Sociology reasonable method article

Sociologists have embraced what is known because the comparative method as the

most efficient approach to expose taken-for-granted ‘truths’ or perhaps laws that folks

have followed. But what is this comparative method and how can it work?

Are there any advantages/disadvantages to exposing these false ‘truths’.

What forms or perhaps variations with the comparative technique exist? In the pages to

follow I will attempt to provide you with some understanding and comprehension of what the

relative method is, and just how it works.

The comparative method, simply put, is the procedure for comparing 2 things

(in each of our case societies, or the people that make up society) and viewing if

a result of the comparison shows a difference between the two. The

relative method endeavors to dereify (the procedure for exposing

misinterpreted norms. Norms that contemporary society consider natural and unavoidable

characteristics of human existence) reified (the human made norms or perhaps

‘truths’) philosophy.

Obviously there are numerous ways in which a nomi (a labeled, at some time

constructed, norm or truth) can be exposed. Which sort of the comparative

approach should 1 use however? The answer, whichever one pertains to the

‘truth’ in question. For instance , you certainly probably would not do a cross-gender

form of assessment if you wanted to expose if homosexuality provides

always been dreaded and seemed down upon by many people throughout history.

No, somewhat you would perform a historical comparison of two or more

different societies to see if these philosophy always been with us, or, if or

certainly not this is a newly built belief.

A few look at a bit more closely in the above mentioned traditional

comparison and find out how the relative method harmonizes with a specific case.

There is no issue that in the current western world there is a large amount of fear

and trepidation towards people who are labeled ‘homosexual’. The question

we attempt to answer however is whether or perhaps not they have always been just like

this and it is this a universal truth.

In ancient greek language societies persons had a very different opinion of men that

slept with men. For example , it was deemed quite an exclusive chance for a relatives

with a youthful boy underneath the age of twelve, to be provided the privilege on an old

man of high society taking their child into his house. The young boy would go

and live with this kind of older person. The elderly man could have sex with the young

son on a regular basis until the boy produced facial hair. It absolutely was not

right up until then the fact that boy was considered a male. Society thought that all an older

guys, of great popularity, semen would help the son develop into a excellent

young man. When the boy developed the facial hair, the love-making between the two

would stop. The more mature man’s job was completed. Obviously this would be

considered a great atrocious and disgusting work these days. The older gentleman in

this case would certainly go to jail pertaining to the ‘crimes’ that he had committed.

However , in Ancient Greece this did not include only regarded perfectly regular

but as My spouse and i already stated, it was a great honor and a gift that not every youngster was

‘lucky’ enough to become given. Therefore , we can conclude from this assessment

that homophobia, as we know it, is not just a natural real truth, nor is it a

common belief. Alternatively it is a socially constructed belief that many

people have taken for granted because an inescapable part of individual existence.

It is crucial at this point to clarify something however. May be

that the function of the sociologist is a detailed one as opposed to a

prescriptive one. In other words that the sociologist should describe the

different practices, traditions and constructions that exist in several societies

instead of suggest to people which one is actually the correct idea or

the ‘real’ fact.

Cross-gender side by side comparisons is another widely used comparison used to reveal

socially constructed truths. In Jean Gilligan’s book ‘In another type of

voice’ we find a fine sort of a cross-gender comparison. Your woman states that

most people assume that the majority of people, both men and women, view

spirits issues in the same manner. However , through empirical data collection

Carol Gilligan proves that this is usually not usually the case. Alternatively, she

says that males tend to way moral issues quite differently than women.

While men perspective morale difficulties with a “don’t interfere with my rights

watch, women target more on the “responsibility end of the well-being involved.

Thus we can consider, thanks to the comparative method, which the constructed

truth that all people view well-being issues similar is not a correct one.

Another speedy example of a cross-gender comparability would be those of the

house-wife. Still today most men view the role of the married girl as one

that involves being a house-wife, in the traditional sense with the term.

However , women today certainly probably would not view themselves in the same manner.

The info collected via a comparison similar to this could help to dereify this kind of

socially constructed truth.

Cross-class comparisons is additionally a comparison frequently used when seeking

to expose created truths among two classes. i. elizabeth. lower-class

upper-class, middle-class. Pertaining to an example I actually refer to my lecture notes. Our

professor offered us a fine example of a cross-class evaluation involving his

own your life. He was coming from a middle-class family and joined a community school

where he got involved with various kids from the midsection and reduced class. This individual

grew up in this type of environment and accepted it because the his life as the

method society was. To him, there was not really another way of living. This was life.

