Methods of Testing Theories in Sociology

The Sociology of Nursing

In the past, it was unheard of for sociology to be a subject for nursing students. Now, nursing students are often required take the subject because it is widely viewed as essential knowledge to their daily work as nurses. Sociology is the study of human behavior. From its definition, any nursing student can construe sociology as their calling card when it comes to handling patients.

Nurses get a lot of human interaction and that is one way of determining human behavior. Any nurse who is serious about a nursing profession should consider sociology as an important subject to learn.

Treating sociology as a core part of your nursing education is a key to become a successful nurse. You will be able to provide genuine care and perform appropriate diagnoses if you have an understanding of human behavior and reactions. Sociology enables nurses to understand their social responsibility as agents of change. When you have the capacity to heal or make your patients feel better, you are not only treating their illnesses; you are also improving the quality of their lives.

Nurses will also gain insight into the minds and hearts of their patients. That may not be manifested on initial diagnosis, but with sociology, you begin to understand that the healing of a person is a process and more than just the giving of medicine. This is why science sociology is already part and parcel of a nursing profession. Without it, nurses are incapable of understanding the intricacies of providing diagnosis to people what with their different backgrounds and ideologies. Sociology is the ticket to a more effective diagnosis.

Why Sociology Is Important to Nurses

In the old days, the study of sociology can only be conducted inside a classroom. A student simply can’t discuss the topic online like a subject in a class. Today, even those online nursing schools are offering sociology as one of their subjects.

Sociology is a field in science that concerns itself with social behavior. The origins and the development of a particular society takes its cue from the study of sociology. Sociology, at the outset, is not so much related to the study of nursing, but nurses who are knowledgeable in the study of sociology have at least an advantage over those who don’t. The study of sociology is so loaded with research, particularly on topics such as social processes or social change. In fact, many of those who are into sociology are into social policies as well.

If a nurse has at least an understanding of these social processes, that nurse might be able to conduct a patient assessment in a more circumspect way. Nurses interact with a lot of people. And the demographics of this crowd is quite diversified. This is where knowledge in sociology comes in. If a nurse has a comprehensive know-how on certain sociological issues, that would make his or her work a notch higher than a mere auxiliary to a doctor.

Not that nurses need to consider sociology as an entry pass to a more fruitful nursing career, but that every nurse should understand the relation of their duties with the social structure of their patients. Nurses provide care to their patients. And at times, providing care is not so much about giving them what they need, it is about knowing what to do with what kind of patient they have. They can only do that by having a clear grasp of their sociological backgrounds.

The Future for Sociology Majors

Sociology is a study under the social sciences that looks on the behavior, history, growth, structure, and groups that encompass society. It looks at the things that make up and mechanizes the society. It is not to be confused with Psychology as Sociology looks at people as a whole and not as an individual.

Most of the students who took up the course were probably interested or intrigued by what the study offered and thus signed up for it. But after everything, when it is time to choose for a career path, where will these sociology majors go? Will they end up becoming sociologists simply because they took up sociology? Are there other opportunities lying in wait somewhere out there?

The answer to these questions actually lies in almost anything. Graduates of sociology majors are equipped with general knowledge as their education focused on studying the world as a whole. Thus, they can actually do anything. However, to specify the point, here are some examples of careers where their acquired skills and abilities can be applied:

As part of a social studies course, Sociology is mainly a people-course. Sociology majors can be invested in community work, wherein they could become employees or members of non-profit or non-government agencies, environmental groups and more. They could also go into the profession of law as attorneys and paralegals. Or they could help share their knowledge by going back to the schools as teachers, administrators and the like. Other career paths for sociology majors include being in businesses as public relations officers and human resource personnel, health care particularly in family planning, rehabilitation counselors, and insurance providers, and of course they are great researchers of many kinds.

This then just goes to show how Sociology offers a mass of opportunities for career and even self-development.

Sociology is the study of the human society. Before a theory in such field is considered to be reliable and true, different tests must be in place. Sociologists use three main methods to test theories: (1) surveys, (2) controlled experiments, and (3) filed observation.

Surveys, sometimes referred to public opinion poll, is the widely accepted ways of studying human behavior. Using variables, surveys measure people’s attitude towards different matters. Sociology often studies the relationship between a viewpoint and a subject while considering elements like education, age, and gender.

Questionnaires are usually given to a controlled group where they will answer either worded or objective type questions. The survey questions also ask about their background and demographic information. Through this method of data gathering, information such as consumer habits, racial discrimination, and other human behavior and activity are provided. In addition, surveys answer issues in the society to have a clear understanding concerning the problems involved.

Experiments. Some of the experiments are conducted in a laboratory and in small groups. In some cases, a two groups are studied for contrasting and comparing. They want to know the significant difference in the attitudes and behavior of certain groups.

Field Observation. Information is primarily gathered through observations and talk within the community. During th period of study, the sociologist will participate in societal activities such as political activities, networks, and functions.

Field observation gives first-hand information about a group of people, but is least reliable method of testing theories. A fact can be true to community A, but cannot be applied to community B. Additionally, there are also outside factors that may influence the the conclusions made.

The study sociology is a group of indisputable conclusions that are diverse. The information is well gathered. Unlike biology and physical sciences, sociology is less precise due to changing human behavior.