Download The Sociological Perspective

The Sociological
Perspective
Chapter One Seeing the Broader Social Context
v How Groups Influence People v  How People are Influenced by Their Society v People Who Share a Culture v People Who Share a Territory Social Location:
Corners in Life
v Jobs v  Income v  Education v  Gender v  Age v  Race Sociology as a Discipline
• Sociological Imagination: •  we must think ourselves away from the familiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them in a new way • Sociology is the scientific study of society and human behavior. Sociology and the Other Sciences
v The Natural Sciences v Explain and Predict Events in Natural Environment v  The Social Sciences v Examine Human Relationships Sociology and the Other Social Sciences
v  Political Science v  Studies How People Govern Themselves v  Economics v  Studies the Production and Distribution of Goods and Services v  Anthropology v The Study of Culture v  Psychology v The Study of Processes Within Individuals Origins of Sociology
v Tradition vs. Science v Developed in the mid-­‐1800s v Grew Out of Social Upheaval Important Sociologists in History
Auguste Comte and Positivism (founder of Sociology) ² Coined the term Sociology ² Believed society could be studied like any other science ² Applied the Scientific Method to the Social World Important Sociologists in History ² Herbert Spencer
(second founder of Sociology) ²  coined the term “Survival of the Fittest” in reference to human social arrangements (Social Darwinism) ² Advocated against social reform efforts to poor people because it disrupts the natural selection process of evolution ²  Structural/ Functional Important Sociologists in History ² Durkheim and Social Integration ²  Got Sociology Recognized as Separate Discipline ²  Famous for his study on suicides (1897) ²  Use of statistics in sociology ²  Social Facts ²  Structural/functionalist theorist Values in Sociological Research
v Sociology Should be Value-­‐Free v  Sociology Should be Objective v  Research Should Involve Replication v  Goals and Uses of Sociology: Analysis or Policy Driven Important Sociologists in History ² Weber and the Protestant Ethic ²  Religion and the Origin of Capitalism ² Believed that sociologist could never capture the reality of society but should focus on ideal types that best capture the essential features of aspects of social reality •  Verstehen Sociology in North America
v Early History: Tension Between Social Reform and Sociological Analysis v  Jane Addams and Social Reform v  W. E. B. Du Bois and Race Relations v  Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: -­‐ Theory vs. Reform Important Sociologists in History •  Jane Addams: •  Won the first Nobel Peace Prize (1931) given to an American sociologist •  Founded Hull House for the poor in Chicago •  Influenced the “Chicago School” of applied sociology (social problems) •  Pioneered the study of social problems Important Sociologists in History ² W.E.B. Dubois ² First Afro-­‐American PhD graduate of Harvard University ²  Concerned with the social position of African-­‐ Americans in US society ² Wrote The Philadelphia Negro (1899) on race relations ²  Used statistics to examine racial discrimination against blacks Important Sociologists in History ²  Talcott Parsons ² Reintroduced the theories of European sociologists while teaching at Harvard ² Structural/Functionalist ² Abstract “ivory tower” theoretician ²  Emphasis on empirical research and theory – NOT social reform Important Sociologists in History C. Wright Mills ² Taught at Columbia University ² Marxist, structural/functionalist theorist ² Known for the terms: ² The Sociological Imagination (book) ² The Power Elite (book) ² Advocated for applied sociology and social reform Verstehen and Social Facts
v Weber v Verstehen—“To Grasp by Insight” v empathic understanding of human behavior v Importance of subjective meanings v  Durkheim v Stressed objective social facts v Explain social facts with other social facts v  How social facts and verstehen fit together The Sociological Perspectives
1)  Structural/Functional Perspective (macro) • 
Society is a Whole Unit Made Up of Interrelated Parts that Work Together 2)  Conflict Perspective (macro) •  Competition for scarce resources, how the elite control the poor and weak 3)  Symbolic Interactionist Perspective (micro) •  How People Use Symbols, face to face relationships Structural-Functional Perspective
² Society is viewed as a complex system of parts (structures) that interact to perform various necessary functions ² Shared values, norms, attitudes and beliefs (consensus) ² Change is generally viewed as disruptive and gradual ² A view of society that focuses on the way various parts of society have functions, or positive effects, that maintain the stability of the whole. The focus is on social order and stability (Durkheim) Conflict Perspective
² Views society as a struggle for resources and power ² Change is inevitable, often beneficial and can be violent ² Conflict between the classes determines social change ² Some groups prosper at the expense of others ² Conflict is universal; social consensus is limited and inequality is widespread ² A view of society that focuses on social processes of tension, competition, and change. It emphasizes power and inequality (Marx) Important Sociologists in History ² Karl Marx and Class Conflict
² Engine of Human History is Class Conflict ² Founder of political / economic theory of socialism ² Considered the founder of the conflict perspective ² Wrote the Communist Manifesto and co wrote Das Kapital (with Friedrich Engels) Symbolic Interaction Perspective
² Studies society through interactions within individual and small groups ² Interaction between individuals is negotiated through shared symbols, gestures and nonverbal communications ² Humans are social animals and require interaction ² A view of society that focuses on the way in which people act toward, respond to, and influence one another. The focus is on social interaction in everyday life. Meaning is emphasized (Weber, George H. Mead)