According to dictionaries, sociology can be defined as “the systematic study of society and social interactions” (Open Education Sociology Dictionary 2013) or can be understood through its stems – socius (Latin) meaning companion and logos (Greek) meaning the study of (Abercrombie et al. 2006). Although these definitions are not incorrect, sociology is much more complex. In my essay, I am going to examine the question of what sociology is more closely by looking at what sociologists seek to understand, what the sociological perspective is, the skills sociologists utilise to learn about the world and how sociology actually affects and impacts the societies we live in. The Scope of Sociology: What is it that sociologists seek to understand? …show more content…
As Sutton and Giddens (2010, p.9) express, “sociology deals with problems of pressing interest to us all”. Sociological understanding and perception has helped in improving conditions for certain groups in the past. A notable example of this is the Supreme Court decision on the issue of racial segregation in public schools in 1954 (Berger 1963). In this case, sociologists analysed racism, racial inequality and the structures that nourished racism at the time (Abercrombie et al. 2006). This point also brings up famous civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson who have used their sociology degrees to change the world. In a more contemporary sense, sociologists are always carrying out research in relation to well-known social problems including: drug use, mental illness and violence. However, sociological influence is not only limited to social issues; it can also improve organizations by exploring various kinds of structures to allow groups to function more efficiently and productively (Fulcher and Scott