Sociology: The Four Functions Of Sociology

2013 Words5 Pages

Quinton Harris
Sociology

There are three ways to do sociology. The first way to do it is positivist sociology. The study of society based on systematic observation of social behavior. There are three important components the concepts, variables, and measurement. Sociologists use concepts to identify elements of society. A concept is a mental construct that represents a part of the world. A variable is a concept whose value changes from case to case. Measurement is the process of determining the value of a variable in a specific case. Sociological variables, however, can be measured in many different ways. This form of sociology is relatively based on science. This is one of the strengths of using this sociology and why most use this method. …show more content…

Affirmation of cultural norms and values is seeing someone get penalized for a deviant act builds up what we as a society acceptable or unacceptable behavior. By sentencing a thief to jail affirms our culturally held value that stealing is wrong. Just as some believe the God couldn’t exist without the belief of the devil that is why deviance helps us affirm and define our own norms. Clarification of right and wrong the responses to deviant behavior help individuals decide between right and wrong. When a student cheats on an exam and receives a failing grade, the rest of the class sees that cheating and is wrong and will not be accepted. Unification of others in society is when acts of deviant bring people closer together. In the aftermath of the tragedy events that took place on September 11, 2011 (terrorist attack on the twin towers), people from all across the United States, and even the world, came together in their shock and disbelief. There was a rise in patriotic feeling and sense of social unity among the people of the United States. Last function of deviance is promoting social change. Deviance can also encourage the dominant society to consider other norms and values. Rosa Parks shared this act of deviance in Alabama in 1955 (she refused to give up her seat to a white person because she was black) which led to the U.S Supreme Court’s declaration that segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional. These four functions are big to society and we still follow these throughout today’s society, even though I think they will change up at some

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