Unit 1Social Perspectives

Chapter 1: An Invitation to

Sociology

Ms. Harris – Austin High School

Objectives

• Define Sociology• Describe two

uses of the sociological perspective

• Distinguish sociology from other social sciences

• Outline contributions of the major pioneers of sociology

• Summarize the development of sociology in the USA

• Identify the three major theoretical perspectives in sociology today

Key Terms• 1. Perspective – a

particular point of view

•  2. Sociology – the scientific study of social structure (human social behavior)

• 3. Sociological perspective – a view that looks at behavior of groups, not individuals

•  4. Social structure – the patterned interaction of people in social relationships

5. Sociological imagination- the ability to see the link between society and self

Sec. 1 -- The Sociological Perspective

What is sociology?

The scientific study places focus is on the social, or group, level.

What is unique about sociology?

Psychologists may study the individual, sociologists study the group.

The Importance of Patterns6. How do group behavior and individual behavior differ?

Group dynamics are created when individuals come together

7. Why do people conform?

Groups encourage conformity. Members of the group think, feel, and behave in similar ways.

8. Explain the significance of patterns for sociologists.

The patterned interaction of people in social relationships identifies social structure

9. What is gained by using our sociological imagination?

Knowing how social forces affect our lives can prevent us from being prisoners of those forces

Give an example from your life that illustrates conformity within a group.

• 10. How does the sociological imagination help people to understand the effects of society on their

personal lives? Using sociological imagination, we challenge conventional social wisdom (traditional beliefs)

Sec. 2 – The Origins of Sociology

11. Positivism – the belief that knowledge should be derived from scientific observation

Key Terms

12. Social statics

the study of social stability and order

13. Social dynamics

the study of social change

14. Bourgeoisie – class owning the means for producing wealth

15. Capitalist – person who owns or controls the means for producing wealth 

16. Proletariat – working class; those who labor for the bourgeoisie

17.  Class conflict – the ongoing struggle between the bourgeoisie (owners) and the proletariat (working) classes.

18. Mechanical solidarity –

social dependency based on a widespread consensus of values and beliefs, enforced conformity, and dependence on tradition and family

19. Organic solidarity –

Social interdependence based on a high degree of specialization in roles

20. Verstehen – understanding social behavior by putting yourself in the place of others

21. Rationalization – the mind-set emphasizing knowledge, reason, and planning

22.  What were Auguste Comte’s major ideas?

• Positivism – he meant that science based on knowledge can be positive – or true• Distinguished

between social statics (stability) and social dynamics (change)

• Father of Sociology• Theories published

in Positive Philosophy

23. What were Harriet Martineau’s contributions?

• Her English translation of Comte’s book is the most readable one – even today.

• Wrote Society in America, which established her as a pioneering feminist theorist

• Linked slavery and the oppression of women

24. Why did Herbert Spencer oppose social reform?

• Introduced the theory of social change called Social Darwinism. He did not think people should interfere with evolutionary social change.

25. Who was Karl Marx?• German scholar

whose ideas affected the study of sociology• Identified social

classes in the 19th-century industrial society and predicted all societies would contain only bourgeoisie and proletariat

• Predicted class conflict would lead to a communistic society.• He was

convinced that a planned revolution would speed up change from capitalism to communism.

26. What were Emile Durkeim’s greatest contributions? • Mechanical

solidarity – society that existed in preindustrial times.

• Organic solidarity – social interdependency based on specialized roles.

• Introduced technique that led to ground-breaking research on suicide.

• Showed that human social behavior must be explained by social factors, rather than psychological ones.

27. Who was Max Weber?

• German who wrote The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism• Single most important

influence on development of sociological theory

• Believed in method of verstehen• Rationalization

was key to change in preindustrial to an industrial society• Pioneered

techniques to prevent personal biases in investigation

Sociology in America28. Why should we remember Jane Addams?

• Led social reform to achieve social justice

• Co-founded Hull House• Hull House helped

people who needed refuge

• Placed focus on social problems caused by imbalance of power among the social classes

• Nobel Peace Price in 1931

McDonaldization of Higher EducationAdvantages

• Efficiency – maximum results with minimum effort

• Calculability involves estimation – effort can be associated with predictability

• Predictability• Control – replace

humans with technology

Disadvantages • Universities are

treating students like customers

• Education is being dehumanized

• Less choice among instructors on satellite campuses

• No opportunity to form relationships

• Distance learning -

Other McDonaldized industries

• Churches • doctors offices, • hospitals, • government

agencies, • gambling casinos, • DMV, • creditors•

Theoretical Perspectives

Key Terms

29. Theoretical perspective

– a set of assumptions accepted as true

30. Functionalism –

approach that emphasizes the contributions made by each part of society

31. Manifest

functions intended and recognized consequences of an aspect of society

32. Latent functions

Unintended and unrecognized consequences of an aspect of society

33. Dysfunction

Negative consequence of an aspect of society

34. Conflict perspective --

Approach emphasizing the role of conflict, competition, and constraint within a society

35. Power

The ability to control the behavior of others

36. Symbol

Anything that stands for something else and has an agreed-upon meaning attached to it

37. symbolic interactionism

Approach that focuses on the interactions among people based on mutually understood symbols

38. Dramaturgy

Approach that depicts human interaction as theatrical performances

The Role of Theoretical Perspectives39. What is a theoretical perspective?

Functionalism

40. How does functionalism explain social change?

Functionalists believe that society returns to stability after an upheaval by changing in a way to be similar to what it was before

41. How does functionalism view values?

The consensus of values account for cooperation found in any society (eg. Americans, in general, agree on democracy and equal opportunity.)

Functionalism Conflict Perspective

Symbolic Interactionism

A society is a relatively integrated whole

A society experiences inconsistency and conflict everywhere

People’s interpretations of symbols are based on the meanings they learn from others 

A society tends to seek relative stability

A society is continually subjected to change.

People base their interaction on their interpretations of symbols 

Most aspects of a society contribute well-being and survival 

A society involves the constraint and coercion of some members by others

Symbols permit people to have internal conversations. Thus, they can gear their interpretation to the behavior that they think others expect of them and the behavior they expect of others

A society rests on the consensus of its members

• Conflict Perspective

• What is the role of conflict and constraint?

• How does the conflict perspective explain social change?

• Which perspective is better?

• Symbolic Interactionism

• What is the significance of symbols in symbolic interactionism?

• What are the basic assumptions of symbolic interactionism?

 Indicate whether the following statements represent functionalism (F), the conflict perspective ( C ), or symbolic interactionism (S).

___ 42. Societies are in relative balance ___ 43. Power is one of the most important elements in social life ___ 44. Religion helps hold a society together morally ___ 45. Symbols are crucial to social life 

___ 46. Many elements of a society exist to benefit the powerful ___ 47. Different segments of a society compete to achieve their own self-interest rather than cooperate to benefit others ___ 48. Social life should be understood from the viewpoint of the individuals involved ___ 49. Social change is constantly occurring  ___ 50. Conflict is harmful and disruptive to society