The ethics of care and the sociology of science and technology

Keston Perry^*
*Correspondence: Keston Perry, Department of Political Science, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, Email:

Received: 23-Jan-2023, Manuscript No. AJPS-23-87697; Editor assigned: 25-Jan-2023, Pre QC No. AJPS-23-87697 (PQ); Reviewed: 08-Feb-2023, QC No. AJPS-23-87697; Revised: 07-Apr-2023, Manuscript No. AJPS-23-87697 (R); Published: 14-Apr-2023

Description

The study of sociology looks at how institutions and social groups are structured, changed, and organized. It integrates rigorous methods of investigation and analysis in a variety of subject topics, including mass media, the environment, racism, gender issues, class, deviance and social control. It creates a corpus of knowledge on social order and social change using various techniques for empirical study and critical analysis. While some sociologists perform studies that can be used to improve social welfare and policy, others place a greater emphasis on improving our theoretical understanding of social dynamics. The topic matter can include macro and micro level assessments of society. Social stratification, social class, social mobility, religion, secularization, law, sexuality, gender, and deviance are some of the traditional sociological topics of study. Since the interaction of social structure and individual agency affects all aspects of human activity, sociology has gradually widened its scope to include additional topics and institutions. Examples include the economy, the military, punishment and control systems, the internet, sociology of education, social capital, and the contribution of social activity to the advancement of scientific knowledge. Reasoning in sociology predates the establishment of the field itself. As early as the ancient Greek thinkers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, if not earlier, social analysis has its roots in the common stock of universal, global knowledge and philosophy. Old humorous poetry also includes social and political criticism. According to the claims of classical social theory, the field of sociology today is multi paradigmatic in its theoretical underpinnings. The well-known review of sociological theory by Randall Collins retroactively assigns four theoretical traditions to different theorists.

Functionalism

Functionalism is a comprehensive historical paradigm that considers both the required function of the components of the complete social structure that classical theorists referred to as "social organization" in relation to. An analogy that is frequently used is to think of institutions and norms as "organs" that contribute to the harmonious operation of the overall "body" of society. The biological analogy and ideas of social evolutionism that characterize the classical functionalist theory serve as a unifying thread, as they both predict an increase in the complexity of society's fundamental structure and the eventual triumph of forms of social organization that foster solidarity over those that do not. Since Comte, functionalist theory has focused mainly on biology as the scientific field offering the most accurate and suitable model for social science. The study of biology has been used as a framework for understanding the composition and operation of social systems as well as for investigating the mechanisms of adaptation that underlie evolutionary processes. Functionalism places a high emphasis on the social world's dominance over its component parts.

Symbolic interactionism

Symbolic interaction is a sociological perspective that emphasizes subjective meanings and the factual unfolding of social processes, typically accessed through micro analysis. It is frequently related with interactionism, phenomenology, dramaturgy, and interpretivism. The strategy focuses on developing a foundation for a theory that sees society as the result of people's regular interactions with one another. The common reality that people create via their interactions with one another is all that society is. With this method, individuals interact in a variety of contexts while employing symbolic communication to complete the tasks at hand.

Utilitarianism

In sociology, utilitarianism is frequently referred to as exchange theory or rational choice theory. Assuming that people always want to maximize their own self-interest within interactions, this school tends to favor the agency of individual rational agents. According to Josh Whit ford, sensible actors are thought to have four essential characteristics.

A unique and illuminating perspective on and comprehension of the social environment in which we live and which shapes our lives is provided by sociology. Sociology provides deeper, more enlightening, and challenging understandings of social life by looking beyond conventional, taken for granted notions of reality. Sociology is a discipline that deepens our understanding and analysis of the social structures, cultural norms, and institutions that profoundly influence both our lives and the course of human history. This is accomplished through its unique analytical framework, social theories, and research methodologies.

Conflict of Interest

Functionalist theories stress "cohesive systems" in contrast to "conflict theories," which highlight inequity between specific groups or criticize the larger socio-political system. The political and theoretical differences between functionalist and conflict theory are best exemplified by the following lines from Durkheim and Marx, respectively. Aiming for a civilization beyond what is enabled by the nexus of the environment will lead to the spread of disease into the same society we currently inhabit. Beyond the limit established by the health of the social organism, encouraging collective action is not possible without compromising wellbeing.