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CHAPTER
01
What is sociology? 5
a science guided by the basic understanding that our lives are affected not only by
our individual characteristics but also by powerful social forces and our place in the
social world
What are the four major sociological perspectives? 8
functionalism: sees society as a system of interrelated parts; a macro orientation
because it focuses on larger social structures rather than individuals
conflict theory: views society as various groups that are in a constant struggle over
scarce resources; focuses on macro issues and is concerned with inequality and
how it brings about conflict and change
symbolic interactionism: focuses on how individual people interact with others in
their everyday lives; studies how the use of symbols influences how people communicate; uses a micro approach because it is concerned with the individual’s role
in creating society
feminist theory: views society as being based on a patriarchal ideology that benefits
men and discriminates against women; focuses on issues that are relevant to women;
uses both macro and micro approaches; is concerned with gender inequality
Why is community learning important ? 24
provides you with a fresh perspective and expands your understanding of sociology
and your world
25
Sociology
get the topic:
What Is Sociology?
Sociology Defined 5
Developing a Sociological Imagination 6
The Functionalist Perspective 9
The Conflict Perspective 12
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective 14
The Feminist Perspective 18
The Four Perspectives—How Are They
Interrelated? 20
Getting Involved in Sociology—Community
Learning 24
Theories
Functionalism 9
Symbolic Interactionism 14
•focuses on society as a system of connected parts working together
to keep society intact
•it is important to consider the manifest and latent functions of any
issue or institution
•society is fairly stable
•focuses on the way people interact with each other to create the
Conflict Theory 12
•focuses on social classes and groups and the differences in wealth,
power, and prestige
•powerful groups control society’s wealth and resources and exploits
the weaker groups
•groups that have power are likely to create advantages for themselves
social world
•communication is central to all human interactions and is possible
because of symbols
•disputes arise when people do not share the same definitions of
symbols
Feminist Theory 18
•focuses on gender inequality in society
•social structures are patriarchal, meaning that they benefit men more
than women
•traditional sociology has ignored issues that are important to women
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Key Terms
sociology is a science guided by the understanding that our lives are affected not only
by our individual characteristics but by powerful social forces and our place in the social
world. 5
feminist theory is a theoretical perspective
that focuses on gender inequalities which are
built into the social structure. 9
petite bourgeoisie refers to the class of
people who have their own businesses but do
not employ others. 12
patriarchal refers to a social system that
benefits men. 9
proletariat refers to members of the working
class who sell their labour for wages. 12
society refers to a group of people who live
in a defined territory and who share social structures and who interact with each other. 5
social laws are statements of fact that are
unchanging under given conditions and can be
used as ground rules for any kind of society. 10
false consciousness is a person’s lack of
understanding of his or her position in
society. 12
sociological imagination is the ability to
understand how social forces influence the
lives of individuals. 7
social statics are the existing structural elements of society. 10
class consciousness is an understanding of
one’s position in the class system. 12
social dynamics are changes in the structural elements of society. 10
Thomas theorem states that situations that
are defined as real are real in their consequences. 15
micro is a small-scale perspective. 7
macro is a large-scale perspective. 7
social Darwinism is a notion which suggests that strong societies survive and weak
ones become extinct. 10
self refers to a person’s identity and what
makes that person different from others. 17
functionalism is a theoretical perspective
that sees society as a system of interrelated
parts. 9
functions are social factors that affect
­people in a society. 10
dramaturgy is a theory of interaction in
which all social life is like acting. 17
manifest functions are factors that lead to
an expected consequence or outcome. 10
conflict theory is a theoretical perspective
that views society as various groups that are in
a constant struggle over scarce resources. 9
latent functions are factors that lead
to unforeseen or unexpected consequences. 10
androcentric bias is a focus on men that
influences sociology in terms of how social
research is done and which issues and topics
are studied. 19
symbolic interactionism is a theoretical
perspective that focuses on how people interact with others in their everyday lives. 9
bourgeoisie refers to members of the
capitalist class who own the means of
production. 12
Chapter 1
26
debunking is the practice of looking beyond
the surface or obvious explanation and seeking out deeper explanations. 7
Sample Test Questions
These multiple-choice questions are similar to those found in the test bank that accompanies this textbook.
individuals.
b. The belief that sociology is the best explanation of human behaviour.
c. How sociologists wish society could be.
d. A term that non-sociologists use to insult sociologists.
2. Which of the following questions might a symbolic interactionist ask
about the social world?
a. Why does inequality exist in society?
b. Why do women typically earn less than men?
c. How do social institutions keep society running smoothly?
d. How does a particular social setting affect a person’s behaviour?
3. Erving Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy suggests that
a. people behave similarly in a variety of situations.
b. people change their behaviour to fit the setting they are in.
c. people’s behaviour has little to do with others’ perceptions of them.
d. people’s behaviour is not affected by the behaviour of others
around them.
4. Who does a patriarchal social structure benefit?
a. The poor
b. The rich
c.Men
d.Mothers
5. All of the following are macro orientations except
a.functionalism.
b. conflict theory.
c. social Darwinism.
d. symbolic interactionism.
ANSWERS: 1. a; 2. d; 3. b; 4. c; 5. d
1. What is the sociological imagination?
a. The ability to understand how social forces influence the lives of
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ESSAY
1. The four sociological perspectives often overlap with one another.
Choose a sociologist discussed in the chapter. Discuss how his or
her ideas connect to at least two different sociological perspectives.
2. Why is it important for a sociologist to use the sociological imagination? What consequences might arise if a sociologist failed to use
this way of thinking?
3. How might a conflict theorist study poverty?
4. Why is suicide a compelling sociological issue?
5. Describe possible manifest and latent functions of a law that would
legalize drugs.
Where to Start Your Research Paper
To learn more about sociology as a scientific discipline, go to
www.csa-scs.ca.
To find useful information about the famous figures of sociology, go to
http://media.pfeiffer.edu/lridener/dss/.
To find an in-depth sociology dictionary, go to www.webref.org/
sociology/sociology.htm and http://bitbucket.athabascau.ca.
For more information about sociology departments in Canada, go to
www.mcmaster.ca/socscidocs/w3virtsoclib/cansoc.htm and
www.sociolog.com/canada/links.html.
To find a guide for sociological internet sources, go to
www.socioweb.com.
For more information about the study of symbolic interactionism, go to
http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/f100.htm.
To find an online journal of sociology, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
List_of_journals_in_sociology.
To find an excellent source for different information on sociology, go to
www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/theory.html.
For more information about feminist sociology, go to http://uregina.
ca/~gingrich/o28f99.htm and www.sociosite.net/topics/women.php.
Remember to check www.thethinkspot.ca for additional information, downloadable flashcards, and other helpful resources.
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Sociology
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