Sociology

Major Post Question Options (Please select at least one question from the list below):

Given what you have read for this module, do you think could humans survive without societies? Explain your answer and be sure to give explicit examples to help illustrate your point.
Why is it important to take a comparative perspective on human societies?
What are symbols, why have they been so important in human life, and what would our lives be like today if our ancestors had not developed symbol systems?
Major Post: Your original post should be at least 150 substantive words. When answering the question(s), you should attempt to critically engage with the literature. This means going beyond a summary of what the textbook says about the topic. Rather, you should use that as a starting point for your own contribution.

For example, you could do one or more of the following:

compare and contrast sources of information using another textbook:
attempt to fill in a gap in what you read or discovered;
discuss one or more points in greater detail;
mention which part of the reading was most interesting and why;
debate the author on a point or assertion they make;
locate an article from a reputable news source that ties in with the concept, explain how it furthers the class discussion, and provide links within your post;
navigate to the scholarly journal database at http://www.twu.edu/library/ (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)and supplement your post with information from a scholarly journal article related to the topic and/or;
locate a brief video clip that is pertinent to the module’s topic, analyze its application to the topic you choose to answer, and provide a link or embed the video within your post.

ANSWER

Sociology

Human beings cannot survive without societies. Societies are made up of human beings. It is in human nature to co-exist and form societal bonds. Even if society disappeared, humans would still congregate to survive (Schafer, 2017). Society gives humans a sense of order. In a society, rules are made. Without society, there would be no rules which would mean that there would be chaos everywhere. Society exists to ensure there is order. Humans are social beings which means that they have to form societies, and they cannot live without society. If society disappeared today, humans would still reproduce. Through reproduction, they would create families, and different families would form societies. Those societies would have to develop rules which means they would still form a society.

The comparative perspective is based on the idea that a society cannot be understood without comparing it with other societies or systems. The comparative perspective is important in studying human societies because it helps interpret the behavior of different societies through comparison.

Symbols are communication methods created by members of society. For example, in one culture, a certain symbol can mean one thing, and in another, it can mean something else. Symbols are not genetically defined, which means they can be reconstructed (Awinia, 2020). An example of a symbol is one in African society, where the owl represents death. Symbols are important because they are not only communication methods. They are tools for the creation of memory, planning, and moralization. Different symbols can be used to enhance the memory of a person. In African societies, dreams were also used as symbols. Symbols such as the migration of birds meant that it was about to rain, which helped in the preparation of land for farming. Symbols are important in our societies because they helped in the understanding of different life factors.

References

Awinia, C. S. (2020). The Sociology of Intra-African Pastoralist Migration: The Case of Tanzania. Frontiers in Sociology, 5, 76.

Schafer, T. S. (2017). Symbols, sentiments, and stories: Urban culture and social problems. Sociology Compass, 11(7), e12496.