The Individual

The Individual & Society

Sociology is the study of the individual and society, and the interaction between both. Sociologists believe that there are many sociological factors that influence and form the individual. These factors, whether positive or negative, influence our place in society and our �life chances�. Sociology is divided by several theories that try to explain how society views the individual- the main two being Functionalism & Marxism.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) is often considered the �father of Sociology’ and saw the individual as being defined by society i.e. society allocates the individual a role within its structure based on social inequalities.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) viewed society as an economic structure divided by �class’, the proletariat (working class) and the bourgeoisie (ruling class). The individual is socialized by the �instruments’ of the ruling class - these instruments, for example the education or legal system, are used to define the individual into any given class and continue to reinforce their place in society.

Max Weber (1864-1920) considered society as a structure, rather like Marx, but sought to consider the cognition of the individual within that given society. Weber considered the �life chances’ of an individual were dictated by social factors, i.e. housing, education etc. Social stratification was how Weber sought to classify people and understand the inequalities faced by the individual in society.

In understanding today’s society it is necessary to look at the structure of it to enable us to understand the opportunities, or lack of, afforded to the individual and therefore have a clearer vision of their place within society. These sociological factors are the facts of our lives that we are born into and may have a positive or negative affect on the individual’s life chances. These factors are also used an indication of our �class’.

The socio-economic factors that the individual is born into, such as income and education, can dramatically reduce the individual’s life chances. Poverty, unemployment, low income all influence the lives we lead. For example, those individuals who live in poverty are more likely to live in poor housing, this in itself can lead to health issues such as respiratory problems as a consequence of damp conditions and stress due to overcrowding. Poor housing is usually located in socially deprived areas where crime figures are high, access to healthcare may be limited due to the high density of the population and leisure may be restricted because either it is unaffordable or there are no local facilities.

Child health is of major concern when discussing poverty affecting life chances.- economic factors have an impact from the time we are born until we die. Many health inequalities are associated with poverty, the first to be recorded would be low birth weight.

“The rate among “other” groups (including unemployed, members of armed forces

and others whose occupations could not be assigned to a social class) increased

by 9% to 11.2 in 2000. This group represents about 5% of all births for which a

valid social class can be defined.“ Poverty continues to have a detrimental effect on health throughout childhood and continue in adulthood.

“18 per cent of boys and 13 per cent of girls aged 5 to 16 in Great Britain;living in households with a gross weekly income of under Ð'Ј100 had a mental disorder.”

Social class is defined by the wealth, education and the influence of an individual. People in the lower end of the class scale tend to be the unemployed & low paid. The factors that affect the individual because of their class range from health to employment opportunities. People born into the higher social classes are more likely to achieve academically and go on to higher education than those of a lower class. The higher the social class the longer life expectancy is.

“The difference in life expectancy between Social Classes I and V was 9.5 years for men and 6.4 years for women in 1996.” People born into a higher social class tend achieve more at school and go on to professional jobs.

In recent years much research has gone into the effect of the change in structure of the family i.e. the emergence of single parent families. Our family is our first source of socialisation and lays the foundations for how we perceive and are perceived by society. Many single parent families live in poverty and therefore many opportunities remain inaccessible such as decent schooling and housing as they tend to live in more socially deprived areas. Sociologists such as Charles Murray have suggested that single parent’s families have contributed to the creation of an underclass such is their social deprivation.

Our family is usually the primary source of socialisation as regards gender. Girls are encouraged to play with dolls and expected to be more caring. These roles are reinforced throughout our lives within the education system and the workplace. Despite the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, designed to outlaw discrimination within schools, employment & services, women continued to be paid less than male counterparts. Some sociologists suggest a �hidden curriculum’ in schools steers’ girls towards stereotypical employment such as nursing or teaching.

Ethnicity can have a huge impact in life chances beginning in school. Certain ethnic groups, such as Chinese children, excel at school due to family expectations and the emphasis on educational achievement. However, black Caribbean males are less likely to succeed in all aspects of attainment whether at school or in the workplace, perhaps explaining why only a small percent hold professional & managerial jobs. In Britain 70% of all our ethnic minorities live in deprived areas which, as explained above in the effect socio-economic factors, contribute to a reduction in opportunities.

Children in the higher social classes tend to gain more from education than those of the lower classes. It is suggested that parents in the higher classes are more actively involved in their child’s education, and are more likely to communicate with teachers regarding child’s achievement. They tend to be more socially mobile and can, therefore, move to areas where the schools are better. They can afford to provide