The Sociological Imagination

Chapter 1-Introduction to Sociology

Making the Familiar Strange

Discussion Outline

• I. Thinking like a Sociologist

• II. The Sociology of Sociology

• III. Modern Sociological Theory

I. Thinking like a Sociologist…

• Sociology is…– The systematic study of human society and the

relationship between individuals and society• Rigorous and systematic=Powerful scientific tool

• What do sociologists study?

Why do some people refer to sociology as a “soft science”?

???• Sociology: why is it important and beneficial?

Unveiling new levels of reality…making the familiar strange…challenging conventional wisdom and questioning what most people take for granted

Example:???

Thinking Like a Sociologist…

• The Sociological Imagination

–C. Wright Mills

The sociological imagination helps us to understand how the social structure affects our

lives and the lives of others

Private troubles Public issues

Thinking Like a Sociologist: Agency vs. Structure

– What determines an individuals behavior/ lotin life?

• Agency-making individual choices based on free-will

• Structure-cultural and structural influences operate in the decision making process– Society is organized– Society is patterned & predictable

**How does accounting for structural and cultural influences confront the American value system?

Thinking like a Sociologist…

• Social Institutions

Thinking like a Sociologist

• The individual and the wider society

II. The Sociology of Sociology-Historical

Development• 18th century– Political Revolution• -Chaos and disorder

– Industrial Revolution• -Urbanization

– The Enlightenment• -Rejection of traditional beliefs and authority

• Before social science and the enlightenment, who had the authority to say what was right and wrong regarding social issues?

The Creation of Sociology: Key Figures

• Auguste Comte

– Positivism/ Empirical study of society

• Harriet Martineau

– Social methods and feminism

The Creation of Sociology: Key Figures

– The Big Three…• Karl Marx• Emile Durkheim• Max Weber– Other voices were silenced, excluded and

marginalized

Karl Marx (1818-1883)• Society fundamentally

divided between two classes that clash in pursuit of their own interests

–Class Conflict

**What did Marx see as the solution

to the evils of capitalism?

Marx

• Industrialization leads to two classes: the bourgeoisie, or the owners of the means of production; and the proletariat, or the workers who earn wages.

– The bourgeoisie use their power to control the institutions of society to their advantage.

What other institutions might those at the very top of the class structure be able to control? How?

I.e.: The political landscape and massive donations

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Max Weber (1864 – 1920)

Verstehen: study of human subjectivity•“Understanding”; “Insight”

Importance of a “value-free sociology”?

1-15

Émile Durkheim (1858 – 1916)

•…What maintains social order?

–Division of labor

–Social Solidarity•Cohesion and harmony

• Suicide (1897/1951)

III. Modern Sociological Theory

What is a theory?

Theory

• A theory is a set of statements that explains why a particular phenomena happens

– Theories can be viewed as tools or lenses through which individuals view society.

– Theories differ

The Primary Theoretical Perspectives

The Big Four: Functionalism, Conflict, Symbolic Interactionism, Feminist

• Ask and answer the “big” questions in sociology

• Provide a lens through which to view and understand aspects of the social world

Functionalism

• Society is a complex social system of interdependent parts that work together to ensure a society’s survival.

– Based off work of Durkheim

• If something exists, it has a function for society in providing cohesion and stability– Crime?

• Manifest Functions• Latent Functions

» Wedding Rings? Schools?

Conflict Theory

• Conflict theory examines the ways in which groups disagree, struggle over power, and compete for scarce resources.

– Based off of work of Karl Marx

• Conflict, tension, and competition between groups results from widespread economic inequality

– What groups? What resources?

• I.e.: Gang rivalries, social classes, families, etc

Feminist Theories

• Feminist theories explain the social, economic, and political position of women in society. Focus is on gender issues.

– Maintain that women suffer injustice because of their sex/gender.

– Seeks to free women from traditionally oppressive expectations and constraints.

Symbolic Interactionism

• Symbolic interactionism looks at individuals’ everyday behavior and communication through symbols and shared meanings.

• It is a micro-level perspective.

• Interactionists see society as socially constructed through everyday interaction

Levels of Analysis

• Macro sociology - Looks at the "big picture" of society and suggests how society is affected at the institutional level.

• Micro sociology - Concerned with the social psychological dynamics of individuals interacting in small groups/local level

The Primary Sociological Theories• Functionalism

– How does structure help society work? How does structure help maintain stability and order?

• Conflict– How are resources distributed? Who is benefitting from

structure of society? Who is losing?• Symbolic Interactionism

– How do we construct meaning through symbols? How are people constructing reality and creating reality? How are people interpreting and experiencing their environments

• Feminist– How does life reflect gender? How is power being distributed on

the basis of gender/sex?