introduction to sociology
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Marty W. Deane – Instructor
SOCL 100 - 503W 6:00-8:50
What Is Sociology?
.The systematic study of human society and social behavior
• SystematicScientific discipline that focuses attention on
patterns of behavior
• Human societyGroup behavior is primary focus; how groups
influence individuals and vice versa
• At the “heart of sociology”The sociological perspective which offers a
unique view of society
During class, carefully observe the interaction and behavior of the instructor and the other students.
What patterns do you see in who speaks?
What about how people use space? What categories of people are taking the
class in the first place…
Think: race, social class, and gender, age.
•What was the reason for such a massacre? (how could society have contributed?)•When did it become a societal issue versus a personal issue?
(Sociological V. Psychological)•What was the response to the shootings?•Could Columbine/Va Tech/etc. have had an effect?
To Understand Sociology:TWO things you must develop:
Sociological Perspective
Sociological Imagination
Keep in mind, that the perspective you take influences what you see
One perspective emphasizes certain aspects of an event
Another perspective accepts different aspects of the same event
Same event – seen in different ways.
What do you see?
WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE?
Can you see both parallel and the slope?
Benefits of the Sociological Perspective
1. Helps us assess the truth of common sense
2. Helps us assess both opportunities and constraints in our lives
3. Empowers us to be active participants in our society
4. Helps us live in a diverse world
Importance of Global Perspective
(as a sociological perspective)Where we live makes a great difference in
shaping our livesSocieties throughout the world are increasingly
interconnected through technology and economics
Many problems that we faced in the United States are more serious elsewhere
Thinking globally is a good way to learn more about ourselves
The Sociological Perspective:Peter Berger (1963)
Seeing the general in the particularSociologists identify general social patterns in
the behavior of particular individualsIndividuals are unique but, society’s social
forces shape us into “kinds” of people (e.g. Women, Catholics, Hispanics)
Seeing the strange in the familiarGiving up the idea that human behavior is
simply a matter of what individuals decide to do (e.g. who is more likely to divorce?)
Understanding that society shapes our lives
Sociological PerspectivePeople are influenced by their societyAn individual’s identity is socially bestowed (who we are – and how people treat us are usually consequences of our social location in society)
Our personalities are shaped by the way we are accepted, rejected, and defined by other people. (e.g. are we worthy – depends on the values of the groups in which we are immersed)
•Perspective: What the “Blurred Lines” being described in the song? This was a #1 Song…. Controversial? Why?
•Sociology is about - Asking the right questions
•Seeing a different perspective – what if we flip the script?
Applying the Sociological PerspectivePeriods of crisis or social change
prompt people to think sociologically:
(e.g. Great Depression: Something is wrong with me, I can’t find a job! (personal)
Thinking sociologically : The economy has collapsed there are few jobs to be found –
It isn’t just me
Sociological Imagination
• C. Wright Mills1959
Age 28 - 1944
Mills traveled via motorcycle back and forth to Columbia University
C. Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination
The power of the sociological perspective lies not just in changing individual lives but in transforming society
Society, (not personal failings) is a root cause of social problems
The sociological imagination transforms personal problems into public issues
Mills: Sociological Imagination….enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography
Turns personal problems into public issues
The Society in which we grow up, and our particular location in that society, lie at the center of what we do and what we think.
To understand others issues – think of the social forces that are affecting their lives.
Mills Basic AssumptionsHuman beings cannot be
understood apart from the social and historical structures in which they are formed and in which they interact
The sociological imagination is simply a “quality of mind” that allows us to grasp “history” and biography” and the relations between the two within society.
Major Sociological Theories
All the Discussion about Perspective – Leads to “The Big Three”Structural-Functional - Macro
Social Conflict - MacroSymbolic Interactionism - Micro
Sociological TheoryTheory: a statement of how and why facts are relatedExplains social behavior to the real world
Theoretical paradigm: a set of fundamental assumptions that guides theory
THE ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGYOne of the youngest of academic disciplines,
sociology has it origins in powerful social forces:
Social ChangeIndustrialization, urbanization, political revolution,
and a new awareness of societyScience
3-Stages: Theological, Metaphysical & ScientificPositivism – a way of understanding based on science
Gender & RaceThese important contributions have been pushed to
the margins of society
Durkheim’s Study of SuicideEmile Durkheim’s research showed that society
affects even our most personal choices.
More likely to commit suicide : Male Protestants who were wealthy and unmarried
Less likely to commit: Male Jews and Catholics who were poor and married
One of the basic findings: Why?The differences between these groups had to do with
“social integration”Those with strong social ties had less of a chance of
COMMITING suicide
History and Biography• Jimmie Hendrix 1970
• Janis Joplin - 1970
• Jim Morrison 1971
Teenage Wasteland• 1967-1994
Structural –Functional ParadigmThe Basics
A macro-level orientation, concerned with broad patterns that shape society as a whole
Views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability
Key Eelements:Social structure refers to any relatively stable
patterns of social behavior found in social institutions
Social function refers to the consequences for the operation of society as a whole
Who’s Who in Structural-Functional Paradigm
Auguste ComteImportance of social integration during times of rapid change
Emile DurkheimHelped establish sociology as a university discipline/Major study of suicide
Herbert SpencerCompared society to the human body, organic approach
Social-Conflict ParadigmThe Basics:
A macro-oriented paradigmViews society as an arena of inequality that
generates conflict and social changeKey elements:
Society is structured in ways to benefit a few at the expense of the majority
Factors such as race, sex, class, and age are linked to social inequality
Dominant group vs. Minority group relationsIncompatible interests and major differences
Who’s Who in Social-Conflict Paradigm
Karl MarxSociety is a complex system
characterized by inequality and conflict that generate social change
W.E.B. DuBoisRace as the major problem facing the
United States in the twentieth century
Who’s Who in Social-Conflict Paradigm
Jane Adams
Although trained at the University of Chicago – was not considered a serious Sociologist because she was female
Harriet Martineau
First female Sociologist and fought for changes in educational policy – so women could have choices other than home
Symbolic Interaction ParadigmThe Basics:
A micro-level orientation, a close-up focus on social interactions in specific situations
Views society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals
Key Elements: Society is nothing more than the shared reality that people construct as they interact with one another
Society is a complex, ever-changing mosaic of subjective meanings
Who’s Who in Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm
Max WeberUnderstanding a setting from the people in it
George Herbert MeadHow we build personalities from social experience
Erving GoffmanDramaturgical analysis
George Homans & Peter BlauSocial-exchange analysis
Critical EvaluationStructural-Functional
Too broad, ignores inequalities of social class, race & gender, focuses on stability at the expense of conflict
Social-ConflictToo broad, ignores how shared values and
mutual interdependence unify society, pursues political goals
Symbolic-InteractionIgnores larger social structures, effects of
culture, factors such as class, gender & race
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