Levels of Sociological Analysis

There are two major levels of sociological analysis. One is the micro(or small-scale) level of analysis, or microsociology. It focuses mainly on everyday patterns of behavior and face-to-face interactions. Studying how students and professor negotiate a set of social relationships in a college classroom is an example of microlevel research. Microsociologists explore human interaction in any of hundreds of different settings. A sociologist doing micro-level research might explore the interactions of men and women at a singles’ bar, of children at a summer camp, or of workers on an assembly line. The possibilities are limitless. No aspect of social life is too small for this level of sociological inquiry. Researchers may turn their social microscopes on the most minute details of everyday life, revealing patterns never before apparent.

The second major level is the macro (or large-scale) level of analysis, or macrosociology. It focuses on overall social arrangements, how they are structured, and what long-term effects they have. Studying the functions of higher education for American society is an example of macrolevel research. So is the study of how higher education helps to maintain the social class system. Other macrolevel studies concentrate on politics, economics, business, religion, science, technology, the health-care system, and many other larger-scale aspects of social life.

Microlevel and macrolevel sociological studies often complement each other. Consider studies of the Catholic church, for example. Macrosociologists might ask how the church’s policies on birth control affect Latin America, or how the church’s leadership exercises its authority in remote parts of the world. Micro-sociologists, in contrast, might look at how belief in the church’s teachings affects a person’s everyday behavior, or at how a young seminary student is indoctrinated into the priesthood. Clearly, both these levels of analysis make important contributions to our overall understanding of the social world. To ignore either would give us a very lopsided picture of what sociological analysis is all about.

Exercise 7. Choose the right answer.

1. How many levels are there in sociological analyses?

a) one;

b) two;

c) three;

d) four.

2. What does microsociology focus on?

a) welfare of the nation;

b) sphere of education;

c) everyday patterns of behavior;

d) personal negotiations.

3. What does macrosociology concentrate on?

a) human interaction;

b) details of everyday life;

c) gender relationships;

d) overall social arrangement.

4. What will a sociologist doing micro-level research NOT explore?

a) functions of higher education;

b) interactions of children at a summer camp;

c) interactions of men and women at a bar;

d) interactions of workers on an assembly line.

5. How do microlevel and macrolevel sociological studies correlate?

a) they coincide;

b) they negate each other;

c) they complement each other;

d) they exclude each other.

Exercise 8. Fill in the gaps using the words given below, and translate the sentences into Russian.

poverty scrutiny scientific accumulate research

valid reward accuracy vital cause

1. The project has attracted considerable criticism from the … community.

2. We can predict changes with a surprising decree of … .

3. His … in the field of disease prevention produced unexpected results.

4. My way of thinking might be different from yours but it is equally … .

5. He emigrated to Australia to escape the … of his birthplace.

6. She has found some information of … importance.

7. The police offered a … for any information about the robbery.

8. They are still trying to establish the … of the accident.

9. The government record will be subjected to close … in the weeks before the election.

10. As people … more wealth they tend to spend a greater proportion on their incomes.

Exercise 9. Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right. Make up sentences with the phrases you’ve got.

1. to be related to	a) the relationship;
2. to focus on	b) a statement;
3. to explore	c) powers
4. to accept	d) a document;
5. to believe	e) a method;
6. to check	f) each other;
7. to go beyond	g) changes;
8. to create	h) the challenge;
9. to involve	i) small aspects;
10. to follow	j) a character.

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