Sociology

Question 1

What is sociology?

Answer 1

Study of society, groups, social organisations and social interactions. The perspective that encourages us to consider how social forces shape our lives.

Question 2

What are social norms?

Answer 2

Rules which govern behaviour. They are collective. They have positive sanctions to encourage behaviour and negative sanctions to prevent the behaviour. Invisible and taken for granted and hard to change.

Question 3

What are social forces?

Answer 3

Anything that humans create that shape, pressure or push people to think or behave in a certain way. E.g. media, government, economics, family and religion.

Question 4

What is macro sociology?

Answer 4

Looking at the bigger picture. A social institution, structures, patterns and culture. Overlaps with public health

Question 5

What is micro-sociology?

Answer 5

Looking at the smaller picture, getting up close and personal. How people perceive and experience the social world. Overlaps with psychology and communication skills.

Question 6

What is agency?

Answer 6

The capacity of an individual to act independently and make their own choices. Social forces can play a part.