Download The Sociological Perspective

The Sociological
Perspective
Chapter 1
Seeing the Broader Social
Context
• Sociological Perspective-understanding human
behavior by putting it into a larger social context
– How groups influence people
– How people are influenced by their society
– Society- a group of people who share a culture &
territory
• Social Location- the corners of life people occupy
b/c of where they are located in society. Ex. Job,
income, gender, education, age, race/ethnicity
• People don’t do what they do b/c of
inherited internal mechanisms, such
as instincts. External influences (our
experiences) become part of our
thinking & motivations- so the
society in which we grow up, & our
location in it, are at the center of
what we do & how we think.
– (Some inherited internal mechanisms
do influence some behaviors, but the
external is more of a factor)
• What sociological perspective allows
us to do
– Look a behavior and NOT assign it
based on age, race, gender, but rather
other external influences
• Is our world becoming smaller?
– World-wide trade, commerce, &
communication has allowed instant
contact we people throughout the world
– However we still occupy our little
‘corner of the world’ w/ distinct ways of
viewing the world around us
Sociology & other Sciences
• Science- systematic methods used to study
social & natural worlds & the knowledge
obtained by those methods
• Sociology- the study of society & human
behavior
• Natural Sciences- intellectual & academic
disciplines that are designed to explain &
predict the events in our natural environment
• Social Sciences- examine human
relationships. Divided into anthropology,
economics, political science, psychology,
sociology.
• Anthropology- the study of culture using
artifacts, structure, ideas & values, &
forms of communication. Traditionally
focus on tribal peoples.
• Economics- the study of the production &
distribution of materials goods & services
of a society
• Political Science- focuses on politics &
government
• Psychology- focuses on the mental
processes of an individual
The Goals of Science
• Explain why something happens
• Make generalizations (make statements
that apply to a broader group or
situation). Use patterns- recurring
characteristics or events
• Predict- to specify what will happen in
the future in the light of current
knowledge
How to obtain the goals
• Systematic research
• Move beyond “common sense” or the
prevailing ideas in a society or the things
that ‘everyone knows’ are true- because
common sense can be wrong. Ex. In 1350
‘everyone knew’ the world was flat.
• Sometimes- get into the ‘hidden closets’ of
peoples, organizations, etc.
Origins of Sociology
• As a science- in the Age of Revolution using
the scientific method
• Positivism- applying the scientific method to
the social world- first proposed by Auguste
Comte as a way to study the upheaval
created by the French Revolution. He called
this study Sociology (the study of society)
Herbert Spencer & Social
Darwinism
• Applied the ideas of Darwinism to
society.
• Survival of the Fittest
• Societies evolve over time
• Said charity & helping the poor were
wrong & counterproductive
• Eventually discredited
Emile Durkheim & Social
Integration
• Goal- to show how social forces affect
people’s behavior & to get sociology
recognized as its own academic discipline
(not part of history or econ)
– Conducted a study of suicide rates in Europe.
Divided it up by groups to discover that social
factors underlie suicide. Said social integration
also affect suicide rates. People with weaker
social ties are more likely to commit suicide.
(Although there are some exceptions)
• Social Integration- the degree to
which people are tied to their social
groups.
• Human behavior cannot always be
understood simply in individualistic
terms; we must always examine the
social forces the affect peoples’
lives
Max Weber & the Protestant
Ethic
• Believed religion was the central force in
social change.
• Focused on the difference b/w Catholics &
Protestants (specifically Calvinists)
• Said Protestants were more likely to be
convinced that living frugally, but earning
more & investing that surplus was the birth
of capitalism. He called this idea the
Protestant Ethic
Values in Sociological Research
• Weber said sociologists should be ‘value
free’ (the view that a sociologist’s personal
values or biases should not influence social
research). He wanted to strive for objectivity,
or total neutrality.
• Values can unintentionally distort how we
interpret findings, so sociologists stress
replication, repeating research to compare
the results(most sciences do this)
Debate over Values in
Sociological Research
• Purposes of Social Research
– To advance understanding of human behavior vs.
To investigate harmful social arrangements
• The Uses of Social research
– Can be used by anyone for any purpose vs.
Should be used to reform society
• Attempt to describe & explain events vs.
make judgments based on observations
Verstehen & Social Facts
• Verstehen- Weber idea- to have insight
into someone’s situation by paying
attention to subjective meanings (the
meanings that people give their own
behavior). In other words, put yourself
in someone else’s shoes.
Durkheim & Social Facts
• Social Facts- the patterns of behavior that
characterize a social group
• Durkheim stressed social facts over Verstehen
• Says we must use social facts to interpret other
social facts
• Patterns that hold true year after year indicate
that as thousands & even millions of people
make their individual decisions, they are
responding to conditions in their society
• Sociologists need to discover these social facts
(patterns) & explain them through other social
facts (patterns)
Sociology in North America
• Jane Addams- cofounder of Hull House in
Chicago- as refuge to the needy in the slumsShe worked for 8-hr work day & laws against
child labor- helping her co-win the Nobel Peace
Prize
• W.E.B. Dubois 1st African-American to earn
doctorate from Harvard- founded the NAACP
(National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People) battled racism. Said the
African American Community was weakened by
the attempt to win acceptance of whites
• Other American sociologists
combined sociology & social reform
• Debate b/w analyzing society vs.
working towards it reform.
