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What Is Sociology?

The study of human behavior insociety.

A scientific way to think about societyand its influence on humans.

Includes the study of social behavior

and social change.

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Examples of social

structure Peoplerelationships.Child to ParentEmployee to Boss

Student to Teacher

US and Canada

US and Mexico

Husband and Wife

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Social

SciencesAnthropology is the study of human culturesEconomics studies the production, distributionand consumption of goods and services.

Political Science is the study of politics.

Psychology analyzes human behavior.

Sociology

Urban Studies

Women's Studies

Social Work

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The SociologicalPerspective

Ability to see societal patterns thatinfluence life.

C. Wright Mills wrote about sociologicalperspective in The SociologicalImagination.

Sociology can reveal how societyshapes our lives.

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Viewpoint

Sociological Psychological

What are the race and sex of themugger and victim?

What is the social background of

the mugger?

Are such crimes typical in that

area of the city?

Is the mugger suffering from anemotional disorder?

Is he taking medication that might

cause him to act aggressively?

Does the mugger suffer from antisocial

personality disorder?

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The Origins of Sociology

began during the Age of Enlightenment.

Four Factors

The Industrial Revolution

Villages replaced by mass productions

The French and American Revolution

Thoughts of new way of life instead of the old

The impact of ImperialismEuropeans encountering other cultures

Success of the natural sciences

Examine social changes with scientific method

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Henri deSaintSimon

French

1760-

1825Sought tomake a

more

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Auguste

Comte1798-1857French

Referredto as the

Father ofSociology

Was the personal secretary to Saint-Simon

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Auguste Comte

His field of science using observation,measurement and comparison was

first called positive philosophy.Coined the term sociology

Believed sociology could discover laws

of human social behavior and helpsolve societys problems

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EmileDurkheim1858-1917

founding

fatherknownfor studyon

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Emile Durkheim

Showed that suicide is more than just individualaction: social factors underlie suicide.

Interested in how people integrate with the rest ofsociety and more particularly, how a lack ofintegration within society resulted in anomie

(the feeling of not knowing the rules).

Advocated practical applications of socialresearch.

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HerbertSpencer

1820-1903

GreatBritain

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Herbert Spencer

Wrote Principles of Sociology

Rejected the notion that sociology should beused for social reform.

Societies evolved from simple to morecomplex; the least capable and lessintelligent members of society die out

Concept termed Social Darwinism onlythe strong survive and thus society isimproved.

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Max

Weber

1864-1930

Considered

one of thegreatestthinkers.

Made

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Max Weber

Contended that religion, not class struggle,was true motivation for rise in capitalism

Thought on the development and growth ofcapitalism Protestant Ethic and Spirit ofCapitalism provided the basis for hisanalysis of social stratification.

Study all aspects in a value free approach free from ones own biases

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Verstehen and SocialFacts

Webers method ofstudy calledVerstehen

use sympathetic orinterpretative method,empathy, to understandsocial behavior

grasp by insight others

motivationsSubjective approach

Durkheim stated thatsociology should studysocial facts

identifiable items whichrelate to the nature of asocial relationship

Social conditions thatinfluence peoplesbehaviors.

Objective approach

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Karl

Marx1818-1883

ConflictTheorist

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Marx

Focused on the class conflict occurringwithin the society, and explained howcapitalism shaped society

Considered the economic organization of

society the most important influence onwhat humans think and how they behave

Believed in the dialectic and supportedeconomic determinism

controlling group of capitalists who owned themeans of production

great mass of exploited workers forced to laborunder the capitalists

Profit is produced through the exploitation of theworking class.

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Georg

Simmel1858-1918

Believed thatsociologists shouldfocus on studyingpeople in small

groups and thepatternedinteractionsamong people

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Reasons for growth of SociologicalStudies in the USA

Nation of creative thinkers: new country and new way of looking atthe world

The perfect laboratory: country of great ethnic and racial diversity

Universities were not isolated

urban centers

abound with subject matter

S i l i i

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Sociology in America

University of Chicago (1892);1st to offer PhD in sociology

By 1920 sociology was important academic discipline

The Chicago School - concerned with therelationship of individual to society andsociety as a human laboratory.

Interested in social problems such as

ghettos, immigration, race relations andurbanization.

American sociologists believed sociologycould help solve social problems.

M Mi

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Macro versus Micro

Macro level of analysis

a study of the city or the nation; the world

includes functionalist and conflict theorist.

Micro level of analysisa study of the interactions between the coachand the football team; the teacher and hisstudents

Symbolic interactionist approach.

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Structural Functionalist

The common faith in basic values formsthe cement that holds society together.

Belief in basic values means that thereis a core of society that remainsconsistent.

Thus change disrupts society. Change ispreferred to occur slowly thusallowing for adaptation

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The Five Institutions

FamilyReplace members

Religion

Helps us understand the spiritual real of society

EducationTransmitting skills - productivity

Government

Protects us from outside forces

Economy

Provides market place for the exchange of goods and services.

Destruction of one is destruction of the whole

Survival based on equilibrium

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Conflict Theory

Is a Macro theory encompasses the wholeof society

Society is like a sports arena- groups arecompeting for resources

Change inevitable and desirable

Not concerned with interaction

Produces inequality perpetuated byunequal access to power

No agreement on basic values for society

The rich rule the poor

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Symbolic Interactionism

Is concerned with the social act ratherthan society as a whole

Micro level of viewing societySociety is based on the message andindividual interpretation of the

message.Both verbal and nonverbal symbols

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Symbolic Interactionism

Concerned with the relationshipsbetween

The parent and the childThe teacher and the student

The boss and the employee

The coach and the team

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Sociological Theory:

View of SocietyFunctionalism Objective; stable; cohesive

Conflict Theory Objective; hierarchical;fragmented

Symbolic Interaction Subjective; perceived in the

minds of people

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Sociological Theory:

Source of Social ChangeFunctionalism Disorganization and adjustment

to achieve equilibrium

Conflict Theory Struggle; competition

Symbolic Interaction Ever-changing web ofrelationships and meaning of

things

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Society is Full of Issues

Abortion

Death Penalty

Affirmative Action

Euthanasia

Immigration

Censorship

Welfare

Drug abuse

If we understand thethree perspectivesfor explaining society

(structuralfunctional, conflict,and symbolicinteractionism), we

might begin tounderstand thereason fordisagreement.

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Is Your Glass

Half Full

Half Empty