Julia Contreras
CSUMB
MLO I
In order to obtain a Bachelors degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences at
CSUMB, it is required to complete two theory courses. These two theory courses
help us understand the concept of theory, understand some specific theories
used in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, and understand how classic and
contemporary theories of society differ. We then applied our knowledge of
theory and integrated it in order to explain a social phenomenon of our choice.
A theory presents a systematic way of understanding events, behaviors, or
situations. Theories take interrelated concepts that help explain or predict
specific situations by finding the relationship among the variables. Theories are
not topic-specific, they are abstract, this allows for broad application. There are
two types of theories: classic and contemporary. Classic theory emerged in the
mid 19th to early 20th century when sociology first emerged as a discipline.
Classical theory has a wide range of application and deal with central important
social issues. While contemporary theories are modern theories that derived
from classical theories. These contemporary theories intend to explain
contemporary social phenomenon.
In my first theory course here at CSUMB, SBS 300 we were introduced to
some classical theorists and their theories including Karl Marx, Max Weber,
Emile Durkheim, among others. We were then instructed to select a theory and
theorists of our choice in order to explain a social phenomenon of our interest.
For this I chose the social disorganization theory by Clifford Shaw and Henry
McKay. This is a contemporary theory from the 1940s. Shaw and McKay
produced the social disorganization theory in 1942 as a response to thorough
investigation of delinquency, crime, and social problems that were plaguing the
suburbs of Chicago in the early 20th century. Through our class assignment I
unfolded the ways in which Shaw and McKay went about the phenomenon of
crime in Chicago and how their conclusions led them to the social
disorganization theory. The Social disorganization Theory focuses on the types
of places, especially neighborhoods that create favorable or unfavorable
conditions for crime and delinquency. It assumes that the basis of criminal
behavior lies largely within the structural and cultural conditions of the
neighborhood. Clifford and Shaw attempted, with this theory, to explain how
deviant behavior was produced among lower class, urban males regardless of
attempts to control or prevent crime.
The second course I took for theory was SBS 328: Social Science Theory. The
class had a framework around political economy. In this class we read many of
classical and contemporary theorists. For our deliverable I decided to look at
feminism, or female advancement and the lack thereof. In order to analyze this
phenomenon I used the modern liberalist, John Stuart Mill. Mill was one of the
earliest noted feminists. With some influence from his wife, Harriet Taylor, Mill
believed in gender equality and the benefits of it. With his ideas of presumption
of evidence, and a priori assumptions I was able to analyze why women have
experienced subordination through history. Another classical theorist I looked
into was Amartya Sen, another modern liberal. Sen discusses the Grameer Bank
in Bangladesh that has allowed women access to credit. Through his analyses
and his conclusion about the improved conditions for not only women but also
for their community I was able to see the ways in which females have advanced
in places like Bangladesh as well as here at home. A contemporary theorist I
used to analyze female advancement was Naila Kabeer and her piece Gender
equality and women’s empowerment. Kabeer states that the goal of gender
equality and women’s empowerment is to eliminate gender disparities at all
levels. This includes: closing the gender gap in education at all levels, increasing
women’s share of wage employment in the non-agricultural sector, and
increasing the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments. The
resources to accomplish this are: education, employment, and political
participation, which are essential to the achievement of gender equality and
women’s empowerment. Through Kabeer’s piece I was able to understand a
theorist and her ways of explaining the social issue of female advancement and
apply them to current issues.
Through my two theory courses, SBS 300 and SBS 328 I was introduced to
theory and the applicability on social issues on a global level. I was introduced to
both classical and contemporary theories and was able to understand their
differences and their similarities. I applied social theory to current social
phenomenon that is of my interest. Through the Social and Behavioral courses
and my knowledge of theory I will be able to analyze and explain other social
phenomenon or social issues on local or global levels.