Understanding Sociology: Key Concepts and Culture

Origins of Sociology

Interest in social life is very old, dating back to ancient social philosophy. However, sociology as a distinct discipline emerged in the nineteenth century. Its founder was Auguste Comte, who coined the term "sociology." The emergence of sociology was closely linked to the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution, as Comte himself grew up amidst these transformative events. These revolutions brought about significant political and social changes. Among those who sought to explain this new social reality were Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber.

Study Subjects

Sociology is the social science dedicated to the systematic study of society, social action, and the groups within it. It examines how organizations and institutions that shape the social structure are created, maintained, or changed. Sociology also studies the effect of these structures on individual behavior and the social changes that result from social interaction.

Social Animal

Man is a "social animal," a term coined by Aristotle. This is because individuals are always part of a particular society from birth. Humans require others to survive and cannot live alone or in isolation. They require signs of humanity.

Socialization

The primary socialization process begins when an individual is born. The main agent of socialization during this phase is the family. Through the family, the individual learns what is considered right and wrong according to their culture.

The secondary socialization process involves continuous learning, but the socializing agents change. These agents become school, friends, clubs, and the media. During this phase, the individual's personality develops further.

Definition of Culture

Culture is the set of beliefs, social meanings, material production, customs, and values that guide individual and collective behavior. Every culture is implemented by a given society, and every society always produces some kind of culture. Therefore, they are inherently linked.

Cultural Universals

• Language: Every culture has a language to carry out the process of socialization.
• Some form of family organization: This allows for physical and cultural reproduction.
• Religions and myths: These provide frameworks for understanding the world and guiding behavior.
• Technologies: These are material elements that facilitate daily life, such as housing.
• Artistic movements: These are forms of expression through song, music, and other mediums.

Cultural Positions

• Ethnocentrism: This involves elevating the values of one's own society to a universal status. It generalizes something particular that is familiar within one's own culture and assumes that these values are unique and superior. Examples: Certain aspects of U.S. culture, some interpretations of Islamic beliefs.
• Exoticism: This is the preference for another culture over one's own, idealizing the other culture. Examples: Some Western views of Moroccan or Chinese cultures.
• Relativism: This perspective holds that all cultures are equally valid, and therefore, no culture should be judged. All values are considered relative to the culture to which they belong, and there is no superior culture or absolute truth. Examples: The perspectives often adopted by sociologists and anthropologists.