Sociology: An Introduction

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Sociology An Introduction
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Part 1 Basic Sociological Understandings
Sociology is everywhere everywhere is
sociology
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What is Sociology?

• DEFINITION the systematic study of human society
  social behavior
• TWO PRIMARY QUESTIONS
• Why do people behave the way they do?
• Why are social situations the way they are?

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Sociological Perspective

• DEFINITION a scientific
  systematic method of viewing the behavior
  of groups
• Seeing the general in the
  particular
• Seeing the strange in the
  familiar

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Sociological Perspective

• Peter Berger
• Seeing the general in
  the particular
• Possible to identify
  general social patterns in the
  behavior of particular individuals

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Sociological Perspective

• C. Wright Mills
• Seeing the strange in the
  familiar
• There are definite
  connections between ones personal
  life and society as a whole
• Society shapes our lives

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Sociological Perspective

• Sociological Imagination
• The ability to see connections between the larger
  world and our personal lives
• Connection between history biography

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Sociological Perspective

• The sociological imagination enables us to grasp
  history and biography and the relations between
  the two within society
• http//crookedtimber.org/2011/01/13/a-carpet/

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Sociological Perspective

• Benefits of the Sociological Perspective
• Assess the truth of common sense
• Assess the opportunities constraints
  in our lives (social forces)
• Empowers us to become active social participants
• Allows us to live in a diverse world

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Part 2 Historical Origins
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Historical Background

• Developed as an academic discipline during the
  mid-19th century
• Sociology emerged as the intellectual atmosphere
  of Europe shifted
• Change in Focus
• How should an ideal society operate?
• How does society operate in reality?

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Historical Timeline

• Enlightenment (late
  1600s to late 1700s)
• Industrial Revolution
  (mid 1700s to mid 1800s)
• Urbanization (mid 1800s forward)

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Part 3 Whos Who in Sociology
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Auguste Comte (17981857)

• French philosopher
• Father of Sociology (1838)
• Coined Sociology
• One of the 1st to apply the scientific method to
  study of social life
• Focused on social order and social change

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Herbert Spencer (18201903)

• English philosopher
• Heavily influenced by Darwin
• Believed that social change
  and conflict were inevitable on the
  road to a perfect society
• Social Darwinism

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Karl Marx (18181883)

• German philosopher
• Believed that society is a
  direct reflection of economic
  organization driven by
  economic forces
• Two Warring Classes
• Bourgeoisie Proletariat

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Emile Durkheim (18581917)

• French sociologist
• Particularly concerned with
  social order, as well its
  maintenance
• Interested in the functions of societal
  institutions
• First true sociological study, Suicide (1897)

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Max Weber (18641920)

• German sociologist
• Interested in societys
  impact on the individual,
  rather than society as a
  whole
• Vershtehen (fehr-SHTAY-en)
• Social actions/motivations

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Part 4 Sociological Theory
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Importance of Theory

• Attempts to explain social behavior in terms of
  the real world
• Three Major Theoretical Approaches
• Structural-Functionalism
• Conflict Theory
• Symbolic Interactionism

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Importance of Theory

• Each approach provides a set of fundamental
  assumptions that help guide sociological
  understanding
• Macro-Level v. Micro-Level

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Macro-Level
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Structural-Functionalism

• Guiding Question
• How is social order
  maintained what
  are the consequences
  of this maintenance?
• Key Players
• Comte, Spencer, Durkheim

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Structural-Functionalism

• Assumptions
• Society is an organism comprised of interrelated
  parts known as subsystems
• Subsystems work together to promote solidarity
  stability
• Each subsystem has a function (manifest v.
  latent)
• YouTube Video Latent Function of Ed?

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Structural-Functionalism

• Major Emphases
• Stability (function
  v. dysfunction)
• Harmony
• Evolution

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Structural-Functionalism

• Key Criticisms
• Conservative bias overlooks key social issues
• Subjective and unclear

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Conflict Theory

• Guiding Question
• How is society
  organized (or
  divided) and
  who benefits from this?
• Key Players
• Marx, Weber, Mills

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Conflict Theory

• Assumptions
• Society consists of basic inequalities
  contributes to inevitable conflict
• Social relations are in a constant state of
  change
• The Haves v. the Have-Nots

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Conflict Theory

• Major
  Emphases
• Competition
  over scarce resources
• Impact of inequalities on power rewards
• Social change as a result of conflict

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Conflict Theory

• Key Criticisms
• Difficult to explain the more orderly stable
  elements of society
• Too heavily focused on economy class neglects
  the cultural aspects of society
• Assumes that differences ALWAYS lead to conflict

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Micro-Level
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Symbolic Interactionism

• Guiding Question
• How, and in what way,
  do people interpret and
  negotiate
  their
  surroundings?
• Key Players
• Weber, Mead, Cooley

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Assumptions
• People attach meaning to things based on their
  ongoing interactions with others
• Continuously negotiated
• Meanings guide action reaction

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Major Emphases
• Language symbols are the building blocks of
  society
• Importance of interpersonal relationships
  social interaction
• Socialization

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Key Criticisms
• Tends to minimize the impact of larger societal
  factors in regards to interpersonal relationships
  interactions

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Practice

• Societies are in relative balance
• Structural Functionalism

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Practice

• Power is one of the most important elements in
  social life
• Conflict

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Practice

• Religion helps hold a society together morally
• Structural Functionalism

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Practice

• Symbols are crucial to social life
• Symbolic Interactionism

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Practice

• Many elements of a society exist to benefit the
  powerful
• Conflict

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Practice

• Segments of society compete to achieve their own
  self-interest rather than cooperate to benefit
  others
• Conflict

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Practice

• Social life should be understood from the
  viewpoint of the individuals involved
• Symbolic Interactionism

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Practice

• Education is a necessary aspect of social harmony
• Structural Functionalism

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Practice

• Social change is constantly occurring
• Conflict

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Practice

• Conflict is harmful and disruptive to society
• Structural Functionalism