Editorial Note

Thank you to our generous sponsors, Sociologists for Women in Society, Center for Equity Education, American Sociological Association’s Section on Sociological Practice & Public Sociology, Hartman Castle Preservation Corporation, Island Acres Resort Motel, Alpha Kappa Delta, Pacific Sociological Association, and the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology for helping us make Applied Worldwide’s 2024 “Why is Sociology Important?” student essay competition a success!

This essay on the importance of sociology has been published on behalf of Applied Worldwide’s 2024 Global Student Essay Competition. For the 2024 competition, we awarded 16 student essayists across six countries and will be sharing each winning essay in our “Why is Sociology Important?” essay collection.

This sociology essay was written by Abiodun Abidoye, a 4th year sociology student at Bowen University in Nigeria and earned a 3rd place prize in the competition.

The Importance of Sociology’s Many Perspectives, Abiodun Abidoye

Delving into the world of socio-sciences, correct sociology is a science, as the biggest and most fascinating disciplines in social-science. Sociology does not entail the use of test tubes, microscopes, Bunsen burners, flasks petri dishes and all given to natural sciences; sociology is a social science as sociologists seek to learn and understand the complexities of human society through observation and analysis creating theories as a backup to new findings, learning and evaluating them with systematic observation and analysis.

What makes sociology so intriguing and challenging at the same time is its subject circumstance of the evolving social world, the hugeness of the society and how highly complexity the society is. As my lecturers say, “there is no wrong or right answer in the field of sociology; just your justification of your opinion or response will determine how wrong or right your answer will be.” Sociology is about putting questions or interrogating the society not to just understand it, which is why we lens through social stratification and the distribution of unequal resources, powers and positions in the society, which prompt  sociologist to challenge the status quo in the society. Taking inequality (income) as an example functionalist theory may postulate that stratification in the society serves a specific purpose, where higher income earners are rewarded according to their contribution in the society, while conflict theory posit that this hierarchical system is an advantage to the well off and disadvantage to the marginalized. These disparities were brought to light through sociological research by providing esteemed insight to social movement and instigating evolutionary change in the society.

Sociologists are different in thinking and acting because sociologists have a shift or different angles which they view things in the society. As the study of society, sociologists do not just study how complex society is and how it is body (institutions) functions; but to analyze how these structures functions can immortalize inequality in society. We study the interaction and relationship between individuals or groups. The reason is we humans are made of blood and flesh; we are emotional beings and sometimes too many times our emotions get the better of us. These are the things sociologists put into consideration while dealing with human beings. Because you cannot see a sociologist acting impulsively, anywhere you meet with a sociologist there is always a difference either in their intervention, speaking, thinking, acting, or even in their observations.

E.g., if there happen to be a disagreement or conflict in a room and a sociologist happens to be there, if others are reacting in the same manner a sociologist is seated there viewing from another angle on why this person acted up this way to the matter, what was the person thinking before the word spoken hit him/her? Was the person sick? etc. All these attributes to the differences and uniqueness of how important sociology is, not just to an individual, but to the society. Sociology is co-related with other sciences, e.g., psychology, archeology, political science, international relations, economics, and history. As no social sciences can be studied in full isolation from the other, they are inter-related in learning.

Examples of Sociological Perspectives

According to C. Wright Mills, argues in his book The Sociological Imagination, developing a quality mind, “What people need is a quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves.” The context of Wrights thought is to help individuals cope with the social world by enabling them to step outside their own, personal, self-centered view of the world; to make individuals perceive, from an objective perspective, events and social structures that may influence behavior, attitudes, and culture.

Max Weber and Wilhelm Dilthey on the other hand introduced the idea of verstehen, which refers to an attempt to understand and interpret all meanings of action behind social behavior from the actor’s view in sense of interpretive or participatory examination of social phenomena. The goal of verstehen is less to predict behavior than it is to understand behavior. What Max and Dilthey were after here is a meaningful social action, and not a statistical or mathematical knowledge of society. This means that one can not simply understand how the society or interaction works through the use and counting of numbers, but rather by participating in the social phenomena to have a taste of what others are feeling or experiencing and to be able to tell the story like the owner or explain and express social phenomena.

Sociological theories furnish frameworks for understanding social change, functionalism accentuate on how social institutions assert social stability, while conflict on the other hand emphasizes on how social change can become apparent through resource scarcity and power struggles between individuals or groups or class (i.e., bourgeoise and the proletariat). With the understanding of social movements, sociologists could assess the way communal action can create disordering within the existing societal structure and advocate for changes.

Sociology is important for the following reasons:

• It helps us to understand the root causes of social phenomena
• It helps us to understand tensions in the society
• Sociology helps us to understand interactions and relationships between humans to provide solutions to individuals, groups, communities, and societal problems at large
• The process of studying sociology or adapting the thought of sociology in our everyday life breeds good citizenry
• Sociology is important in the aspect of analysis, e.g., analyzing problems facing a society
• It helps in the documentation of society social phenomena, Sociology brings about functionality and solidarity of its body (institutions)
• It brings about togetherness of its institutions e.g., religion, family, economic, political, and education, media, health, and law, It helps with the knowledge of society
• It is important because it helps us to drive into the actor’s own world of meaning
• It helps us to relate well with people of all races, culture, or traditions to avoid marginalization
• It is also important as it is the only course that studies every aspect of human life. This is to mention but a few reasons for the importance of sociology and understanding what sociology is about in the modern world.

Who studies sociology? 

Where are all the sociologist hiding (Nasar and jay Gabler)? As it happens, they are hiding in plain sight; people in many different settings and organizations use sociology to understand society and help solve social problems. Some of these people call themselves sociologists and some of them do not (depending on their jobs, they might call themselves researchers or Programme officers or reporters), but they all make use of sociological findings and ideas. 

