SOCIOLOGY AND THE

REAL WORLD

CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1 Outline

Society

Social Science

What is sociology?

Microsociology vs. Macrosociology

The sociological Perspective

Sociology and Everyday Life

The U.S. in Global Perspective

The Mass Media and Popular Culture

Reality T.V. and Society

Reality T.V. - the issues that are dealt with reveal social dynamics of the real world

Why do we watch it? Are the issues reflective of our world? We see some aspect of social life, no matter how contrived it may be

Society – a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups. Sui generis? What can we actually see?

Working, playing, eating, driving, etc…

Sociology’s Development

Sociology developed out of modern science discoveries in 17th &18th centuries, new forms of knowledge and practices were established

During 19th century, the concept of social science emerged

Social Sciences – use scientific method to study social world (natural sciences look at physical world) Sociology is a social science

Overlaps bits of other social science fields

What is Sociology?

Sociology – scientific study of human society

and social behavior from large institutions &

mass culture to small groups & individual

interactions

Becker- “The study of people doing things together”

As sociologists, we need to learn to question everything

Neither society nor the individual exists in

isolation-each is dependent and intertwined with

the other

Food and Eating

Food & Eating – biological or social?

What, when, where and with whom we eat, and how we feel about eating- socially constructed Meaning is not inherent (McDonalds Vs. Spago)

Eating and family (women)

Eating and dating

The values, hierarchies, and institutions of our society have all intervened in our drive to seek nourishment

Microsociology and Macrosociology

Microsociology – study face to face & small group interactions – how they affect society

Like a zoom lens-see details

Pam Fishman-(pg. 12) recorded/analyzed heterosexual couples conversations in homes

Women ask 3x as many questions as men

Macro-level phenomena like gender and power are manifested in everyday interactions

Microsociology vs. Macrosociology

Macrosociology - study large scale social structures – how they affect groups/individuals

Like a wide-angle lens- “big picture”

Christine Williams-(pg. 14) studied sex segregation in the workplace: glass ceiling vs. glass escalator

Men in female-dominated jobs advance more quickly

Large-scale structures create constraints by which we experience success or failure

The Macro-Micro Continuum

Society

Culture

Social Institutions

Social Inequality

Groups

Roles

Socialization

Interaction

Self

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Sociology

The use of either quantitative or qualitative

methods depends on the question asked of

research

Quantitative-translates social world into

numbers that can be treated mathematically

Tries to find cause/effect relationships

Qualitative-works with non-numerical data

(texts, interviews, photos, recordings)

Goal to find how people make sense of their world

The Sociological Perspective

Sociological Perspective – understand the relationship between our particular situation in life and what is happening at a social level

Sociological Imagination – ability to understand intersection between history & biography C. Wright Mills

We normally think of our problems as being of a private matter, but they are connected to our cultural and historical context

Unemployment-personal or social problem?

Sociological Imagination

We look at what is going on in society and how

that affects people

Ex. – Columbine (pg. 18)

Understand time and place (Soc. Imagination)

Harris & Klebold shaped by their environment

American adolescents exposed to violence through

entertainment (movies to video games; guns available

Sociological Imagination-gives broader context

for understanding people and situations

Culture Shock and Beginner’s Mind

Culture Shock – disorientation when you enter a radically new social or cultural environment Sociologists try to create this effect in our own culture

We try to put ourselves in position of “the Other”

Beginner’s Mind – approach world without preconceptions to see things in a new way Lose bias to understand the social world – live in the

present moment

Opposite of expert’s mind

Sociology is not just common sense – we investigate common wisdom or knowledge

Starting Our Sociological Journey

There is a difference between an everyday actor

and a social analyst

Everyday actor-one who has practical

knowledge needed to get you through daily life,

but not necessarily scientific knowledge

Social analyst-must place in question everything

that seems unquestionable to everyday actor

Tries to act as a stranger in the social world, without

biases or assumptions about it

Only makes conclusions after investigation or evidence

America as a Place and Ideal

America is both a real place and an ideal

concept with a meaningful cultural and historical

context

Tocqueville-admired American ideals of freedom,

equality, individuality, tolerance, democracy and

enterprise

Troubled by slavery, lack of universal suffrage, the

exploitation of workers, tyranny of majority, materialism

America & multiculturalism in large cities

The U.S. in Global Perspective

We are closely linked to others around the world

Open society means mutual flow of goods,

services, information, ideas, and people

Macro-trade agreements, multinational corp.

Micro-my way of life is influenced by…

“Global Village”-Term coined by Marshall

McLuhan to describe how media create new

kinds of social bonds

Bring together as if belonged to the same small tribe