SOCIOLO

GY

WH

AT

IS

SO

CI O

L OG

Y?

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?• Sociology is the scientific study of

human interaction. It is also the body of knowledge about human interaction resulting from such study. (Dressler, 1973, p. 3)

• The Short Definition:“The scientific study of societies and human social behavior”.

• Another Short Definition:The study of how people organize themselves as they interact with nature to meet their needs.

THE LONG DEFINITION:Social interaction of people in groups

Gender, racial and sexual relations

Historical development of civilizations

Political, economic and social institutions

People’s interaction with nature

And much more …

How People Organize ThemselvesPeople are not “people” outside of a social context!

The organization of a society is important to understand the culture and behavior of people.

Interact With NaturePeople cannot survive without nature.How people obtain their needs from nature shapes the society where a person lives.

• Sociology studies social trends and phenomena that influence social behaviors of individuals.

• The following is a brief example.

EXAMPLE OF HOW SOCIAL TRENDS AND PHENOMENA INFLUENCE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS OF

INDIVIDUALS. • While most individuals of the

western world (Europe and North America) would say they are free to make choices—that they are individuals—that they do not allow others to dictate their life—in reality we follow the general social trends and/or social phenomena of society.

THE ISSUE OF FERTILITY RATES IS AN EXAMPLE.

• By definition, the complete fertility rate is births per woman in a cohort of women up to the end of their childbearing years (typically, age 44).

• During the past several decades there has been a steady decline in fertility rates in Europe with a movement of similar declines in parts of North America.

HAVE CHILDBEARING WOMEN MADE THESE CHOICES INDIVIDUALLY?

• Are there social trends/phenomena that are influencing the “individual’s decision” regarding personal fertility rates?

• If so, what are they?

• One social trend/phenomenon is the lifelong career development of women in the workplace—or the social institution of economics.

• Before this trend, most women were socialized to view their primary role (called master status) in life as being a wife and mother.

• To be unmarried or barren was a form of social shame—(except for those who took the religious vow of celibacy).

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• “The trend of lifelong career development has caused millions of women to choose—often unintentionally—career over full reproductive potential” (Hilgeman & Butts, 2009).

REASONS:

• Many women intend to have more children, but between the social trend of delaying childbearing to complete formal education and to begin the professional career and the social trend of delaying commitment to share in parenting, the period of normal childbearing is significantly reduced.

REASONS:

• A second social trend/phenomenon that has contributed to the decline in fertility rates is called “individualism.”

• In countries/populations where the standard of living increases, so does the social trend/phenomenon of “individualism.”

• In other words, decisions are made with rationality in the form of “costs-benefits analysis.”

REASONS:

• For many couples, it begins with the idea that children of a “smaller family” will have more resources available for better educational opportunities.

• However, it moves into a more self-focused costs-benefits analysis. Individuals contemplate, “If I have one less child than my parents, I can afford more luxurious vacations—a larger house—a more expensive car—etc.”

WHAT’S THE POINT OF THIS EXAMPLE?

• The point of this example is that millions of women did NOT individually choose to have less children—but rather their decision was influenced (socialized) by general social trends/phenomena that are larger than themselves.

WHY?

• No one forced women to make these decisions—why did they make them?

• In sociology, there is a phenomenon called normative behavior. While social norms do change over a period of time, most of us desire to be within the “range of acceptable social norms.”

WHAT WERE THE CHANGING SOCIAL NORMS?

• In this case there was a variety of “changing” social norms to influence the reproductive decisions of women.

• First, the changing expectation that women are to move into lifelong careers outside of the older primary role of wife/mother.

• Second, as this social norm was taking hold, it slowly reduced the norm of very large families (6 plus children) to smaller families (one or two children). Over time, the social norm changed from large families as a sign of a positive “social status” for women to becoming one of “social oddity.”

WHAT WERE THE CHANGING SOCIAL NORMS?

• Third, as the standard of living increased, a new social norm developed—to provide more resources for the child/children one does generate.

In other words, it was no longer acceptable for middle-class/upper-middle class families to require multiple children to share a bedroom (as an example). Also, each child needs more personal items (such as computers) rather than shared family items.

WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THOSE CHANGING SOCIAL NORMS?

• The combination of these changing social norms has and is reducing the complete fertility rate of women.

• This is one brief example illustrating how sociology analyzes human interaction and social behavior.

• Therefore, sociology is the scientific study of human interaction. It is also the body of knowledge about human interaction resulting from such study. (Dressler, 1973, p. 3)

REFERENCES

Dressler, D. (1973). Sociology: The study of human interaction (2nd ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Hilgeman, C., &  Butts, T. (2009). Women’s employment and fertility: A welfare regime paradox [Electronic version]. Social Science Research, 38(1), 103-117.

Paul Prew and Dr. Ronald Bolender