Category: Sociology Dictionary
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Orientalism: A Critical Introduction & Analysis
Synopsis: Edward Said’s groundbreaking work ‘Orientalism’ critically analyses the western construction and interpretation of the orient, its subsequent biases, and imperialist tendencies What is Orientalism? The orient refers to eastern (most often colonized nations), most notably the Middle East and all of Asia. Edward Said’s most prominent work ‘Orientalism (1978)’ which set the foundation for…
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Utopian Socialism: Origin, Characteristics, Experiments, Critique
Introduction to, Origin and History of Utopian Socialism: In 1515, Thomas More conceptualised an atheistic and communist republic in his novel, ‘Utopia.’ Utopia [ou-topos = not place] has come to denote a vision of an ideal and flawless society. [ou-topos = not-place] The etymology of this word which literally translates to a place that doesn’t…
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Resource based Conflicts: Causes and South China Sea ( Example)
Resources are often taken for granted but they are the basis of life to every living organism. Nature may seem peaceful but has grave impacts on the populace because of its unequal and distorted distribution. This has caused many conflicts for time immemorial. The below paper explains the paradigm between resource and conflict and provides…
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Three Major Sociological Perspectives on War and Society
Synopsis: War has been an integral part of human civilization as it has significant consequences on individuals, relations and systems in society. The concept of war, strategies and its function as a means of conflict resolution for international disputes have been widely studied under the fields of political science and international relations. However, considering its…
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Understanding Key Concepts in Kinship Studies: At a Glance
If one is to trace the history of the development of social science disciplines such as sociology and anthropology, one can see how family and kinship were perhaps the first social phenomena that were studied systematically. For over a period of nearly 200 years, kinship studies have undergone a dramatic transition, following much-needed incorporation of…
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Structural Functionalism: Definition, Theories and Criticism
Synopsis: Structural functionalism is considered to be a prominent classical sociological perspective. It is a macro-level theory concerned with large-scale social structures and social institutions. Structural functionalism as an explanatory theory has lost its significance in the contemporary era. Nevertheless, it is a significant theoretical perspective in social sciences. This article presents an insight into…
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What is Karl Marx’s Labour Theory of Value?
In economics, one of the driving theories that are used to explain the many complexities of production and consumption is the theory of value. Many great thinkers of the past have propounded such theories to both problematise and simplify the question of the value of economic products. One such theory is called the Labour Theory…