Download SOCIOLOGY 120 SOCILOGICAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

SOCILOGICAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
ESSENTIAL LEARNING: Students will be able to explain the four major theoretical
perspectives and the historic foundation of sociology.
What is sociology?
Sociology is the systematic study of social behaviour and human groups. It focuses primarily on the
influence of social relationships on people’s attitudes and behaviour and on how societies are
established and change.
The sociological imagination
In attempting to understand social behaviour, sociologists rely on an unusual type of creative thinking.
C. Wright Mills described such thinking as the sociological imagination – an awareness of the
relationship between an individual and the wider society. A key element in the sociological imagination
is the ability to view one’s own society as an outsider would, rather than from the limited perspective of
personal experience and cultural biases.
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Sociology as a social science
The term science refers to the body of knowledge obtained by methods based upon systematic
observation. Just like other scientific disciplines, sociology engages in organized, systematic study of
phenomena (in this case, human) in order to enhance understanding. In contrast to other social
sciences, sociology emphasizes the influence that society has on people’s attitudes and behaviour, and
examines the ways in which people shape society.
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Mrs. Saunders: Sociology 120
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SOCILOGICAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Sociology and Common Sense
Common sense knowledge, while sometimes accurate, is not always reliable, because it rests on
commonly held beliefs rather than on systematic analysis of facts. Sociology relies on scientific studies
in order to describe and understand a social environment.
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Sociological Theory
Within sociology, a theory is a set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behaviour.
An effective theory may have both explanatory and predictive power. That is, it can help us develop a
broad and integrated view of the relationship between seemingly isolated phenomena as well as
understand how one type of change in an environment leads to others. An essential task in building a
sociological theory is to examine the relationship between bits of data, gathered through research that
may seem completely unrelated.
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Definitions of Key Terms
Sociology: The systematic study of social behaviour and human groups.
Sociological Imagination: An awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider
society.
Science: The body of knowledge obtained by methods based upon systematic observation.
Natural science: The study of the physical features of nature and the ways in which they interact and
change.
Social science: The study of various aspects of human society.
Theory: In sociology, a set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behaviour.
Mrs. Saunders: Sociology 120
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