Introduction
Sociology is an interesting subject and there are various situations in which one finds him/herself in especially in today’s multi faceted society. This report discusses various situations in which the main points and situations are discussed at length portraying certain personal experiences in this regard.
Social inequality
I have experienced social inequality on a number of occasions especially when one encounters poverty first hand. However the most interesting experience was definitely the one where a person had to go for a job interview with a particular firm. This person was not particularly qualified but came from an excellent social background and was immediately given the job notwithstanding the fact that there were other candidates far more qualified than himself. This demonstrates that those on the bottom rungs of the social ladder do not have much hope of gaining access to jobs or other important positions in life due to the phenomenon of social inequality. In addressing this situation I would ensure that a person is assessed not on his/her capabilities in the social sphere or how many connections he/she has but rather on the capabilities for the job in question
Labelling theory and the Thomas theorem
When one labels another, this is always a pretty uncomfortable situation for anyone. Labelling can be very tedious as one is imprinted with a particular reputation. Labelling is a phenomenon which I have also experienced in several situations when somebody tends to think that you can do something which you are renowned for but at the end of the day it is actually a perception not a reality. Labelling can also be uncomfortable when someone is imprinted with a stigma that is not necessarily true and that person suffers unduly due to this stigma. In this regard the Thomas theorem can seem to be slightly out of place as this deals principally with what one can do when faced with such situations but which occasionally exclude labeling. This can also seem to be an uncomfortable situation at all times and should be avoided, at least from my personal experience.
Ethnomethodology and dramaturgical analysis
Dramaturgical analysis involves the reading of a particular situation where others are concerned and which may occasionally read like a play. This may be done when someone is acting out a real life situation and an analysis needs to be made of the actions and movements which one may do in such situations. I was involved in such an analysis when I was younger and attempted to gauge what was important in a teacher’s character as he was teaching the class a difficult and outstanding theorem. The situation got out of hand as the class somehow could not understand how everything was going about which eventually resulted in a breakdown of communication. One may analyse this situation by calling for a re-enactment of drama issues but obviously it does not always work that way. I found myself very much surprised by the whole sociological gamut although my initial reaction was to forget everything and move forward. In this sense the ethnomethodology of the whole situation also cropped up, making one feel quite distorted and radically different to what was on offer. It is always extremely important to assess things before they are analysed.
Verbal and non verbal communication
This is perhaps the easiest part of sociology to understand as communication is always an intrinsic part of proceedings in any social science. Many times I was involved in situations where verbal communication was an intrinsic part of proceedings and this always resulted in a situation where life was made easier by properly expressing what one wants to put across as a message. This is obviously a no go when the situation turns into a shouting match and the conversation seems to degenerate into one where nothing much can be understood or made out. On the other hand, non verbal communication may be useful in the sense that it creates a situation where signs and demonstrations show how things can be communicated with clarity and there is no need for verbal issues such as the language barrier which may obviously stifle any form of verbal communication. Non verbal communication is definitely the easiest method to bring out what needs to be done quickly and without much ado.
Primary and secondary deviance
Primary deviance is a situation where one deviates from the norms which are generally expected by society. This may include the disobeying of certain rules which may seem to be a hindrance or else taking a course of action which would not seem to be acceptable to society in general. A case in which I was personally involved was when I entered into a relationship with a separated woman and began living with her, which was something that was not accepted in the society from which I come from which is staunchly Catholic. In secondary deviance, one perhaps does not deviate totally from the norm but the deviation is there nonetheless. This may include the discarding of litter on the ground or perhaps parking illegally which is not so serious but which is deviance nonetheless. One has to understand that deviance is a relative thing and can always be controlled accordingly.
Manifest and latent functions
Manifest functions are those which can be said to be inherent in a person and which do not go away frivolously. These may include certain traits which are immediately recognizable such as a nod or a movement with an arm when responding to certain situations. Most of the time I have been told what my manifest functions are and these have been pointed out to me on a regular basis. With latent functions, things are perhaps a bit different as these are more hidden and do not manifest themselves regularly or clearly.
Conclusion:
All these sociological terms have some form of interest in them and each may be applicable to one part of society or another. Probably the most interesting are the latent and manifest functions as well as the verbal and non verbal communication issues. In these case studies, we have analysed how the situation can be different and can also be quite varied accordingly especially from a personal point of view. Sociology must also be analysed in this sense as it is not always clear and there isn’t much different from certain case studies if these are not demonstrated properly. What is definite is that life can only really be analysed sociologically if this is to be permitted so.
