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The sociological approach is a particular way of approaching a phenomenon common in sociology
Sociology

Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that uses systematic methods of Empiricism and critical theory to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, sometimes with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare....
. It involves drazen objectivity
Objectivity (science)

"[A]n objective account is one which attempts to capture the nature of the object studied in a way that does not depend on any features of the particular subject who studies it....
, not by divesting oneself of values, but by critic
Critic

The word critic comes from the Greek language ' , "able to discern", which in turn derives from the word ' , meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation....
ally evaluating and testing ideas, and accepting what may be surprising or even displeasing based on the evidence
Evidence

Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either a) presumed to be true, or b) were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth....
. The sociological perspective often assumes that “official” explanations are incomplete or self-serving. It involves a conscious effort to go beyond the obvious and question what is accepted as true or common sense
Common sense

For the pamphlet by Thomas Paine see Common Sense . For use with Wikipedia see WP:COMMON SENSE.Common sense , based on a strict interpretation of the term, consists of what people in common would agree on: that which they "sense" as their common natural understanding....
.






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The sociological approach is a particular way of approaching a phenomenon common in sociology
Sociology

Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that uses systematic methods of Empiricism and critical theory to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, sometimes with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare....
. It involves drazen objectivity
Objectivity (science)

"[A]n objective account is one which attempts to capture the nature of the object studied in a way that does not depend on any features of the particular subject who studies it....
, not by divesting oneself of values, but by critic
Critic

The word critic comes from the Greek language ' , "able to discern", which in turn derives from the word ' , meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation....
ally evaluating and testing ideas, and accepting what may be surprising or even displeasing based on the evidence
Evidence

Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either a) presumed to be true, or b) were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth....
. The sociological perspective often assumes that “official” explanations are incomplete or self-serving. It involves a conscious effort to go beyond the obvious and question what is accepted as true or common sense
Common sense

For the pamphlet by Thomas Paine see Common Sense . For use with Wikipedia see WP:COMMON SENSE.Common sense , based on a strict interpretation of the term, consists of what people in common would agree on: that which they "sense" as their common natural understanding....
. This is important because common-sense assumptions are usually based on very limited observation. Moreover, the premises on which common-sense assumptions are based are seldom examined. While sociological research
Research

Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual application in the investigation of matter. The primary purpose for applied research is discovery , interpretation , and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe....
 might confirm common-sense observation, its broader observation base and theoretical rational provide a stronger basis for conclusions.

The sociological perspective helps us to see general social patterns in the behaviour of particular individuals and offers insights about the social world that extend far beyond explanations that rely on individual quirks and personalities. Essential to the sociological perspective is the sociological imagination
Sociological imagination

Sociological imagination is a sociology term, neologism by the United States sociologist C. Wright Mills in 1959, describing the process of linking individual experience with social institutions and one's place in history....
. This term, attributed to C. Wright Mills
C. Wright Mills

Charles Wright Mills was an United States sociology. Mills is best remembered for his 1959 book The Sociological Imagination in which he lays out a view of the proper relationship between biography and history, theory and method in sociological scholarship....
, means “...the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society.” It means going beyond the individual and understanding how structural forces shape individuals and their action.

The sociological perspective, as a broad way of approaching phenomena, is different from a sociological paradigm
Sociological paradigm

Sociological paradigms are specific 'points of view' used by social scientists in social research. Sociological paradigms are particular paradigms that employ the sociological perspective and the sociological imagination....
, which is a specific set of assumptions that frame a sociologist's theories and findings.

See also

  • Sociological imagination
    Sociological imagination

    Sociological imagination is a sociology term, neologism by the United States sociologist C. Wright Mills in 1959, describing the process of linking individual experience with social institutions and one's place in history....
  • Sociological theory
    Sociological theory

    Sociological theories are complex theoretical frameworks that sociologists use to explain and analyze variously how social action, social processes, and social structures work....


Further reading

  • Ray Jureidini and Marilyn Poole, 'Sociology' (3rd ed), Allen & Unwin 2002. ISBN 978-1-86508-896-9
  • Joel Charon, 'Ten Questions: A Sociological Perspective', Fourth Edition. Wadsworth, 2000.
  • Earl Babbie
    Earl Babbie

    Earl Robert Babbie is an American sociologist who holds the position of Campbell Professor Emeritus in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University....
    , 'The Practice of Social Research', 10th edition, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Inc., ISBN 0-534-62029-9