How I Understand Modernity As Well As The Emergence Of...

When I hear the word modernity what comes to mind is change or a new social order. The word modernity captures the world that we live in today and one that we have also inherited over the past 500 years. In trying to understand how the world is where it is now, as well as what has come before we use the concept of modernity to describe these changes or in other words the making of the modern world. In this paper I will outline how I understand modernity as well as the emergence of sociology. I will provide a brief history of social theories and the development of concepts such as race that came out of modernity and sociology thereafter addressing the impact it had on colonial and apartheid South Africa. I will talk about what it means to decolonize sociology of post-apartheid South Africa using examples as I go. It is believed that over 500 years ago the way human beings viewed themselves in relation to the world was through the eyes of the church and religion. During that time, individuals’ actions were governed by feudal laws where kings and queens made decisions on behalf of the entire society. In other words people’s destiny did not lie in their own hands, instead in the hands of higher authorities. The church assured many that kings and queens stood as representatives of God on earth as validation of their authority. The traditional way of doing things was considered the will of God and never dared to be questioned. And so in this way when we speak aboutShow MoreRelatedPolitical Sociology Reading List And Rationale855 Words   |  4 PagesPolitical Sociology Reading List and Rationale The purpose of this comprehensive exam is to give me an opportunity to demonstrate mastery over relevant debates, theories, and empirical findings in the major issues of political sociology. I will also examine theoretical and empirical approaches to classic and contemporary fundamental questions of political sociology. 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