You may have heard the term “social theory” in a class or online– possibly a reference to a certain theorist or a specific idea. And beyond just having the context to understand the conversation, the question arises: why explore social theory?
Well first, it’s important to understand what exactly it is.
The word “theory” generally prompts us to think about minds like Einstein and Darwin, but scientific theories are only one example of this form of abstract thinking. Broadly speaking, you can think of a theory as the result of critically examining any noticeable pattern in the world around us. And nature isn’t the only place patterns form. Societal behavior, civil structures, and human dynamics often fall into a rhythm, which can be broken down and analyzed in their own way. This is the basis of social theory.
So while the essence of social theory is a study of society, it specifically serves to examine the nuance and detail in these patterns to better understand how and why they develop. Along with exploring why they persist or fall apart. With such a large focus, social theory is interdisciplinary, drawing from fields like sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, philosophy, and history. It’s a cyclical process. These theories are at the core of these fields but information and knowledge from all these disciplines are put together to flesh out new ideas which develop into theory.
So with that in mind, the question remains: why explore social theory?
The simple answer? Well, because you’re part of society!
The human experience is vast and abstract. At times, things can feel out of our hands for reasons we cannot visualize, much less even acknowledge. Theory provides the missing focal point. By striving to rationalize the human experience, it helps conceptualize these unseen forces.
Often, theory revolves around concepts like power, inequality, and culture. Notions which aren’t tangible, but remain a key part in our existence anyway. You can view theory as the bridge between these large social factors and our everyday lives. And frankly, being able to understand this connection can be freeing.
This is why renowned theorist bell hooks describes theory as a “liberatory practice.” By making sense of the world’s complexities we free ourselves from the ignorance and blind acceptance of these influences. In her own words, “I [hooks] came to theory because I was hurting … I came to theory desperate, wanting to comprehend — to grasp what was happening around and within me” [1] Hooks illustrates how studying theory is as much studying yourself as it is studying society. There is a healing power in understanding why the world sees and treats us the way it does, and in a way, this understanding can put some control back in our hands. After all, how can we fight inequality if we can’t conceive it?
Social theory helps us understand the world around us and ourselves. Regardless of whether you do something with that knowledge or simply carry it around with you, it’s undoubtedly a powerful tool– one we should all be able to wield. So long story short, that’s why you should explore social theory.
[1] hooks, b. (1994). Theory as liberatory practice. In Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom (pp. 59-75). Routledge.