Perspectives in Sociology and its Role in Managerial Policy

Sociology is the study of the development and structure of the human society and how people interact with each other. It examines how people fit into sociodemographic groups including class, religion, gender, generation, and ethnicity while also describing how people come to inhabit these positions. The term “sociology” was coined by Auguste Comte and following his footsteps, there has been great work in the field by philosophers/sociologists such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Harriet Martineau and W.E.B. Du Bois to name a few.

History of Tribes

In historical context the term “tribe” was derived from the Latin “tribus”, traced back to the three original divisions of the Roman people 2,500 years ago. According to Roman history, the rape of Sabine women by Rome men caused war between the first king of Rome and Titus Tatius representing the Sabines. Following this, a peace pact was signed between the two which also resulted in the formation of the three divisions. These were Ramnenses, named after the Rome king, Titienses, named after Titus Tatius; and Lucerenses, most probably representing the Etruscan civilization denoted to the people in ancient Italy. Although, if we look at the biblical translations, the term “tribe” is referred to as the 12 subdivisions of the people of Israel, united through customs and kinship.

Sociology of Law

Sociology of law is frequently referred to as an interdisciplinary approach to legal studies in the light of sociology. Since laws are made to govern humans in the societal context, they need to be studied as part of social institutions. It's imperative to examine the relationships between society and the law because social hierarchies based on race, class, gender, and sexuality interact with legal categories and legal reasoning. Moreover, analyzing the connections between legislation, social control, and social change is also crucial.

The key thinkers behind this construct were Max Weber, Vilhelm Aubert, and Emile Durkheim. Weber asserts that there are various types of justice or legal judgments that are ultimately impacted by customs and social norms. Aubert had a contrasting belief, where he stated that laws impacted behavior and that led to the development of societal norms. Although, both Weber and Aubert had the common insight regarding the interdependency of the two disciplines. Durkheim believed history had a significance influence on laws, as over the years the societal norms and traditions changed and that impacted the evolution of laws.

Symbolic and Social Boundaries

Symbolic boundaries are conceptual distinctions made by social actors that separate people into groups and generate feelings of similarity and group membership. These boundaries are used to define the group as permeable or impermeable. Individuals are more likely to use individual mobility techniques in situations where group boundaries are thought to be permeable (e.g., when a member may move from a low status group into a high-status group). Individual mobility can be defined as the ability of an individual to move from one social group to another. Only when symbolic boundaries are widely agreed upon can they take on a constraining character and become social boundaries. ?Therefore, rituals and customs that establish boundaries are very important in shaping how groups interact. Social boundaries are established social rules that are considered typical because most people in society agree that they are reasonable ways to live.?Social boundaries can be defined by notions like gender, sexuality, religion, health, or even by the dynamics of risk. To sum it up, symbolic boundaries are abstract conception of the differences, while social boundaries are concrete distinctions that place people into observable social groups and maintain disparity in access to social resources and opportunities.

Functionalism

Functionalism is the sociological perspective, originating from the work for Emile Durkheim, which states that for society to function correctly, there must be a set of standards and regulations. According to functionalists, many facets of society are interconnected and dependent on one another, just like the various parts of the human body. As a result, dysfunction in one area may be an indication of disorder in another. Functionalists generally believe institutions perform positive functions (they do good things for the individual and society), and social institutions work together to provide social order and prevent too much crime and deviance. However, there is criticism to the theory as it considers any change or deviation from the norm to have harmful consequences.

Marxism; Communism Over Capitalism

Marxism is a structural conflict perspective in sociology introduced by Karl Marx. This means that Marxists see society as being structured along class lines. In Marxism, the small elite bourgeoisie, who have economic power, gain their wealth through exploiting the labor of the much larger working class, the proletariat. Social order results from dominant groups (bourgeoisie) making sure that subordinate groups (proletariats) are loyal to the institutions that are the dominant groups sources of wealth, power and prestige. The dominant groups will use constraint and coercion, and even force, to control the subordinate groups. For this reason, there is an inherent conflict of interest between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Karl Marx saw conflict as necessary and desirable to bring about social change. After viewing the suffering of the masses, Karl Marx hoped that they would revolt against oppression and bring about a social change where there would be an equal distribution of resources.

Gender Roles

Gender roles are the expectations of the members of society from men and women that, how they ought to behave within a society. According to societal conventions, men and women are allocated different gender roles. Traditionally, men's roles were associated with aggression and masculinity, whereas women's roles were passive and nurturing. However, this concept is evolving and changing with modern times. The advocacy of feminism demands equal rights for women and dismiss the acceptable aggressive behavior of men and empower oppressed submissive women against such men. Moreover, wives are supporting husbands to bear the economic burden by working and husbands are supporting wives in household chores. However, this is only relevant for nuclear families in developed countries, developing countries like Pakistan are still largely traditional.

Learnings for Managerial Policy

Sociology has a fundamental role in shaping how an organization works, because essentially it is an institution where people interact and work together to bring about desired results. The rules and regulations that are defined for the organization are shaped by the culture formed by groups within the organization. Therefore, it is essential for a CEO to maintain the culture as per the rules and regulations of the company, while also taking care of individual boundaries. It is imperative to take hear all voices and then reach a consensus, rather than an autocratic form of leadership. As, this can lead to a revolt for equal privileges and treatment as the higher authority as emphasized by Marxism. And this is happening, as the labor unions raise their voices against the toxic culture. Moreover, it is also important for all the departments within organization to work in harmony with one another because they are interdependent and even if one disrupts, it would impact the entire organization. This is evident by the concept of functionalism. Lastly, the gender roles are changing, and women are forming part of the workforce rapidly. This results in opportunities to make the best of the additional workforce with distinct characteristics and support women empowerment. However, there are challenges arising from this including but not limited to workplace harassment which need to be managed efficiently by the CEOs.

In conclusion, the discipline of sociology is a diverse field which can help the CEOs/MDs take better decisions through studying the interaction and behavior of people in a society.