Download Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective

Chapter 1 The Sociological
Perspective

The Nature of Sociology
- The sociological perspective never
focuses on the individual.
- Sociologists focus on the patterns of
behavior by members of a group or
society.
-Sociologists explain events without
relying on personal factors.
The Sociological Perspective cont.

The Importance of Patterns
-Sociologists examine what is known as
social structure.
-People’s behavior within a group cannot
be determined from their personal
characteristics.
-Conformity occurs because members
have been taught to value a group’s ways
The Sociological Perspective cont.

Acquiring the Sociological Imagination
-Knowing the social forces that affect our
lives can prevent us from being prisoners
of those forces.
-People do not make decisions in isolation.
-Social Imagination help us to challenge
conventional wisdom.