a doctor should help cure his patients etc. Values provide broad guidance on how to behave but they do not provide 'rules' or tell people how to play a role. The specific behavioural guides that tell people how to play a role are called 'norms' ο c 39 — Φ Φ ΟΟ Φ υ-)  0959) Gofiman argues thatnorms are mote 9en io Äniet9retaüonand negotiation Yian eitherto\esand norms. This means that they can quick\y adapt to changes in the social environment We can also interpret our ro\es differently; some teachers think means being strict and removed and other think it means being more caring and friendly. So norms can differ by interpretation Q)ut also they can change over time on social change and what...s is accepted and not accepted. More on that later! xΦ cΦ tructural factors. Age. Gender Ethnicity. Class These are social factors which influence our culture and our experience of living within our culture. SOCiOlogists consider structural or social factors to be intrinsic to our experience as social beings and are interested in how they shape us. More on this later!