Sociological Perspective

Sociological perspective is learning how to ‘see’ – seeing the strange in the familiar, identifying, respecting, learning from and questioning both our own and others’ values and belief systems. It deals with the development of people and societies. Sociological views focuses on the examination of how people are influenced by the world around them. Essentially, it seeks to answer the question of why we are the way we are. Sociological perspective is the broadest, most basic aspect of sociology. It’s been called the “heart of sociology”. Sociological perspectives offer a distinctive view of society. These perspectives help us understand human life. They also help us build knowledge and give us insight into social life. Sociological perspectives permit us to look at common subjects in various and unique ways, as if we were looking at them from a different standpoint. The sociological perspective requires a person to detach himself from what he has always known to be correct and theorize a different way of operating and perhaps a more effective way to live. Bernard McGrane suggests “we adopt a ‘beginner’s mind’ and that we should see everything from fresh eyes while making no assumptions about how things are supposed to be” (19). While using a sociological perspective, many advantages can result. A person sees an occurrence with impartiality in a sociological way. This may involve the vital evaluation of certain things while still accepting what the reality is even if it is not very agreeable. This perspective helps us in thinking about several experiences critically with respect to sociology. As a result, many questions often arise, which enhances an individual’s knowledge. Another advantage of this perspective is that by practicing it, a person is able to observe the different ways in which people behave. The observer can understand a particular person’s behavior with respect to his or her surroundings and their experiences in life. These actions assist in