The Beginning, Present and Future of Sociology (Week 1) - Conan Chua

1.  Summary

Sociology has evolved over the years, with roots in both religion and science, and has become one of the important ways in which humans understand our relationship with the world. Current sociologists apply a systematic approach to understanding the human-influenced world, both at a micro and macro scale. Truth seeking is accomplished with a combination of induction and investigation, not just blindly coming up with how the world works without first understanding it. It is a specific science where “experiments” are conducted in a controlled environment (time, space, culture) and where humans are the ones under scrutiny.

Sociology was born out of necessity during times where the world was changing too fast for humans to keep up, such as during the Industrial Revolution where technological advancements forced unforeseen changes in the way society functions.

2. Something of interest to me

One aspect of sociological study that interested me was “deviance”. As an architecture student myself, one of the most intriguing concepts taught to me by my mentors was the idea that learning what makes your design influential was its ability to evoke an unusual response from the people. Not unusual in the sense that it makes people act in weird ways, but that it make people deviate from their usual behaviors; to explore new spaces or create new experiences.

Not only is deviance an intriguing concept during the design phase, but also during the investigation phase when we learn about the site we are tasked to design for. For example a park, being a common public space, would usually be designed for everyone, with equal spaces to sit and seek shelter from the weather. However, one side of the park may have more shading and more dense foliage than another. Could it be due to the fact that the park may have been subtly designed for the residents in the area, and an adjacent street of restaurants needed to be inconspicuously “walled up” to block out noise and disturbances? This is just but one of the many ways deviance affects architectural design, and I am excited to learn more about deviance with both sociological and architectural points of view.

3. Discussion point

I feel that someone equipped with sociological skills could potentially find a job anywhere. Whether it is apparent or not, a vast majority of businesses deal with sales, and who do you sell to but people? Understanding your consumer is the best way to succeed in sales, and who better to advise you than a sociologist. Other than economical sociology, what other specialized forms of sociology could there be? Will new branches of sociological specialization be created as the world progresses an evolves? Could architectural sociology be born out of the world's need for better use of space in current times?