Sociology – The study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.

About a year ago, I wrote an article entitled Social Media is About Sociology and not Technology. The recognition of people versus the tools is now more critical than ever. Although, it still isn’t necessarily embodied in many of the words and work shared by fellow Social Media Marketers.

Less talk, more learning and action are required.

There’s no shortage of people who understand and present existing and emerging Social Tools for us to use as a mechanism for “engaging” in “conversations.”

Participation after all, is marketing right?

Let’s change that.

Informed, mutually beneficial, and genuine participation inspires relationship marketing.

Like any other discipline, sociology also requires a terminology. If we try to trace back the origin of the terms used in the different era, we find wide variations. If for Karl Marx, class and conflict were key concepts to understand society, social solidarity and collective conscience were key terms for Emile Durkheim. Similarly, concepts such as status and role begin with the individual whereas others like social control or stratification begin from a larger context within which individuals are already placed.

An important characteristic of these ideas is that these are required to be modified from time-to-time. As expected, disagreements among the new and already existing concepts occurred. For example, conflict theory versus the fundamentalist theory. But it was inevitable, for society itself is diverse.

If you’re interested in human behavior and understanding how groups of people function and interact with each other, you may be interested in pursuing a degree in Sociology. This field is the study of human behavior within society and organizations. It focuses on how social, religious and political groups function within society as a whole. It also studies how various movements and demographics affect groups’ roles in society. A sociology degree can prepare you to work in any number of fields where studying data and tracking trends can change history or influence the outcome of events.

Sociologists research trends and patterns relating to how groups of people behave, comparing and contrasting differences and similarities between how individuals function. They also study pervasive patterns of behavior and the way large groups interact and respond to each other. Through their research, they spot patterns and see relationships that can ultimately make sense of human interactions.