Several occasions occurred and because of these situations our professor was transferred

by his parents, to a private university. This private school and the ‘new’

world that accompanied it triggered a form of culture shock to get him.

Instantly he was put in a new universe, a world that he hardly ever even

understood existed. As you can see, our professor socially created the view

that society was like the one that he lived in when he went to his public

college, hung about with central and lower-class friends, and did what middle

and lower-class youngsters did. When he was provided the chance to assess that

type of lifestyle to a single of the upper-class he dereified his built

view great eyes exposed to a new reality and a new look at of the way society was.

Another key comparative contact form is that of the cross-generational. That one

is fairly simple. The brand basically says it all. Actually it’s

much like the historical comparison method yet on a smaller scale. I

believe that in order for it to be known as cross-generational, the

generations that are being analyzed must be living as well.

Otherwise it is a famous comparison. Karen Anderson offers an

example of a cross-generational comparison in her publication Sociology: A

Critical Launch (1996, pg. 12).

“Canadians satisfaction themselves on the tolerance and lack of prejudice. But

do not need to appear very considerably into the history to find examples of

taken-for-granted understandings which have led to discriminatory and

lesiva treatment. Some segments from the population have already been

classified because undesirable and therefore as undesired or undeserving outsiders¦

Anderson is showing that that the built view canada is that we

pride ourselves on the fact that we have very little prejudice in Canada.

The girl goes on to mention that this is not the case. She gives the

example of Canada’s great immigration. She discusses the fact that a

large amount of Chinese everyone was allowed to immigrate to Canada, much to the

discompose of current residents and already proven European migrants

during the time if the transcontinental train was being built. Sir

David A. Macdonald was the Perfect Minister at the moment and looked after his

standing by sharing with the people of Canada, who were very annoyed by his

actions, that the Chinese migrants would reside in Western Canada just

temporarily. To assure the people even more Macdonald stated “¦no anxiety about a

permanent degradation with the country with a mongrel race. This would be

considered horrific these days. Most Canadians would not actually realize that

their particular country was very shut to the idea of the migrants of specific

types of folks. The interpersonal idea that Canada is, and always have been, a

very understanding country is exposed like a false, made truth through this

cross-generational comparison.

Finally we come to the last major comparative form. Those of the

cross-cultural. Cross-cultural assessment consists of evaluating two

societies or nationalities in an attempt to reveal and expose some socially

constructed ‘truths’ in order to prove that they are not universal yet

rather they may be relative to every society.

You will find literally a large number of differences between almost every traditions

that people will be surely surprised to learn of. For the next model I

will show how the cross-cultural comparative approach dereifies a number of the

constructed apparent universal-truths that people in our world may have.

India is different in is actually customs significantly from that of Canada or Northern

America. For example , in Western World families sit together the moment

they go to church, in India this is not acceptable whatsoever. Men and women

need to sit on contrary sides in the church. Males and females in India for the

most part will not take in together, while in European civilization this can be a

common practice and is actually looked upon as a good moment for a little

family members bonding. In India it is considered impolite to eat with both hands at

the stand. The right experienced is solely used for consuming and the kept for

having. Obviously we certainly have a completely different practice in Western

society. Another surprise that a Westerner might confront if they were to travel around

to India would be the reality it is nonetheless considered a significant social

impropriety for a guy to even touch a woman in public. In North America

community displays of affection can been noticed everywhere.. (Stott, John.

Realisticsensible. 1980. Pg. 12-15)

These are all excellent examples of American universal facts that are revealed

when compared to another culture.

One of the major benefits intended for exposing these kinds of truths through the comparative

technique is the fact that dereifying recognized truths leads to a decrease in

ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the work of interpreting all communities

through one’s own social lenses and believing that there notion of truths

would be the only accurate ones. This might lead to the imposing of your respective own

philosophy onto different societies. Quite simply, comparing, exposing, and

dereifying helps teach and eliminate ignorance in terms of social

‘truths’. However , there exists a danger to exposing cultural constructs. That

could lead to one particular taking on the perceptive of any radical relativist (all

facts are correct) or a nihilistic view (the belief that all truths happen to be

relative and for that reason there are zero truths). Naturally this is a really

negative, and perhaps a harmful, way of thinking.

As you can see, the comparative method is an essential component to a

sociologists practice. With out it there would be a lot of confusion and

misunderstanding between people and societies. Ideally I have displayed by

case in point the various kinds of the comparative approach and how every one of them

applies to world and how they attempt to show falsities.

Barcelone, Ontario. Canada

3rd Season University

B+

Tweet