- What are social phenomena?
- Characteristics of social phenomena
- Examples of social phenomena
- Current social phenomena
We explain what social phenomena are and their characteristics. Also, some examples of current social phenomena.
The protest against animal abuse is a social phenomenon that crosses borders.What are social phenomena?
In sociology, social phenomena are understood to be all those events, trends or reactions that take place within a society established human. They are evidenced through collective modifications of conduct.
In other words, a social phenomenon is a part of the conduct aware of society, a specific way in which it organizes and structures its reactions. It is determined by the objective and subjective conditions of life in which people live.
Thus, social phenomena can be of a different nature, and respond to specific interests, or even be the consequence of other types of factors, such as the economic one. However, being of an eminently social type, they are limited in their perspective to the relationships between the individuals that constitute a community.
Sociology is the discipline that studies social phenomena, although these can also be analyzed from a perspective economical, psychological, historical or politics, and in those cases the concept is tailored to the specific needs of the approach.
Characteristics of social phenomena
Social phenomena differ from other types of phenomena in that, having to do with the way of thinking and acting of people within the framework of a society, they are subjective and relative in nature. In some cases they even respond to characteristics of the collective imagination.
Social phenomena are discussed in an attempt to understand systemically or contextually the decisions made by a collective. In other words, virtually everything can be a given social phenomenon.
However, what breaks with what is considered as the "daily" or "traditional" behavior of the studied society stands out. Thus, what in one historical moment may be a striking social phenomenon, in another it may be little more than rule established.
Examples of social phenomena
It is not difficult to find examples of social phenomena, although it is to decide on a specific concrete case. Generally speaking, collective decisions are examples of a social phenomenon.
Among them are the migrations mass, political rebellions, labor trends, trends of consumption, criminal activities, poverty or the expansion of a religion within a given community.
Current social phenomena
The rise of the evangelical churches is a Third World social phenomenon.At present, there are more or less generalized trends in terms of social phenomena. They are attributable in one way or another to the "spirit of the age", that is, to the collective unconscious of a specific cultural region, if not the entire world.
For example, the massive emigration of Venezuelans in the last five years has been a social phenomenon (also political and economic) in the South American region. So has the political rise of ultra-conservative parties in the Europe of the East in recent times.
In a more specific sphere such as North American society, some polarization has been observed since President Donald Trump took office.
Another possible example is the rise of the technology of social networks in the constitution of couples and love relationships in the West, or even the rise of evangelical congregations in the nations of the American Third World.