It is important to understand the basic terms, principles, and concepts of sociology and be able to put them into practice. To enhance understanding of this discipline, the following paper explains its main ideas. Social institutions, correlation, research ethics, high culture versus low culture, and consumption as the form of self-expression will be discussed in this paper.
Social institutions
Social institutions are complex groups of interdependent positions that, together, perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time. These institutions include the economy, school, family, and others. Besides meeting people’s essential demands, these social structures give them roles like a wife, an employee, or a religious follower. By taking on a number of these “roles”, a person forms an identity. Social institutions can be divided into different categories such as music or sports. Being a sports fan is something that can give shape to a person’s identity. Therefore, sport can be considered a social institution. A fan of the Boston Celtics, for example, might assume the role of a loyal fan and learn loyalty, because they would support their team no matter if the team lost or won.
Functionalism
Functionalism reinforces the idea that social institutions present in society exist to perform an important function. The theory, however popular, has been challenged many times throughout the 20th century most famously by the conflict theory. The conflict discussed in this theory is the one between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The main idea is that because the former holds the means of production, the latter will always strive to get hold of it, resulting in social change. The theories’ views on social inequality are also different. Functionalism views social inequality and social institutions as necessary to maintain a functional society, like well-oiled gears in a machine. At the same time, the conflict theory sees it as a method to keep the ruling class on top and create conflict.
Correlation
Correlation is the presence of a relationship between two variables, meaning that we can see that if a change happens in one of them, there will be a change in the other. For example, there is a correlation between low income and poor health. It can be observed that people with lower incomes tend to have more health problems. There are multiple ways to explain this relationship. One possible way is that higher income means better health because wealth means better medical care and healthier food and lifestyle. Another way is to say that poor health is what causes low income because it means that an unhealthy person cannot work as much. Finally, a third way to see the correlation is to bring a third factor into the equation which will affect both health and income in the same direction. These three ways of viewing the relationship between health and wealth demonstrate the difference between correlation and causality. Each of these explanations separately is an example of causality, where a change in one factor directly changes the other. Since there is no definite answer to which of the structures is correct, the relationship remains a correlation, which means there may be no causality at all. The only method to find if one factor causes a change in the other and in which way is through experiment and observation.
Researcher
In any field of study that involves living things, a researcher is responsible for their subjects. To make sure research does not harm or violate any rights of the examined subjects, a scientist must follow a set of ethical guidelines. These guidelines are created by institutional review boards to make equal standards for all researchers in a specific field. Every discipline has “golden rules” and sociologists are not an exception. These rules include not harming the subjects, respecting their rights to know that they are a part of a study, and making sure the participation is voluntary. However, these rules cannot be followed perfectly, meaning that there will be some gray lines when doing research. It is best to make sure that the investigation puts people at no more risk than everyday life.
Cultural icon
A celebrity is a person that has been able to become famous in a particular field or possibly several areas. The title of a cultural icon might be harder to achieve than the title of a celebrity. A cultural icon is not only famous within a culture but was able to make a significant change in it. Achieving any title requires at least a small amount of talent, but not necessarily the skill associated with the type of media where the title was achieved. For example, by today’s standards, a singer does not have to be a gifted performer because of autotuning. However, to become a celebrity, that person must have a different kind of talent, for example, communication, managing a business, and making connections. This may touch upon debates about high and low culture in the ways of becoming famous in these fields. One might argue that becoming a high culture celebrity is much more challenging because it is more associated with pure talent.
Personality
As a consumer, I have recently purchased a pair of Bose wireless headphones. I believe they help me demonstrate my personality to a certain degree. Even though a person’s look might not be telling of their entire personality, some traits can be correctly assumed. For example, someone with expensive clothing might make people think they are wealthy, or a lot of sports attire might make someone look athletic. My headphones are a demonstration of my passion for music. One could even say I value mobility due to owning headphones with a wireless feature.