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Theories and
Theorists
Chapter 1
I. Sociology =
study of groups/societies
and the way they affect
our behavior
A. Social relationships
(humans are social
creatures)
1. sociological
imagination =
ability to see the
connection
between private
troubles and social
problems
2. examines social
institutions:
• family, education, economy,
government, religion—and
how they influence individuals
a. also
i. Families,
examines how schools,
these
religion in
institutions stay everyday
the same and
life
3. main lesson of
sociology =
• structure of
society affects
people, molding
both their
attitudes and
their behavior
B. Types of Sociology
• 1. macrosociology =
a. entire cultures or examines large
societies
scale structures
and processes
b. Functionalism
and Conflict
theories 2. microsociology =
looks at smaller groups or
individuals
3. Jobs/Uses
 a. Sales – Marketing
 b. Social Worker
 c. Teaching
 d. Dealing with Social
Problems – politician,
economist, minister
 e. Anything dealing with PEOPLE
C. It is a science
• 1. Information is
gained through
observations
based on scientific
method
2. Part of Social
Sciences:
history
psychology
geography
political science
economics
sociology
anthropology
D. Early 1. Auguste Comte
a. first to define
Sociologists
sociology
2. Karl Marx (and Frederick Engels)
a. Conflict perspective
3. Emile Durkheim a. Functionalism
4. Max Webera. Symbolic Interactionism
b. Verstehen = understanding  putting
self in other’s shoes to
5. Herbert Spencer
understand perspective
a. “Survival of Fittest”—societies should
II. Development in US 
• A. Industrial
Revolution 
problems in cities =
Social Issues
B. First Dept. of C. 1940s study
Soc. in 1893 at center shifted to
U. of Chicago Harvard and
Columbia U.
III. Major Theories/Perspectives
in Sociology
• A. Evolutionary
Theory = societies will
progress thru
more complex
1. Strongest will stages
survive
2. Favored by
countries/classes in power
B. Functionalism =
• views society as a
set of interrelated
parts that work
together to
produce a stable
social system
1. Herbert Spencer &
Emile Durkheim
2. Social
institutions are
studied by their
functions in
society
a. manifest function =
intended and
recognized
consequence of
some element of
society
i. e.g. car for
transportation
b. latent function =
unintended and
unrecognized
consequence an
element has on
society
i. e.g. car as status symbol
c. dysfunction =
• negative
consequence an
element has for
the stability of the
social system
Incest,
abuse
Learn
better
skills as
criminal
d. If no function,
dysfunctional,
or function does
not have
consensus,
it is considered DEVIANT
i. Hermits, Criminals, Gay
Marriage, respectively…
3. All institutions are
interconnected
4. society held
together through
consensus
Recess and Loss of Consensus
5. Sociologists using Functionalist
Perspective study:
Church and State;
family values;
economy;
School performance
and standards
Conflict Theory Intro
C. Conflict
Perspective =
studies competition
over resources and
change from the
conflict that arises
1. Karl Marx & Frederick Engels
2. Interested in how
those who possess
more power in
society exercise
control over those
with less power
3. Nonviolent competition as well
as violent: sexes, races, age
4. Decision making
in family,
relationships
among racial
groups
controlled by dominant group
(white male or eldest, strong male)
5. Labor disputes
between workers
and employers –
employers have
control; workers
may feel
exploited
6. * Competition over scarce resources
is at the basis of social conflict*
a. resources such as power and wealth
are in limited supply— competition
b. once people gain control they then
establish rules that protect their
interests at the expense of other groups
c. inequality leads to social conflict (less
power fight back)—this leads to social
change (inevitable feature in society)
7. Sociologists using Conflict
Theory deal with:
• Labor disputes;
Poverty and
Welfare;
Racism;
Sexism; Gay
Rights
D. Symbolic Interactionist =
• focuses on
relationships and
how we interact
using symbols and
routine
1. Max Weber, George Herbert
Mead, Charles Horton Cooley
Symbols and interaction
2. how
individuals
respond to
one another
in everyday
situations
3. meanings that individuals attach
to their own actions and to the
actions of others
4. * symbol =
anything that stands
for something
else—must
 members of society
agree on meaning
—used to communicate
• 5. we learn the
meanings of these
symbols through
interacting with
others
6. our idea of self is based on how we
believe we are seen through other
people’s eyes
•7. interested in interaction between
people that takes place through the use
of symbols
When do symbols affect
interaction?
8. Goffman compared life in
society to theatre
each
• a. Actors: member of
society has a
“role” to
play in
relation to
other
members
b. Script:
just as stage actors
follow a script so
actors in society
follow rules for
acceptable
behavior
c. Director:
anyone who gives
rules or direction;
helps you become
who you are
d. Interpretation:
• actor’s interpretation
depends on script,
what is brought to
the role, what other
actors do, and how
audience reacts
e. Bad Actors:
• those who stray
too far from
accepted roles =
deviant
9. Specialties within Symbolic
Interactionism
a. Ethnomethodology =
study of routine—
glue that holds
society together—
the subconscious
rules followed
i. if a person does not
respond to habitual
greeting
then the person will spend time
wondering if they were snubbed
or if something was wrong
b. sociolinguistics =
i. use speech study of how social
to
factors influence
communicate
speech patterns
and locate self
ii. Southern speech
iii. Bad words for
vs. Northwomen vs. Bad
Eastern/City
words for men
speech = crops
growing
vs.=
- shows men’s position
of power
Conflict theory
business world
10. Sociologists using Symbolic
Interactionism study:
child development,
relationships
within groups mate selection,
(businesses,
schools, political
parties),
birth order