Download The Sociological Point of View

Chapter One
 To better understand human society, sociologists study how humans
interact with each other.
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Describe the clothing and makeup the Huli men
wear.
2. Identify the two possible meanings of the dance
performed during the segment.
3. Explain why the Huli people are happy to welcome
tourists.
4. State how the elder and the young boy who were
interviewed feel about the traditions of their people
and tourists’ role in keeping their traditions alive.
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Section 1
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 The primary interest of sociologists is the combination of
 The diversity of society/difference in how people view a
certain subject
 example: religion is a personal choice
 The shared characteristics and ideas of society
 example: crime is wrong
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 For psychology, we had a math problem:
 PSYCHOLOGY = thoughts + behaviors
 We have one for sociology too:
 SOCIOLOGY = human society + social behavior
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Definition: look at social life in a scientific systematic
way, rather than depending on common-sense
explanations
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 Purpose of developing
 See a connection between you and society
 Broaden your view of the social world
 Learn there are many views of social reality
 Sociological Imagination: the ability to make a
connection between your personal life and the
larger world
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Remember, the Social Sciences include: sociology,
psychology, anthropology, history, economics, and
political science
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 Sociologists: study how society works together
 Psychologists: study thoughts and behaviors of the
individual
 Economists: study financial situations
 Anthropologists: study people—what makes them
different from animals
 Historians: study trends from the past
Section 2
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
Developed as a separate
study in the late 1800s
 Due to the Industrial
Revolution and the
many social changes
due to urbanization
 The Early Years—
primarily in France,
Germany, and England
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 Considered the father of sociology; he coined the
name sociology
 Intrigued by the causes and consequences of the
French Revolution
 Focused on social order and social change
 Said social statics hold society together and social
dynamics were the ways society changed
 Never completed his college education
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 Pursued a study of sociology after inheriting
enough money to quit working
 Social Darwinism—coined the phrase
survival of the fittest to refer to the
similarities between societies and biological
systems
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 Could never hold a job for long because of his
revolutionary and radical ideas
 Felt society was influenced by its economy and
two groups—the proletariat (workers) and the
bourgeoisie (capitalists/owners)
 His views led to the development of conflict
theory
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 Developed the first college sociology
course in France
 Focused only on observable
phenomena
 Organized the first sociological study—
Suicide, 1897
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 Looked at separate groups in society
 Verstehen: put yourself in someone else’s
shoes
 Employed the concept of ideal type—the
basic components of features of society
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 Firsts
 College Class: University of Kansas, 1889
 College Department: University of Chicago, 1892
 Organization: 1905
 Growth
 115 members in 1906
 Over 14,000 members today
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Remember, a perspective is just an idea
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 Based on the ideas of Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim
 View society as a set of interrelated parts that work together
to ensure the social system runs smoothly
 Functions—positive consequences for society
 Manifest Function: the intended consequence
 Latent Function: the unintended consequence
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 Focus on the forces in society that promote
competition and change; can be violent or non-violent
 Competition over scarce resources (like money) is at
the basis of social conflict
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 Focus is on how individuals interact with one another
in society
 Look at the role of symbols in our daily lives
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 Answer the following questions from the book:
Interpreting Visuals: look at the pictures on the following pages and
answer the question in aqua: page 4—Stock Market, page 5—The
Homeless, page 7—Drum Ceremony, page 8—Depression, page 9—
French Revolution, page 16—Labor Strike, page 17—Ugandan
Children
2. Who was C. Wright Mills? Why is he important to the field of
sociology?
3. Read through Cultural Diversity on pages 18-19. Answer question one
on page 19.
4. Answer #1 and #5 under Thinking Critically on page 20.
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