Sociology explores how living in a society shapes and is shaped by people’s actions and how they understand themselves, other people, and their world. Issues that might at first seem to be personal or private are linked to wider social forces such as social class, gender, race, or religion. Identifying and understanding these connections gives sociologists powerful tools to advocate for social change and social justice across an array of contexts including the media, popular culture, health and illness, families, crime and deviance, workplaces, and social policy.