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Sociology Is The Study Of Individuals In Groups In A Systematic Way

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Sociology is the study of individuals in groups in a systematic way. It is an intricate set of styles and approaches trying to perceive society. (Burgess and Murcott, 2001). As a result, many perceptions have arisen over the last centuries. Many methodologies have been debated and discussed. Challenging these assumptions will in turn, cause for quantitative and qualitative based research on the struggle to gain a firm grip on how society works. As a result, there are different sociological perspectives that hold valued theories in society. In this essay three perspectives will be assessed. How society operates in the view of these perspectives. Also, scrutinizing theories on the subject ‘crime and deviance’ aiming to outline how each…show more content…
Marx’s argues that laws are passed by state government, reflecting the interests of ruling class ideology, rather an authoritarian consensus. As follows a false commitment is shared by society as a whole considering laws only benefit the ruling minority. (Haralambos and Holborn, 1980). A classic case study portraying this argument is Stuart Hall’s ‘policing the crisis’. Hall raises the argument of ‘mugging’; a new term from America that was used by the media to label an attempted robbery, murder scene in 1972 In Britain. He argued the term is now affixed to any type of crime particularly applied at black youth. From that point onwards it becomes symptomatic of a ‘moral panic’. (Hall et al, 1978). Furthermore, Halls statistics show the term ‘mugging’ appearing 60 times in newspapers the following year. (Hall et al, 1978) It can be said that the media’s moral panics, run by the ideology of the ruling class, camouflaged the economic crisis that emerged during the 1970’s. Subsequently, the moral panics allowed the state to enforce policing methods legitimising random stops targeting black youths. Thus, more control over the subject class. Social action theories offer a drastic alternative view on society to the above. Interpretative perspective emphasis is on individuals action, rather than the deterministic approach structured by social systems, social action focuses on small scale
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