Intro to Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of human society. It is about human beings interacting together and what happens when we interact with each other. Sociology is literally the study of society and how it works. Every time we come in contact with another human being, it’s a form of sociology. Sociologists study the social trends in society. Life is surrounded with various issues from a social standpoint. We all live, dress, speak, and act a certain way because of the way we we’re brought up. Society changes from one generation to the next and will always change as we progress. What we may consider normal may vary from what another country may believe is normal. I feel sociology is thinking outside of the box, not being closed-minded. We must understand that life is much deeper then we think. History tends to repeat itself and we imitate our forefather’s. The sociological perspective reveals that much of what passes for “common sense” in the United States turns out to be at least partly wrong. In America as we progress as human beings in society we are becoming more self-sufficient. We are supposedly “The Land of the Free” but are we really free? I disagree. As humans we feel that we must fit in to the social norm. Everyone wants to be socially acceptable. Being socially acceptable is not always the right way, but we want our friends to accept us so we do what it takes. Race is determined by skin color, bone structure, and texture of hair. The direct source for racism starts from the home. Our parents teach us from young how to be racist. It may not be done on purpose but it is being taught in the home. As children, we do not judge others by appearance. We judge others based off the chemistry you may have with that person or their personality. “Race is a category of individuals who are believed to share common inborn biological trains, such as skin color, color and texture of hair, and shape of eyes, nose, or head” I am black and I embrace my culture. People have always been treated very poorly in this country just because of their skin color or because of their gender. It’s a problem still today but a lot has changed and it seems like the problem has gotten better even though there is still a long way to go. Now over the year’s things very slowly started to get better. Today racism in our society has been reduced and not just African Americans but all minorities have a more equal chance at things in this country. There is still people who find ways around all the laws in place that prevent racism in the workforce but it still is a lot better than in the past. “Gender refers to the personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being female or male.” (Page 294 ) Gender has always raised problems in this country just because of the way people think things should be. From a child we are taught that boys should be more aggressive than females. In grammar school while the boys go outside to play a sport, the girls would stay inside to help the teacher with decorating the classroom. We develop gender role stereotypes around the age 3-4 years old. When a mother purchases item for her newborn boy, everything is blue. When items are purchased for the newborn girl, everything is pink. Who started this philosophy of what color and what is socially acceptable for each gender? The child begins to accept their gender and realizes what differentiates them from the opposite sex. Not only do we learned it from our parents but we develop this mind set from our schools and even the social media. Elena Beasley stated, “The society in which we live plays an enormous role in shaping the attitudes and behaviour of all those who are a part of it. Humans, as social beings, are constantly being bombarded with information from the environment which can influence the way we perceive the world and also shape our attitudes and beliefs, gradually moulding each and everyone of us into an 'accepted'