Download Sociology

What is Sociology?
█Sociology
– Scientific study of
social life, social change,
& the social causes &
consequences of human
behavior.
What is sociology?
Sociologists study groups of all sizes.
 Dyads (e.g., a romantic couple)
 Small groups (e.g., a family)
 Large groups (e.g., the auto industry)
 Nations (e.g., the U.S.)
 The global society (the world as an
interdependent entity)
Sociology vs. common sense
 Everyone
has assumptions based on past
experiences & stereotypes
 Common sense
 Scientific testing/research
What is Sociology?
█The Sociological Imagination
Awareness
of relationship
between an individual and
the wider society
Understanding individual
problems to be rooted in
broader social and public
issues
Sociological Imagination
 With
a sociological imagination, we
become less likely to explain others’
behaviors through their personality and
increasingly look to the roles and social
structures that determine behavior
The Social World Model
 Levels
of analysis
 Social structures
 Social processes
 The environment
The Social World Model
The Development of Sociology
█ Prominent Contributors to Sociological Thought
Auguste Comte
1857
1798
Harriet Martineau
1802
Herbert Spencer
Karl Marx
1876
1820
1903
1818
1883
Émile Durkeim
1858
Jane Addams
George Herbert Mead
1860
1935
1863
Max Weber
Charles Horton Cooley
W.E.B. Du Bois
1864
1931
1920
1864
1929
1868
Talcott Parsons
The “timelines” shown
here give an idea of
relative chronology.
1917
1963
1902
Robert Merton
1979
1910
C. Wright Mills
2003
1916
Erving Goffman
1962
1922
1982
Source: Figure 1-2 (p.15) in Richard T. Schaefer and Robert P. Lamm,
Sociology: An Introduction. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
What is Sociological Theory?
█Theory
– Set of statements that seeks to explain
problems, actions, or behavior
– Effective theories should explain and
predict
 Sociologists
develop theories to explain how
individual behavior can be understood within a
social context.
Major Theoretical Perspectives
█Functionalist Perspective
– Emphasizes that parts of a society are
structured to maintain its stability.


Talcott Parsons viewed society as a vast network of
connected parts, each of which helps to maintain the
system as a whole.
Each part must contribute or it will not be passed on
from one generation to the next.
Continued...
Major Theoretical Perspectives
█Functionalist Perspective
Manifest Functions:
open, stated, conscious
functions of institutions;
these involve intended,
recognized,
consequences of an
aspect of society
Latent Functions:
unconscious or
unintended functions
that may reflect
hidden purposes of
an institution
Functionalist Perspective
 Read
about how college may be viewed
in terms of manifest and latent functions
by clicking on this link.
Major Theoretical Perspectives
█Conflict Perspective
– Assumes social behavior is best
understood in terms of conflict or
tension between competing groups
 Conflict
is not necessarily violent.
Conflict Perspective
 Some
key terms to remember with this
perspective:
 Inequality, power, conflict, competition,
exploitation
Major Theoretical Perspectives
█Feminist Perspective

Views inequity in gender as central to all behavior and
organization
Major Theoretical Perspectives
█Interactionist Perspective
Central idea is that society is composed of
SYMBOLS that people use to establish meanings,
develop their views of the world, and
communicate with one another

Interactionist Perspective
 Focus
of analysis: face-to-face
interactions; how people use symbols to
create social life
 Microsociological
 Key names: Cooley, Mead, Goffman
Application of the
Perspectives
 The
Pledge of Allegiance
 I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Structural Functionalist
 Reinforces,
values
reaffirms citizenship, patriotic
Symbolic Interactionism
 Ritual,
story, creates reality/belief of
opportunity and equality
Social conflict
 Pledge
does not always connect to all
groups (if one argues justice to race,
gender, religion, etc.)
 Native Americans discuss ‘separate
nation”…so how does indivisible work
here?
How do we know?
Research…
 Sociology
uses scientific methods to
expand knowledge of the social world
 The systematic use of theories
(perspectives) and research methods
makes sociology much more than
guesswork or opinion
The research process
 Planning
a research study
 Designing the research plan and method
for collecting data
 Making sense of the data
Research design/methods
 Primary
sociological research methods:
 Surveys
 Field
studies
 Controlled experiments
 Existing sources
 Triangulation
Analyzing data





The goal is to determine relationships between the
variables
Variables must be clear
Researcher must choose most effective tools for
analyzing relationships among variables
Discussion with and criticism from other
researchers aids accuracy of analysis
Study should be replicable, or capable of being
repeated so results can be compared