Sociology in UX Discipline
Have you ever experienced a sudden urge to discover the theories behind our social world? Do you ask yourself that how different societal norms came into existence? Well, the pursuit of understanding our society dates back to the 17th century. In fact, there is a whole science involved that aims to study the impact of the social world on human beings. The science was later named 'Sociology' in the earliest 1830s by a French scientist Auguste Compte.
Since then, numerous social experiments have been conducted to comprehend the principles of sociology in more depth. Sociologists developed sociology designs to help study the behavior of humans effectively.
What is Sociology? – A Brief Introduction?
The term sociology covers a vast aspect of human life. As indicated by its name, sociology is the study of everything relating to society which includes; social life, social interactions, and social changes and issues. Sociologists are the people who study sociology and develop new social designs for the empowerment of people and social sectors.
In simple words, a social sector refers to any organization (non-profit, governmental, private, international, and national) or workplace whose primary aim is to provide equality and rights to humans by implementing social policies. These organizations play an essential role in promoting justice among the masses.
The above definition of the social sector clearly defines its principles, objectives, and role in society. Below, we have given some examples of social sectors that you observe in your daily life. These examples will aid you to understand the social sector meaning more effectively. Educational departments, health communities, water supply industries all come under the definition of the social sector.
The above examples are significant to reveal human nature and duties, and sociologists implement its outcomes in various fields. They do so with the help of a sociology design. A sociology design is made using different research methods like survey, research, experiment, and data analysis.
Until now, you might have become fully aware of the importance and role of sociology and sociologist in our lives. Going further in the article, we'll learn more about sociology by going through an example from our daily lives.
An Example of Everyday Sociology
From a cup of coffee to mental disorders, we witness a million sociological examples daily. Life without human interaction is almost impossible until you are a caveman who has lived all his life in a mountainous cave. To get a good grip over the sociological concepts, let's understand sociology with the help of the following example:
In this article, we are taking tea to demonstrate an example of everyday sociology. Drinking tea is a common habit among people, and according to a survey conducted in the US, about 23% of the population consumes tea every day. You may look at tea as a cultural notion or a simple drink to treat yourself after a hectic work hour. But most people incorporate tea in their daily routines so much that going a day without tea can give them headaches.
After a certain period of time, these people feel the need of having tea at a teashop rather than alone. This simple act of drinking tea with people results in socializing, and after a month, people visit teashop with the sole purpose of meeting other people rather than drinking tea. So, now you can observe that how a simple act of consuming tea resulted in a sociology experiment in our everyday lives.
Another aspect of this same example that relates us to sociology is caffeine. You might know that caffeine is a natural stimulant and is naturally present in tea. Therefore, people who consume tea become addicted to it. Despite knowing this fact, drinking tea is considered a healthy activity in all societies. This simple act of promoting tea makes it one of the biggest examples of sociology.
Eating disorders in females is another example of sociology. Well, we hope the above example has cleared your concept of sociology and sociology design. Moving further in this article, we will see the common uses of sociology.
Common Uses of Sociology
From social sectors to social services, you must have heard the word sociology in every walk of life.
- Cultural Differences
It helps in ending the cultural differences and increases our acceptance of each other. We learn and follow our own culture, but with sociology, we get a chance to understand and accept different people's cultures too.
- Self-understanding
Understanding sociology is a crucial step towards self-understanding and learning. We unconsciously use the sociological principles in our lives to comprehend our or other's position in society.
- Critical Thinking
What's more refreshing than having a generation with critical thinking abilities? Sociology promotes critical thinking among young people, thus giving them the power and to change the world. It helps them get an idea of social issues like feminism, health concerns, public policies, etc. Besides, sociology gives them the confidence of speaking against injustice in society.
- Policy Development
Policy development and reforms too involve a lot of sociology. It is impossible to make policies without a complete understanding of human minds. The way humans interact with each other in certain conditions is useful in crafting a policy with a significant social impact.
- Problem Solving
Sociology is a valuable science which aids us in solving various dilemmas and problem regarding our daily activities. It boosts problem-solving skills in people, thus gifting them with the superpower of managing their problems.
So, these are the few uses of sociology that we see in our daily lives. The next section focuses on understanding the relation between sociology and UX.
The Relationship between Sociology and UX
Before getting into studying the relationship between Sociology and UX, it is essential to get familiar with some basic sociology designs. Sociologists use three sociology designs to unravel the mysteries of the human mind. These include the following:
Longitudinal:
In this design, sociologists study the social behavior of the same population over a given period.
Cross-sectional:
In a cross-sectional design, scientists work with people of different ages having similar interests at the same time.
Cross-sequential:
In this design, sociologists study the groups from cross-sectional design for a longer time.
Now coming back to our main question of concern, is sociology and user experience related? The answer to this is quite easy because the answer is a straight yes.
As you already know, sociology deals with the social behavior and problems of people. On the other hand, user experience implies the reaction of a consumer after using any product. Hence, considering sociology is crucial before designing any product. Having prior knowledge of the customer's mind will aid you in the production of an efficient product.
Moreover, before applying sociology in any field or social sector, one should take care of the sociology designs to obtain effective results.
So, this was all about sociology. In this article, we have covered the basics of sociology. In the first section, we learned the definition of sociology and social sectors. In the next sections, the examples and uses of sociology were discussed. Finally, in the last part of the article, we studied the different social designs and the relationship between UX and sociology.
