notes on subjects

Sociology is the study of how people interact, it answers the questions: what governs society or what rules does society have to follow & where do the rules come from?

Well, sociology or the rules of society rather, actually as well come from the previous generations & the rules are called norms or social norms. These include folkways, mores, taboos & formal sanctions: laws.

Laws are formal sanctions (mores) that have been put into place formally or within a society for all people to follow. What is meant by formally? A lot of times people will have weak or even strong morals that other groups don't enforce or that other groups do enforce but in a different way. Formally means to be backed by money and the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system includes the courts, the policemen, the sheriffs, the correctional officers and the probation officers. It includes the lawmakers, the legislators and the politicians that get peoples votes to be put into those positions.


Folkways are certain ways or appropriate ways of doing things. People within groups accept these ways because each agrees upon it. At times these folkways have to be changed because it just doesn't cut it for the group. These folkways, undoubtedly are called fashions, fading in and out, trending as the group sees fit. Customs change at a slower speed than fashions. When such a social structure is in place, persists, it becomes a tradition. At times, it even makes history. In this way, society is made of layered forces at work that drives itself economically, politically and culturally to accomplish an end goal.



Laws benefit the majority, this can be seen in the Roman Empire among others