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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CAUTION!
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Macro-Level
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Structural-Functionalism

• Guiding Question
• How do social
  institutions and
  processes create stability
  security, and what happens when they dont?
• 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)

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Structural-Functionalism

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

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What are the Functions of?

• Examples
• Education?
• Marriage?
• Government?
• Religion?

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Structural-Functionalism

• Key Criticisms
• Does not encourage active social change Waits
  for system to naturally stabilize
• 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

• Example
• Think of the term/phrase
  most commonly used in the United States to
  describe when people from other countries come to
  the U.S. without the appropriate legal paper
  work. What do we tend to call that?

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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
• Fake Celebrity Example

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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

• Examples
• What does this picture symbolize to you? Write
  the first word that comes to mind

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Examples
• What does this picture symbolize to you? Write
  the first word that comes to mind

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Examples
• What does this picture symbolize to you? Write
  the first word that comes to mind

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Symbolic Interactionism

• Examples
• What does this picture symbolize to you? Write
  the first word that comes to mind

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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