Principles of sociology - University of London International ...

21 Principles of sociology
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much our ideas of what constitutes ‘health and ‘illness’ have changed over
time. In modern societies many things that were simply seen as part of life
a century ago – such as pregnancy, long-term unhappiness and disruptive
behaviour by children in school – are now seen as medical conditions
requiring treatments. Sociologists use the term medicalisation to
describe the process whereby more and more aspects of life are being
labelled as illnesses. This raises many questions for the sociologist, such
as: why this is happening, how it is happening and whether or not we are
gaining or losing out by being persuaded to see more and more aspects of
our life as illnesses over which we have no control?
Sociological thinking, then, involves moving to and fro between past,
present and developing ideas that help explain societies, or parts of
them, as continually changing social processes. Above all, sociologists
are interested in how this changing social order shapes our lives as
individuals. You will be looking at this topic in more detail in Section B on
globalisation.
Summary
Whereas social problems are about things people feel are ‘wrong’
with societies, sociological problems take a much wider focus and ask
how societies work and change in the ways they do. Sociologists are
particularly interested in documenting and explaining social order and the
processes by which this order changes over time.
Further reading
Berger (1963) Chapter 8.
1.6 The individual and society
Commonsense thinking holds that societies are all about individuals.
Many social scientists and scientists would agree with this, arguing that as
societies are clearly created by individuals, it is the study of the individual
– through biology, medicine and psychology, for example – that provides
the key to understanding human behaviour.
In questioning this view sociologists are not, as some claim, rejecting the
study of the ‘individual’ in favour of the ‘group’. Sociologists are interested
in studying individuals, and a lot of sociological research involves talking
to and observing individuals. Rather, thinking sociologically involves
seeing the relationship between the individual and society as a two-way,
rather than a one-way, street. As individuals we obviously create societies
but sociologists argue that, in important respects, societies also create us.
How does this happen?
We shall start exploring this process here by asking you to look at your
relationship to society. Maybe there is more of society ‘in you’ than you
realise?
You and society: identity and role
What we would like you to do for this section is to think about yourself
and your relationship to the society in which you live. Start by completing
Activity 1.6 below. We will come back to this activity again so it is
important you take a little time to fill it in now.