Transcript File

INTRO TO
SOCIOLOGY
WHAT EXACTLY IS SOCIOLOGY?
• Sociology – the scientific study of human SOCIAL behavior and
SOCIAL structure
• Focuses on a group/social perspective, rather than an individual
• Sociologists look for patterns within social relationships and social groups –
• IN: A woman divorces HER husband in order to develop HER potential
• GR: MARRIED WOMEN divorce because of the SOCIAL TREND toward sexual
equality
• Social relationships are NOT determined by characteristics of the individuals
involved
• EX: Emile Durkheim & bronze
ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGY
• Began in the late 19th century (1800s)
• 2 major world events kick it off:
• The French Revolution
• Radical change/shift in social thinking
• Enlightenment ideas
• Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen – ALL MEN are born free and
equal
ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGY CONT.
• The Industrial Revolution
• FARM LIFE
FACTORY LIFE
• Loss of sense of community and place/standing in life
• Social Darwinism
EARLY SOCIOLOGISTS
Auguste Comte
• French (1798-1857)
• Seen as the father of Sociology
• Main concern was the
improvement of society, but no
such science or study existed
• POSITIVISM – a science based on
knowledge of which we can be
“positive” or sure
• SOCIAL STATICS – study of
stability and order
• SOCIAL DYNAMICS – study of
social change
Harriet Martineau
• English (1802 – 1876)
• Middle-class family, textile mill
• After business collapses, she turns to
writing
• Translated Comte’s book, Positive
Philosophy
• Society in America
• Pioneer in feminist theory
• Saw a link between slavery and the
oppression of women – women’s lack
of economic power kept them
dependent on men
Herbert Spencer
• English (1820-1903)
• Highly educated until college,
higher education was self-taught
• Jack of all trades – engineering,
drafting, inventing, journalism
• SOCIETY
HUMAN BODY
• SOCIAL DARWINISM
• Believed that the evolutionary
social change led to
progress…provided that people
didn’t get in the way
Karl Marx
• German (1818-1883)
• Concern for the poverty and
inequality suffered by the
working class
• Predicted that at some point all
industrial societies will be
composed of two classes:
Karl Marx…Continued
• BOURGEOISIE – those who own
the means for producing wealth in
industrialized society
• Means for producing wealth are
called capital; those who own
them - CAPITALISTS
• PROLETARIAT – those who work
for the bourgeoisie; paid just
enough to survive, but never able
to advance
• CLASS CONFLICT – continual
struggle between the Bourgeoisie
and the Proletariat
Emile Durkheim
• French (1858-1917)
• Believes society exists because of broad
agreement among members of society
• MECHANICAL SOLIDARITY – Pre-industrial
societies were based on a widespread
consensus of values and beliefs, strong
social pressures for conformity and
dependence on tradition and family
• ORGANIC SOLIDARITY – Industrialized
societies based on a web of highly
specialized roles, making societal members
dependent on each other
• EX: PEOPLE
BANKERS
Max Weber
• German (1864-1920)
• Single most important
influence on the development
of sociological theory
• Believed that human beings act
on the basis of their own
understanding of a situation;
thus, sociologists must discover
the personal values, beliefs and
attitudes that underlie human
social behavior.
Max Weber…Continued
• VERSTEHEN – Understanding
social behavior of others by
putting yourself in their place
(mentally.)
• RATIONALIZATION – Mindset
emphasizing the use of
knowledge, reason and planning
(as opposed to the tradition,
emotion and superstition or preindustrial society.)
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
RABBIT OR DUCK?
VASE OR TWO FACES?
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
• Theoretical Perspectives – a set of assumptions about a particular
area that are accepted as true.
• Three overarching perspectives:
• FUNCTIONALISM
• CONFLICT THEORY
• SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
FUNCTIONALISM
• Emphasizes the contributions (functions) of each part of a society.
• EX: Family, economy, and religion are “parts” of a society;
• FAMILY: provides for reproduction and care of new members of society
• ECONOMY: deals with production, distribution, and consumption of goods and
services
• RELIGION: emphasizes beliefs and practices
• Does Functionalism explain social change?
• Belief that a change in one part of society will change it as a whole – major
change in the economy may change the family
CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE
• Emphasizes conflict, competition, change and constraint within a
society
• See social living as a contest; central question, “who gets what?”
• Those with the most POWER (the ability to control the behavior of others)
who get the largest share of whatever is considered valuable
• Does Conflict Perspective explain social change?
• Balance of power shifts between conflicting groups within society
• EX: Women’s movement – attempting to change the balance of power between
men and women and as the movement progresses, we see women making
bigger contributions in business, politics, medicine, law as well as gender roles
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
• First things first, what’s a symbol?
• SYMBOL – something chosen to represent something else; an object, word,
gesture, facial expression, sound, etc.
• Those who create the symbols assign meanings to them
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM…CONTINUTED
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM…CONTINUTED
• Focuses on interaction among people based on mutually understood
symbols
• Three basic assumptions:
• We learn the meaning of a symbol from the way we see OTHERS reacting to it
• EX: whistling after a concert in the Mexico = disapproval
• Once we learn the meaning of symbols, we base our INTERACTION on them
• EX: avoid an encore if the crowd begins whistling
• Use the meanings of symbols to imagine how others will respond to OUR
behavior
• EX: internal conversations which enable us to visualize how others will respond to us
BEFORE we act
CHAPTER 1
AN INVITATION TO SOCIOLOGY
PAGES 4-35