Sociology: The Effects Of Suppressive Surroundings

The Effects of Suppressive Surroundings

There are many things within our lives and our journeys as humans that we have the power to change. These choices make us who we are and they inevitably have a great influence on how or what we think in terms of society. But, what we do not have a choice in, which may be the most detrimental factor to our thinking, is what we are born into. This includes our socio-economic status, familial life, religious views or societal state. These factors play a valuable role in what we think and why we think it, as seen through the social environmental influence on enlightenment thought and the sociological theories developed during that time. The formulation of sociological theories is based on such factors.
Each theorist comes from a different society, a different viewpoint and a different upbringing. Writers, such as Martineau, Rousseau and Maistre “provided the intellectual context for theorizing about new forms of social life and society that came to prevail first in Britain and subsequently worldwide” (Bratton and Denham, 2009:2). Similarly, “Durkheim’s sociology generates an interest in social regulation,” developed in relation to societal norms and values, which were present at the time (Bratton and Denham, 2009:20). But, it is important to recognize that not all theorists are recognized. Sometimes, we only become aware of certain views, due to the bias of the society. The theories that come to light are views that are generally related to greater societal views. Founding theorists are a “product of our constructions, the result of the translations of selected classic authors largely undertaken by white, male Anglo-Saxon scholars” (Bratton and Denham, 2009:4). This shows that ideas generated in a time period are based upon the surroundings and then selected based on a bias of what is generally acceptable for that societal
I find that coming from non-religious parents who have scientific based ideologies, I look at the world more critically and in a broader light. If I were to have religion-based views, I may be more close-minded to alternative ways of thinking. Specifically, I view various controversial topics with a more open mind, because I have not been structured to believe a certain side, but rather view all opportunities that the topic presents and to make a logical conclusion based on facts, rather than on opinion or