Chapter 3- Academic Reflection
The sociological approach to studying religion involves analyzing a variety of elements regarding social and cultural effects of religion within society in a scientific approach. This emphasizes many beliefs and practices within religious groups and how they shape the community and our society as a whole. In further explanation, the sociological approach involves seeking the understanding of how various religious groups influence social norms, politics, and economic systems. Sociologists seek to understand how religious organizations then use power and resources to influence societies.
The scientific approach that is used by sociologists includes two principles, objectivity and methodological empiricism. Objectivity
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This involves using data from observation or experimentation to collect evidence that can be analyzed and used to support theories and hypotheses within sociology. This is based on the knowledge that theories must be grounded and have some empirical data, while seeking to understand phenomena by examining the underlying causal processes and relationships rather than simply describing them. The text states “An important of sociology’s claim to being a social science is the use of systematic and rigorous methods of data collection and analysis.” (pg 48). The research methods include various research collection tools such as surveys, content analysis and participant observation. These are all used to collect data that creates a well-supported explanation for a theory supporting the researcher's argument or analysis.
In reflection, there are strengths within using this method of research. One strength is the collection of valuable and reliable data. For example, while working with methodological empiricism, researchers rely directly on empirical evidence gathered through observation and experiments to convey conclusions. Another example is using objectivity to improve credibility and could help prevent other researchers from using test results in their own words and shape swayed opinions. Additionally, it can provide transparency in the results and lead to a better understanding for the
Religion is important for a society to function. Sociologist focus on religion as an institution or system followed by a group, based on what they interpret is sacred to this group. Furthermore, depicts the reasoning on how southerners in America have established their conservative values. These values will determine the foundation of southern culture past from generations to their roles in society. Conservatism in the south, has revolved around the significance of religion, leading to the resistance to innovation in society but can be solved through changing societal norms.
Sociologists view religion as a catalyst for global social change and they also study religion because it promotes understanding in religions historical and modern-day role, in shaping the social forces that in turn shape society as a whole. Furthermore, sociologists believe that religions are socially constructed by human beings, and they are also widely interested in how religions are organized socially, and they believe that it is a source of social solidarity because religion offers their believers a set of common values and beliefs. Sociologists studies religion strictly as scientists; they don’t claim to be believers or nonbelievers. An example of what sociologists study specifically regarding religion, they study how a crisis
Chapter 4 talks about socialization and the life course consider that learning to behave appropriately in an occupation is a fundamental aspect of human socialization (pag.94). The activities during the work time can be considered as an important agent of socialization. The socialization in the workplace changes when the people have a full time job and this process can be most powerful during the transition from school to job, but it continues along the work story because men and women changes of work position when they earn an educational degree, or changes of employers or places to work many times during their lives. On the description about the workers in Manchester I forgot to mention that most of the workers that looking a place to eat
Like most things that are society based, religion has evolved alongside our own culture. America is a melting pot of different ethnic backgrounds and cultures making it a perfect place for religion to adapt and flourish. For this analysis, I am drawing from “Civil Religion in America” by Robert N. Bellah (1967) on his ideas of American civil religion. In the text Bellah (1967) argues that civil religion is an important dimension that needs to be recognized in sociology. While Bellah focuses specifically on the United States of America, he still gives a valuable perspective on civil religion and how it plays a part in religion as a whole.
In chapter four of the book Sociology Matters by Richard T. Schaefer what I found the Stanley Milgram social experiment very interesting. It’s an experiment where people are asked to volunteer in the research on investigating the effects that punishment has on learning. They are asked to shock the learner if they do not get the right answer. Also I did not know what deviance truly was and that it in a way connects with Milgram’s Experiment. Stanley Milgram’s social experiment connects with both obedience, labeling, and deviance.
Society has, and always will be, a never ending cycle of change. Society always has a way of pressuring people into things and of controlling lives. Religion has been a big part in almost every society to ever exist. It also finds ways to make people second guess themselves and can throw common logic out the window at times. In this essay I plan shedding some light on the subject of how religion can control society, and vice versa through my eyes and the eyes of three authors.
A. I learned a lot of things while i watched the documentary on the MS-13s. They do a lot of things that i never knew people could do. There are so many members in this gang and everyone wants to be higher and higher up each day. A good term from our sociology book that i connected to the documentary was Competition. Competition in biology and sociology, is a contest between two or more organisms, animals, individuals, groups, etc., for territory, a niche, for a location of resources, for resources and goods, for mates, for prestige, for recognition, for awards, for group or social status, or for leadership.
Sociology somehow can also be define as the study of development, structure, and functioning of human society. Sociology requires more than of common sense to make sense in a society. Sociology aims to provide objective knowledge of a social phenomenon in order to cope with social issues in a society. Sociology, therefore, offers insights into these issues in order to reveal the questions of humanity, also the changes and transition that humans goes through. As a sociologist, Andre Beteille have said, social science is primarily being conduct upon certain legal guidelines, the research technique and how the data is collected.
a. Sociology is the study of the social relationships that affect the humans as well as institutions. It involves many fields of study that include crime, religion, family, race, culture and society among others. It is the primary purpose of sociology to provide linkage to all of these different subjects to help in understanding how humans behave (Smith, 2016). b. Sociological enquiry is the careful analysis of the motivational factors as well as the behavior of a certain individual within a particular group of people. The primary objective of sociological inquiry is to reveal an understanding of the social world that is readily observable.
This essay will respectively explain about the religion and belief system which significally influenced by the sociologist ideas. The sociologist that invovle in this theory of religion consist of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber that was one of the famous sociologist with their power theory at that time. Other than that, I will also explain about their similarities and differences among their theories about religion and belief system. All of us know that these sociologist was greatly interested to make their own theory especially on religion and belief system. They each comes out their ideas about religion in many different ways of perspective, method, languange, and resulting theory.
As religious studies and sociology scholars, the best way to approach religious beliefs is to understand the various factors that make religious groups what they are. These various factors include a human being’s need to belong, which is defined as a socialization factor, and a human being’s ability to attach meaning to things, such as words, things, and sounds (Johnstone, 2006). In chapter 1, The Sociological Perspective, Ronald Johnstone states that social phenomena are interrelated. This assumption concludes that religion influences, and is influenced, by others (Johnstone, 2006).
Methodology In my thesis I utilized the quantitative content analysis method. There are many definitions of this research method from different authors. Most of the definitions include similar principles. The research should be systematical, objective, quantitative and replicable.
2.3 Sociological perspective: Macionis (), analyzed that sociology is efficient study of human society. Society refers to public who live in a defined region and share a way of existence. Sociology’s analysis of society is a special point of view called a sociological perspective. To define the sociological perspective there is an additional way to define that is considering the general in the particular. It tells that that sociologist look for common pattern in particular human’s behavior.
Sociology is the scientific study of human social relationships and interactions. Sociology 's subject matter is diverse. Subject matter for sociology ranges from the micro level of an individual and interaction to the macro level of systems and the social structure. At the society level, sociology examines and explains matters like crime and law, poverty and wealth, prejudice and discrimination, schools and education, business firms, urban community, and social movements. We can see these subject matters crystal clear as sociology ranges from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture and from social stability to radical change in whole societies.
Sociology is defined as the study of humans, societies and social groups within societies. It is also said to be the ‘science of society’. The subject of sociology tries to help us to understand why we act in certain ways and that what may come across as inevitable may perhaps be shaped and moulded by historical events and processes. It is important as it helps us gain knowledge of the world in which we live and why certain things happen within this world. Patterns may also develop from the study of sociology.