– Pure (basic) sociology- analyze an
aspect of society & publish results
– Applied sociology- the use of sociology
to solve problems
Theoretical Perspectives
• Theory- a general statement about how
some parts of the world fit together &
how they work; an explanation of how 2
or more facts are related to one another
• Three major theories of SociologySymbolic interaction, Functional
Analysis, & Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interaction
• A theoretical perspective in which
society is viewed as composed of
symbols that people use to establish
meaning, develop their views of the
world, & communicate with one
another
• Study how people use symbols(the
things to which we attach meaning) to
develop their views of the world &
communicate w/ one another
• Symbols include words, alphabet, any
things like @, can also include relationships
(like aunt, uncle, etc.) You relate differently
to people b/c of their symbolic meaning.
• Without symbols we wouldn’t have
language, time, sizes, goals, buildings,
religion, etc.
• Symbolic interactionists analyze how our
behaviors depend on the ways we define
ourselves & others (face-to-face interaction,
examining how people work out their
relationships, & how they make sense out of
life & their place in it
Applying S.I. to divorce rate
• FYI- marriage used to be seen as a lifelong
commitment & divorce was considered
immoral
• 1. Emotional Satisfaction- people began to
expect their spouse to satisfy all needs
• 2. The Love Symbol- expectation of ‘true love’
led to dissatisfaction since no one can satisfy
all needs all the time- unrealistic expectations
• 3. Meaning of Children- children used to be
mini-adults from age 7-14. Now children are
impressionable, vulnerable, & innocent beings
until 18, at least
• 4. Meaning of Parenthood- today’s
childrearing lasts longer & is more
demanding placing heavier burdens &
more strain on marriage
• 5. Marital Roles- In the past the ‘roles’
husbands & wives had were clearly
defined. Now the responsibilities are
harder to divide up. Who is responsible
for work, the home, children?
• 6. Perception of alternatives- Since roles
began to change & women began to work
outside the home & earn a paycheck they
saw an alternative to unhappy marriages
• 7. The meaning of divorce- as 1-6 began
to change, divorce increased. The
meaning attached to it changed as wellfrom immorality & irresponsibility to
freedom & new beginnings
• 8. Changes in the law- laws changed to
reflect the ideas of divorce, which
actually encouraged (or didn’t
discourage) divorce. Now incompatibility
is reason for divorce. “No-fault’ divorce
is also allowed. Some states allow DYI
divorces (No lawyer necessary)
Summary
• Symbolic Interaction can be used to
explain the increasing divorce rates by
explaining the changes in symbols
which have made marriage more
fragile. Symbolic interactionists make
no value judgment on the research.
Functional Analysis
• Main idea- society is a whole unit made up
of interrelated parts that work together
• AKA- functionalism & structural
functionalism
• When all parts of society fulfill their
functions society is normal, when they do
not it is abnormal or pathological
• Need to look at both structure (how parts of
a society fit together to make a whole) &
functions (what each part does, how it
contributes to society)
Robert Merton
• Functions- the beneficial consequences of
people’s actions
• Dysfunctions- consequences that harm a
society
• Manifest function- the intended action to help
some part of society
• Latent function- unintended consequence
that helps a system adjust
• Latent dysfunctions- usually unintended
consequences that hurt a system
Applying Functional Analysis
• To the divorce rate
• 1. Economic production- prior to
industrialization- whole family contributed,
industrialization separated the family
• 2. Socialization of children- went from family to
school
• 3. Care of the sick & elderly- shifted from
family to institutions (doctors, etc.)
• 4. Recreation- disposable income allowed
people to attend paid events taking away from
home-based, family-centered activities
• 5. Sexual Control- ‘sexual
revolution’ opened alternatives to
marital sex
• 6. Reproduction- change from family
‘controlled’ to having single
mothers & abortion w/out father’s
consent
• Summary- the family has lost many
of its traditional functions, many
others are under assault. Husbands
& wives no longer need to depend on
each other. The fewer functions
family members have in common, the
weaker the family unit
Conflict Theory
• Stresses that society is composed of
groups that are competing w/ one
another for scarce resources
• Founded by Karl Marx
– Said human history was driven by class
conflict b/w the bourgeoisie (those that
control the means of production) and the
proletariat (the exploited workers who do
not own the means of production). The
struggle b/w the two can only end when the
proletariat revolt against the bourgeoisie
Karl Marx & Class Conflict
• Said human history was driven by class
conflict b/w the bourgeoisie (those that
control the means of production) and
the proletariat (the exploited workers
who do not own the means of
production). The struggle b/w the two
can only end when the proletariat revolt
against the bourgeoisie
• Marxism not the same as
communism. Marx created the
principle of revolution of the workers
to gain control of the means of
production. He did not develop the
political system of communism. (He
was actually disgusted at the
thought)
• Developed during the Industrial
Revolution
– Ave. worker died at 30, ave. wealthy person
died at 50
– He decided that class conflict was at the
center of human history- those who control
the means of production vs. those who are
exploited by them
• At the time workers had no rights (no strikes, minimum
wage, paid vacation & holidays, medical benefits, sick leave,
8 hr. work day, 5 day work week, unemployment, social
security)
• Conflict Theory Today
– Used in a broader sense- every layer of society
(small groups, communities, entire society)
– Feminists- men vs. women
• Applying Conflict Theory to Divorce
– In the past men dominated women
– As times changed women were less dominated
by men, women are now less likely to stay in a
marriage that is intolerable or unsatisfactory
Levels of Analysis
• Macro Level- large-scale patterns of
society- focus of functionalists &
conflict theorists
• Micro Level- what people do when they
are in one another’s presence (social
interaction)- focus of symbolic
interactionists
– Nonverbal interaction- gestures, silence,
use of space, etc.
• Because each theory focuses on
different features of social life, each
provides a distinct interpretation.
Consequently, it is necessary to use all
three theoretical lenses to analyze
human behavior. By combining the
contributions of each, we gain more
comprehensive picture of social life
Assignment
• Describe how the three theories (symbolic
interaction, functionalist, & conflict) can be
seen in_____________