Introduction

Sociology may be defined as: (1) the science of society; (2) the study of human behavior in social context; (3) the study of social interaction and groups; or (4) a systematic understanding of social interactions, organization, and change.

Sociological Debates

• Human behavior: individual or society? Is human behavior shaped more by individual will, interests, and creativity, or by societal constraints and motivations?

• Social order: consensus or conflict? Is the regular, predictable, orderly nature of many social environments the product of consensus or agreement among all participants, or does it result from the domination of particular groups?

• Social organization: structure or culture? Which is more responsible for the organization of social institutions and interactions: cultural elements (such as patterned meanings, values, and norms) or structural elements (such as classes, groups, and roles)?

• Society through time: stability or change? Are societies relatively fixed, with only periodic moments of change, or are they constantly undergoing transformation, with relatively few moments of stasis?

• Level of analysis: macro or micro? At what level should we examine society? Should we take a macro approach and examine big structures and patterns (e.g., the class system, the totality of shared meanings and beliefs)? Or should we take a micro perspective and look at local, moment-to-moment phenomena (e.g., interpersonal interaction)? Or should we find a third, middle approach (e.g., exploring organizations and institutions)?