Sociology studies human interaction, social stratification, and the impact of religion and social class on society. Karl Marx is considered the father of modern sociology. Positivism anchors sociology in science, making it a relevant undergraduate course. Sociology examines the past and current beliefs that shape society and how they differ across cultures.
Focusing on the study of society, sociology is one of the social sciences that attempts to study human interaction of both the individual and populations. As a social science, sociology studies the stratification of society, social class and religion and the ramifications these elements have on society as a whole. Unlike social studies, which examine events and happenings, sociology attempts to delve into why society works the way it does, as well as how certain opinions socially alienate different groups of people and different beliefs.
While Auguste Compte may have been the first commonly accepted philosopher of science, Karl Marx is generally viewed as the father of modern sociology by many scholars and students. Marx became known as the creator of a belief system known as Marxism which focused on the study and understanding of sociology. Later scholars, such as 19th-century Herbert Spencer and Emile Durkheim, would sell millions of books coining phrases like Spencer’s “survival of the fittest” when attempting to explain society’s progress through the ages. The first university course titled sociology was offered at the American Institute of Yale in 19.
Positivism is an aspect of sociology that has attempted to anchor the study of the subject with a scientific basis in an attempt to lend credence to it. Science was the only credible field in the early years of sociological study, and linking the study to a science-based methodology has given sociology the credibility it needs to become a relevant undergraduate course of study. Subfields in the social sciences consist of courses such as crime, law, and punishment, as well as social economics studies and family, sexuality, and gender. Offering insight into all aspects of the human social condition, these college courses open up areas of discussion where the mere mention of the topic would have been grounds for dismissal in previous years.
Examining the issues that make society a source of active and vital life requires a deep knowledge of both the past and current and popular beliefs. Many functions of a society that might appear normal and not at all out of the ordinary can be seen as completely inappropriate in other social contexts. The basic glue that holds any society together, such as the legal system, educational requirements, and even marital relations, are created and defined by the rules enforced by any society’s ruling members. Sometimes, a society can form a different mindset following a war or social uprising as new leaders start to impose their ideals of society on the citizens of the country.
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