Sociological Theories and Concepts Essay

The course has been quite insightful and challenging at the same time. I have gained valuable information regarding sociological theories and concepts. During this course, I got to learn concepts that can be applied in professional and personal life to enhance the quality of life. I have been able to gain in-depth knowledge on various life situations and cultural differences. This paper seeks to highlight three of the most significant concepts which had the most impact as well as what I learned.

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Firstly, one element of the course was breaking a norm. This assignment's requirement was to complete an experiment about breaking a norm. A norm is a value or an act which a society can relate to and is expected of one to follow or do. They offer a guidance basis through which one can find rules for everyday activities (Witt, 2016). Some norms are inclined to religious beliefs while others are created just by the society and passed from generation to the next. The norm I decided to break was when asked the question, "How are you today?" In my responses, I decided not to give the quite obvious answer of, "I'm fine," to elaborate my status in an honest manner. In the course of the day, when anyone posed the question to me I would give appropriate answer how I felt at each moment at the workplace. I remember one colleague asking about how I was doing and I gave an honest answer to feeling tired and exhausted. He showed empathy and offered to assist me in work and wanted to give me some pain relievers. I showed gratitude but waited for another person to proceed with my experiment. In this exercise, I noticed that sometimes we work hard but tend to hide our feelings to others, I believe when we share our personal thoughts to concerned people sometimes gives a sense of relief and a first step into solving some common problems we face. I also learned that sometimes it is important to go beyond norms to create positive impacts on others behaviors and attitudes. This can relate to the informal norm and it is just understood by the society and not necessarily recorded. It is a form of culture that should be encouraged for effective interactions. It also relates to cultural relativism where people are viewed as per their cultural backgrounds (Witt, 2016). One needs to understand people and how they fair on from time to time.

The second concept I found vital is deviant behavior. Deviance is a type of behavior which is considered to disobey or contravene customs and standards of a society or a setting. It is an issue that some people view differently or from various perspectives. Some would posit that wearing informal clothes to a wedding, drinking beer, and spending so much on gambling is deviant behavior. As such, these behaviors may not be illegal but are considered deviant from place to the next (Salem, 2014). We violate many social norms unknowingly many at times. I apply this in my personal life and I believe people should not be judged by the norms they break. People's shortcomings should not be used against them to punish but for them to encourage the correctional process. When people are blamed from time to time, it causes a cycle of stigma yet knowing why some of these people act the way they do can be a solution to some of the problems cause by deviance. A mother, for instance, can be arrested for stealing but in a real sense, she was trying to find food for the poor family members. I have reached a point in life where I avoid judging people at all costs because I believe every person should be treated with the respect they deserved.

Another concept I have come to develop an interest in is the agents of socialization. This aspect has caught my attention in relation to cross-cultural variation as well. I have seen people who have recently had newborns (Salem, 2014). This makes me a bit concerned about how children are supposed to be raised in the contemporary world without fear of impacting negativity in a child's life. Many parents today feel uncomfortable. The parents have the responsibility of raising children within the legal stature within the limitations stipulated. In the information age, it has become hard to raise children because a lot of information can sometimes become confusing as many professionals give their perspectives on how to raise children. Also, the media can socially construct a child in a manner one may not be in support of causing the confusion as well. Parents have to learn what is best for their children to facilitate their development. Technology has influenced how people socialize. Mass media and social media platforms have shaped how we interact with strangers as well as family members from various parts of the globe.

Conclusion

Summarily, I consider this class one of the most important courses I have ever learned. I have learned some concepts that have influenced behavioral transformation. Moreover, learning about relativism and how to deal with diversity and different cultural backgrounds is important in personal interactions.

References

Witt, J. (2016). SOC 2016 (4th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Salem, P. (2014). Sociology reference guide. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press.