At the heart of sociology is the sociological perspective, the view that our social backgrounds influence our attitudes, behavior, and life chances. In this regard, we are not just individuals but rather social beings deeply enmeshed in society.

Social background refers to a persons history in terms of how they were raised, their ethnicity and their family's background in instances where one is married. Social background may also encompass the kind of friends you have. The kind of experiences, behaviors, and interaction of of a person with her/his relatives.

In light of the sociological perspective, a social background is simply the factors that combine to create part of a person’s identity. These factors that make up a social background include gender, race or ethnicity, social class, religion, education, and family situations.