Sociology is the scientific study and understanding of a variety of social phenomena, such as social inequality, poverty, segregation, revolutions, wars, politics, culture, and demographic changes. We sociologists are interested both in macro social phenomena, which reach beyond individual environments and involve many people, as well as in micro environments, in which we identify, in particular, social groups, local environments and everyday life.
Describing a particular social phenomenon, or a connection between several such phenomena, is merely the beginning of sociological research. Explaining social phenomena is a key part of research, but this also represents the most complex and exciting process. We have not yet explained much when we use statistics or other tools to establish that generally people with higher levels of education tend to have higher incomes, or that people from poor, deprived backgrounds are more likely to be involved in delinquency or crime. A sociological explanation of a phenomenon can be provided when the social influencing factors and their interconnectedness are identified and can be proven.
It takes intellectual creativity, critical thinking, and sociological imagination to discover hidden connections. We use established theories, and at times other theories that contradict these, and always empirical evidence and our own reflective arguments to search for meaningful, and particularly causal, connections. In modern societies, we wonder if, and how, a higher level of education results in better jobs, and if growing up in poverty is associated with a greater chance of becoming involved in crime. Which mechanisms lead from one situation to the other? Are large delocalisation processes disrupting the structure of the developed world? Why? Does multiculturalism contribute to faster development or hinder it? The explanation of a social phenomenon is achieved when we find conclusive evidence of properties, connections and mechanisms. In science, this inherently means that theory is always linked to empirical research. This requires skills such as data searching and processing, proficiency in statistical analysis and direct observation methods, as well as the competence of gathering information through surveys and interviews. These are our tools and methods with which we prove our explanations.
Examples of sociological perspectives can be found on the Sociološko gledano blog (https://www.sociolosko.org/). The blog is the result of the collaboration between students and professors dedicated to concise, understandable and concretely illustrated presentations and commentaries on modern (as well as classic) theories, concepts, models, examples, general intellectual developments, trends, and dilemmas across several fields of sociology and some of its related disciplines.
