The Reification of an Ideal Society Briana Orozco Community College of Denver SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology Rachel Rannow February 15, 2021 Reification of an Ideal Society We are faced with the idea that we live in an ideal society from the very beginning. Our normal lives are socially constructed for us from the moment we are born. We adopt the idea of what an ideal society looks like and follow the steps and guidelines (so to speak) that it takes to become an ideal civilian of an ideal society (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). We are put into schools from an early age; We are encouraged to graduate and then go to college; After college, we enter the workforce and make careers out of our lives until the day we retire. This is what an ideal society looks like to the majority that maintains its regularity, but where does the ideality of a society really stem from? This begs the question as to whether an ideal society really does exist in its nature and what those factors are. An ideal society would involve many theories that are studied in sociology (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). The study of sociology is essentially the study of societies that can range from micro-level to macro-level groups. These groups share common cultures and interests that bring forth social facts which are also studied by sociologists. However, the values and interests within a society do evolve over time. Hence, the study of sociology is very broad in its meaning and what it entails bringing forth many topics. These topics have also been explored by philosophers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant in efforts to describe an ideal society- in hopes of social reform due to their view on social conflict (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). Many questions are asked in sociology as to how societies work and radically change over time. Social conflict is one of those aspects to be considered. It can be anything that is viewed wrong in society’s eye or be frowned upon in culture. We see people behaving in regular ways as a whole majority of the time. This is because social order expresses the regularity of society at large (2014, 05:00). “Culture is a product of the people in a society; sociologists take care not to treat the concept of “culture” as though it were alive in its own right. Reification is an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has a real, material existence” (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). Although social order maintains a foundation for what is ideal, there is an awareness among the people in the society known as sociology imagination (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). “Sociologist C. Wright Mills described it as an awareness of the relationship between a person’s behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person’s choices and perceptions” (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). Societies and individuals go hand in hand. For example, society entails how people should live, but the way people really live may be completely different in the sense of social acceptability rather than one’s real feelings. This can be seen in marriages across the United States as one might be in it for convenience rather than commitment (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). In society, the ideal marriage does come with fidelity. One could be married but can secretly be having an affair to refrain from getting caught and going against culture’s norms. Another example could be our educational system from personal experience. Ideally, students work hard and study to receive good grades and to pass exams to exceed society’s standards but may have no intentions of even going to college. These are minor ways of how people in society adjust their lives in accordance to society’s norms to avoid social conflict. However, these examples barely scratch the surface of what is considered social conflict. Earlier theories did not deal with conflict, but it was Karl Marx that introduced social conflict to Sociology (2012, 05:38). “Marx’s idea that social conflict leads to change in society is still one of the major theories used in modern sociology” (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). He also believed that societies grew and changed based on production and demand. He believed that capitalism exploited workers and as a result, predicted a collapse due to backfire. Marx believed that it is essential for sociologists to scrutinize conflicts such as inequality amongst groups and how people in these groups fight for equality (2012). Aside from social conflict it was Auguste Comte who was credited for founding sociology (2012, 00:52) who thought differently. He believed that social scientists could study society using the same scientific methods utilized in natural sciences (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). He proposed the study of social patterns in which positivism was coined in efforts of building a better, ideal society. However, Marx rejected his idea of a scientific method to better a society. Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, rejected both Marx’s and Comte’s theory. “Marx believed that communism was a more equitable system than capitalism” (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015). However, Spencer favored the idea of capitalism, but under governed regulation. The proposed ideas brought three main paradigms into sociology. Functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism (2012, 9:19). They are viewed as different lenses through which society is viewed. Functionalism treats society as an organism, but instead of organs has different institutions (2012, 10:27). The idea is that all these different parts of society depend on each other. Conflict theories have to do with diversity, inequality such as women, different ethnic groups, and how society deals with these inequalities (2012, 11:00-11:20). Symbolic interactionism focuses on micro-level social interactions. Erving Goffman, developer of dramaturgical, suggests that human behavior is essentially a theoretical performance (2012, 26:57). In conclusion, these theories are foundations for what it takes to describe an ideal society. From a personal perspective I can say that I agree with Spencer’s point of view and professional stance. As far as the theories that have founded our society, I do believe capitalism is not ideal for everyone and is in the best interest of certain individuals. However, I do believe these theories do play a huge role in the foundation of what society is and in sincere efforts in making it an ideal society for everyone. References Hammond, R., Cheney, P., & Pearsey, R. (2015). Introduction to sociology. http://freesociologybooks.com/Introduction_To_Sociology/01_History_and_Introduction.php “Introducing Sociology.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2014, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=151823&xtid=58547. Accessed 15 Feb. 2022. “Introduction to Sociology: Sociological Theory and Research Methods.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2012, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=151823&xtid=117903. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.