Sociologists do not only study social issues, but also work to find solutions to those issues. These are places where sociology is done and can be found in the higher education sector conducting research—universities, which is where the proud, loud, and enthusiastic young minds are found. Many universities offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in sociology mostly taken by social science students in fields such as psychology, political science, anthropology, international relations, law, even some in the medical field, as it is required of them to learn social relation and interaction because they deal with people who often are not normal or tense people till they get attended to. So, they need the understanding of social interactions and to deal with people.

Studying sociology in the university gives clarity in understanding some social questions and why somethings are the way they are. For example, understanding of culture, religion, social networking, social stratifications, race and sex, community and belongings, religion operation, crime and deviance, inequality, social mobility, marriage and family, understand groups, conflicts, and conflict settlement, history, migration, understanding in diversities, social order, ethnicity, occupation and income, gender, age discrimination, motivation, politics, and social psychology, 

Where to find a sociologist

Sociologists can be found in universities as lecturers, and professors, in a research organization as a researcher, as a social worker, in politics and government agencies permeate policy decisions, nonprofit organizations in developing programs and lectures to address social issues, journalism and reporting, business and consulting, in medical line as medical sociologist, in private industry, and more..

Sociologists could make huge and valuable differences in the above mentioned sectors with their critical thinking, analysis, research skills, communication, empathy, interacting and understanding, proactively active, meticulous, patient, and inter-personal skills. To understand the source of social issues and evolve essential interventions in the society.

What value does sociology bring to the world around me and why? 

Sociology brings valuable insights to the world around me. This is because sociology brings value in social functions, structures, norms, and the institutions in the society which helps us to understand the complexity of social issues or phenomenon, such as stratification, inequality, racism, discriminations, conflicts, and social changes. Studying sociology also makes me understand that as a sociologist we are not analytical people, but solution providers. Coming from the early sociologist they never solve a social issue but develop diverse ways of discovering issues and provide a solution to aid social order, promote social justices, gives better understanding, and the use of empathy among groups and individuals in the society. Sociology brings about policymaking, orderliness, equality, management, understanding, rationality, and development in society.

What sociological theories and research methodology help change the world around me positively?

Sociological theories and research methods can bring positive changes around as it helps us in understanding social phenomena, such as social change, dynamics of power, inequality, and formation of social identities. It brings changes in identifying social issues that rise in the society and helps us understand the root cause of these issues, such as racism, gender roles, inequality, poverty, and child labor. Also, changes can occur positively by developing our community in a community research giving volunteers access in collaboration and empowering and encouraging people on how they can/should address their social issues either individually or in groups and changes in education, as research in education can lead or bring about a policy educationally in practices or improvement in education sector for students in learning from a diverse background or community. All these are tools for understanding, providing, and addressing social issues by positively changing the world.

Summary

Sociology is important as it helps us understand society through a strong lens with its complexities of the world functions in orderliness, how interactions and relationships made within ourselves, individuals, and groups also understanding the norms, and its values, the institutions, and their contributions to the growth of the society. Which bring understanding of inequalities, poverty, conflicts, discrimination, and social change and provide solution to social phenomenon which aids in policymaking and fostering more togetherness and solidarity in the development of the society and endow us to be able to challenge the status quo and work towards change in the society.

References

•  Nasar, M., PhD, and Jay G, PhD. (2011):1,5,14. Sociology for Dummies. john Wiley &Sons, Ltd,   West Sussex(Eng):John Wiley & Sons.

Meet our 2024 Global Student Essay Competition Sponsors!

Sociologists for Women in Society is a nonprofit professional feminist organization dedicated to: 

1. Transforming the academy and professional organizations, including our own, by actively supporting feminist leadership and advancing career development of feminist scholars.
2. Recognizing that structural inequalities impact those marginalized by their identities and that this requires proactively promoting the creation of inclusive institutional spaces in an ongoing manner and by practicing critical reflexivity.
3. Advocating and encouraging the development of sociological feminist theory rooted in intersectionality and cutting-edge research for publication and dissemination. 
4. Promoting social justice research within local, national, and international activist spaces by supporting scholar-activist communities seeking to dismantle intersecting systems of oppression.

The Center for Equity Education (CFEE), established in 2020 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, addresses a gap in expert-led education for organizations, especially those with limited resources. At CFEE, our mission revolves around empowering organizations with comprehensive knowledge on federal and state civil rights, specializing in harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment.

Hartman Castle Preservation Corporation, a 501c3 non-profit, is a A community grassroots movement formed to purchase and preserve the Hartman Castle in Gunnison, CO

The purpose of the American Sociological Association’s Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology is to advance sociologically-informed research and practice, to further public discussion of sociological issues, and to promote the use of sociology to inform public policy.

Island Acres Resort Motel is a restored authentic 1950s lodging property in the style of the tourist court motel. Embracing the appeal of a bygone era, where history blends with hospitality.

Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society, seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of social problems, sociology, and intellectual activities that lead to the improvement in the human condition.

The Pacific Sociological Association is committed to serving sociologists, faculty, applied professionals, and students. We strive to create a professional community that reflects the diversity of our region and enhances the diversity of our discipline. We are committed to inclusivity and equity in our organization, to promoting social justice by examining and challenging the structural and institutional barriers in our discipline, and to building pathways for the next generation of sociologists.

The Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology (AACS) promotes applying social scientific knowledge and methods to develop constructive solutions. We provide educational, programmatic, mentoring, networking, and policy resources in a supportive professional community.