SOCIOLOGY INTRODUCTION

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SOCIOLOGY INTRODUCTION

• Section 2 of Chapter 1

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Review Slide (Sect 1- Slide 1)What Sociology IS

• Sociology Social Science of human society and
  social behavior
• (Study of
  Society groups)
• Social Science Disciplines that study human
  social behavior,
• 
  functions, and institutions in a scientific way
• Social Interaction How people relate and
  influence each other
• Social Phenomena Observable facts and events in
  society
• Sociological Perspectives Look beyond commonly
  held beliefs to the hidden meanings behind human
  actions
• Sociological Imagination Connecting the larger
  world to
• (C. Wright Mills)
  your personal life

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Review Slide (Sect 1 Slide 2)What Sociology is
NOT

• All of the below Social Sciences are the study of
  the material listed beside themStudy of
• Anthropology comparing past -vs- present
  cultures
• Psychology Behaviors and mental processes
• Economics Choices people make to meet their
• needs and wants
• Political Science Organization and Operation
• of governments
• History Past events

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Then and Now

• Industrial Revolution ?
• Rapid Social and
• Political Changes
• Result Housing Shortages
• Pollution ?
• Crime ?
• Unemployment
• BIG IDEA They could no
• longer deny the
• effects of society
  
• on its people and
• began studying
• Sociology

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The Early Years

• Auguste Comte (French)
• Founder of Sociology as a subject coined the
  term sociology
• Social Statics Unchanging society
• structures that
  hold it
• together
• Social Dynamics Changes in society
• that allow it
  to
• develop

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The Early Years

• Herbert Spencer (English)
• Used Darwins ideas of Evolution to describe
  society ? Social Darwinism
• 1 - Society is constantly working
• towards perfection
• 2 - Survival of the Fittest would
• eventually lead to a better world

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The Early Years

• Karl Marx (German)
• Structure of Society is directly related to the
  structure of its economy
• Society has two classes
• 1 Bourgeoisie (Owners)
• 2 Proletariat (Workers)
• He believed the differences
• between the two would lead to
• conflict ending only when
• workers had power

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The Early Years

• Emile Durkheim (French)
• Society is made up of interdependent parts in
  terms of their functions
• Function is a part that makes up society
• Ex ? Religion
• Said we should only study things that are
  directly observable

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The Early Years

• Max Weber (German)
• Beyond observation to uncover feelings/thoughts
  of groups/indiv.
• Verstehen Attempt to understand
• the meanings others
• attach to their actions
• Being able to put yourself in other
• peoples shoes
• Ideal Type Description made up of
• essential
  characteristics
• of a feature of society
• Ex ? General description of public
  Schools

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Current Perspectives

• Current Perspectives (Terms)
• Theory Explanation for relationships
• between particular phenomena
• Theoretical Perspectives General set of
  assumptions
• 
  about the nature of things
• Most sociologists use one of the following
  perspectives to
• attempt to explain the behaviors of groups
  within a society

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Current Perspectives

• Functionalist Perspective
• From Comte, Spencer and Durkheim
• Society is a set of related parts that work
  together for success
• Works through consensus
• Certain elements can be dysfunctional
• Having a negative consequence on the
  stability of society
• Ex ? Crime
• Manifest Function Intended and Recognized
  consequence
• Latent Function Unintended and Unrecognized
  consequence
• Ex. The function of a car

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Current Perspectives

• Conflict Perspective
• From Marx
• Society is the result of competition and change
• (How those with power control those w/o
  power)
• Competition over scarce resources ?
  conflict
• Conflict ? Social Change so those without
  the scarce
• resources can get them

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Current Perspectives

• Interactionist Perspective
• From Weber
• Focus on how individuals interact with one
  another in society
• Examine the roles of symbols in our daily lives
• A symbol is anything that represents
  something else
• Symbolic Interaction The use of symbols
  when interacting
• Ex. American flag, bald eagle, 4th of July are
  symbols for the USA