I am
drawn to sociology because it examines the intersections of different
demographic factors that an individual may possess and studies how these
factors impact one's life and experience in society under different social
institutions including family, religion, education, the workplace, and prison.
Being that sociology examines the systematic relationship between structure and
agency, or society's social institutions and a person's thoughts and actions
(at different levels of social organization), the intersections of race,
class, religion, sexual orientation, disability status, gender, age, and other
statuses are also examined. I am a woman and I am an advocate of the LGBTQ community as well as an advocate of the rights of racial and ethnic minorities. Therefore, sociology interests me because it seeks to examine and explain the root causes of different kinds of inequality. Sociology is useful because it can be used to address these problems by discussing possible solutions, especially in the context of public sociology, or sociology practiced outside the walls of academia.
According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological perspective involves being able to connect our own lives and experiences with society at large in a historical sense. If we examine our own bibliographies, or the history of the different intersections that we possess and how they fit into the world at large, we can then assess how these factors affect and impact our lives and others' and what can be done to create greater equality in society. A specific kind of inequality that I feel it is important to address is economic inequality which encompasses workplace discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, and race. If we take economic inequality for example, we can learn how the sociological perspective can be useful in determining the impact of gender, sexual orientation, and race on sexual and racial minorities.
According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological perspective involves being able to connect our own lives and experiences with society at large in a historical sense. If we examine our own bibliographies, or the history of the different intersections that we possess and how they fit into the world at large, we can then assess how these factors affect and impact our lives and others' and what can be done to create greater equality in society. A specific kind of inequality that I feel it is important to address is economic inequality which encompasses workplace discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, and race. If we take economic inequality for example, we can learn how the sociological perspective can be useful in determining the impact of gender, sexual orientation, and race on sexual and racial minorities.
To look at this example using sociology and the
sociological perspective, take for example a woman in the workplace. According
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women in 2014 made 83% of men's median weekly earnings.1 Therefore, if sociology is the relationship between structure and
agency, then the workforce is the structure or institution in this case, and
gender is the demographic factor that impacts this woman's agency and
experience in the workplace. In this case, a woman experiences discrimination
as a result of her gender, impacting her life economically, leading to economic
inequality. Women have been known to face discrimination based on gender in the workplace, so the data above has a historical basis.
Another example is the experience of LGBTQ individuals in the workforce. According to the Movement Advancement Project, only twenty states have amended policies in order to include LGBTQ individuals (referred to by the Movement Advancement Project as the "sexual orientation and gender identity" of these individuals) under the protection of anti-discrimination laws.2 Therefore, in a majority of U.S. states, LGBTQ individuals can lose their jobs as a result of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, impacting them economically. In this case, the workforce is the institution (structure) and sexual orientation is the factor that impacts a person's agency in said institution, impacting economic inequality in the LGBTQ community.
Finally, individuals in the workplace face economic inequality as a result of their race. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2015 the Median Household Income of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Black and African Americans was lower than that of white and Asian individuals.3 Therefore, workforce is the institution (structure) and race is the intersecting factor that impacts an individual's agency in this institution, impacting a majority of racial minorities in a negative way economically. Now that the above problems have been identified and explained using the sociological perspective, policies and changes can be utilized to work towards more equitable change.
1. “Women's Earnings 83 Percent of Men's, but Vary by Occupation.” Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 15 Jan. 2016, www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/womens-earnings-83-percent-of-mens-but-vary-by-occupation.htm.
2. "Non-Discrimination Laws." Movement Advancement Project, 30 Aug. 2017, http://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/non_discrimination_laws.
3. "Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2015 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)." American Community Survey. United States Census Bureau, 2015, https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk.
Another example is the experience of LGBTQ individuals in the workforce. According to the Movement Advancement Project, only twenty states have amended policies in order to include LGBTQ individuals (referred to by the Movement Advancement Project as the "sexual orientation and gender identity" of these individuals) under the protection of anti-discrimination laws.2 Therefore, in a majority of U.S. states, LGBTQ individuals can lose their jobs as a result of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, impacting them economically. In this case, the workforce is the institution (structure) and sexual orientation is the factor that impacts a person's agency in said institution, impacting economic inequality in the LGBTQ community.
Finally, individuals in the workplace face economic inequality as a result of their race. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2015 the Median Household Income of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Black and African Americans was lower than that of white and Asian individuals.3 Therefore, workforce is the institution (structure) and race is the intersecting factor that impacts an individual's agency in this institution, impacting a majority of racial minorities in a negative way economically. Now that the above problems have been identified and explained using the sociological perspective, policies and changes can be utilized to work towards more equitable change.
1. “Women's Earnings 83 Percent of Men's, but Vary by Occupation.” Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 15 Jan. 2016, www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/womens-earnings-83-percent-of-mens-but-vary-by-occupation.htm.
2. "Non-Discrimination Laws." Movement Advancement Project, 30 Aug. 2017, http://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/non_discrimination_laws.
3. "Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2015 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)." American Community Survey. United States Census Bureau, 2015, https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk.
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