What is Psychosocial Studies How can this type of approach help us to Essay

What is Psychosocial Studies How can this type of approach help us to a better understanding of the self and society - Essay Example Sociology, in the above context, is a discipline studying the impacts of society on individuals. As for psychology, this can has been described as ‘the science of the soul’ (Goelenius in Banerjee, 1994, 225) and as ‘the science of consciousness’ (Banerjee, 1994, 225); at this point the content of consciousness should be described. Banerjee (1994) refers to the Locke’s definition of consciousness; Locke supported that ‘consciousness is the perception of what passes in man’s own mind’ (Banerjee, 1994, 225). The relationship between psychology and consciousness reveals the point of differentiation between sociology and psychology: the former addresses the social groups while the latter focuses on the individual – as the subject of consciousness, in the context of the definitions mentioned above. In other words, sociology and psychology are two disciplines, which are basically developed independently having different priorities and serving different needs. On the other hand, the points of interaction between sociology and psychology are also revealed: both disciplines are related at the point that all individuals are members of the society – as set by Aristotle. On the other hand, the responses of individuals to their environment may be differentiated under the influence of a series of factors; usually, the personal experiences and views have a crucial role in the development of specific human behaviour. However, certain times, the reactions to events of the personal or the social life are not aligned with the personal characteristics and attitudes but they are rather formulated in accordance with the rules and the ethics held in the society. It is clear that the framework in which the person can act independently has to be clearly defined – setting the borders of personal acting. Moreover, concepts like the