Transcript Chapter 1: An Invitation To Sociology

An Invitation to Sociology
Summary of Topics
 The Sociological Perspective
 The Origins of Sociology
 Theoretical Perspectives
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Objectives
• Define sociology
• Describe sociological perspective
• Distinguish sociology from other social
sciences
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Bell Ringer
• What are norms?
• What does it mean to violate norms?
• Behavior is shaped by custom and
culture.
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What is sociology?
 The scientific study social structure (of human
social behavior)
What is unique about sociology?
 The sociological perspective focuses not on the
individual, but on the social, or group level.
 Psychology deals with the individual
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The Sociological Perspective
 Sociology is the scientific study of social
structure.
look for the patterns in social relationships.
 sociological imagination- the ability to see the
link between society and self
 You can benefit from this understanding when you
look at how and why you make certain choices.
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A perspective is a particular point of
view or a particular way of looking
at an issue.
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Individual vs. Social Perspective
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Young man joins
a gang
Prove
toughness
Woman divorces
husband
Develops her
potential
Taught by
society to be
masculine
Social trend of
sexual equity
Teen commits
suicide
Escape
depression
Peer group
expectations
Individual vs. Social Perspective
Someone who
can’t find a job
Homelessness
is a result of
Immigrants
came here
because
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Social structure is the patterned
interaction of people in social
relationships.
-developed by Emile Durkheim
-people’s behavior within a group setting can’t
be predicted from their personal characteristics
-something new is created
-Denver wins super bowl
-Texas A and M and University of Texas
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Why do people conform?
• All groups encourage conformity
– Family and friends
• Occurs because members have been
taught to value the group’s ways
• Conform even when their personal
preferences are not the same
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What is gained by using our
sociological imagination?
 an understanding of the effects of events on our
daily lives
 an improved ability to make decisions, rather than
just conform
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The sociological imagination
 questions common interpretations of human
social behavior and
 challenges conventional social wisdom
Definitions:
sociological imagination
conventional social wisdom
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The sociological imagination
 questions common interpretations of human
social behavior and
 challenges conventional social wisdom
sociological imagination:
the ability to see the link
between society and self
Definitions:
sociological imagination
conventional social wisdom
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The sociological imagination
 questions common interpretations of human
social behavior and
 challenges conventional social wisdom
conventional social
wisdom: ideas people
assume are true
Definitions:
sociological imagination
conventional social wisdom
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Illiteracy Rates
“Nearly all American adults know how to read
and write.” The map shows the percentage of
Americans over 20 years old who are illiterate.
 Is conventional social wisdom about illiteracy rates
really wise or true? Support your answer.
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The Social Sciences
 Social science is a branch
of learning that deals with
human society.
 It includes a number of
disciplines, which we
generally refer to as the
social sciences.
Political
Science
Economics
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
 These disciplines differ but
they share enough in
common to overlap.
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History
Social
Sciences
For more information on a particular branch of social science, select it from the tree.
Anthropology
 Anthropology investigates
culture, the customary beliefs
and material traits of groups.
History
Economics
Political
Science
Psychology
 It is the social science most
closely related to sociology.
 Anthropologists, however,
concentrate on the study of
preliterate societies
(societies that do not use
writing).
Sociology
Anthropolog
y
 Sociologists focus on modern,
industrial societies.
 Anthropologists might study the
division of work among family
members in ancient Egypt.
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Social
Sciences
Economics
 Economics is the study
of the production, distribution,
and consumption of
goods and services.
 An area of research
for an economist might
be the annual income levels
of American families.
History
Economics
Political
Science
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
Social
Sciences
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History
 History examines past events
in human societies.
 Historians generally rely on
newspapers,
historical documents,
and oral histories as
sources of information.
History
Economics
Political
Science
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
 The nature of family life in
colonial society is an example
of something a historian might
study.
Social
Sciences
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Political Science
 Political science investigates
the organization,
administration, history, and
theory of government.
History
Economics
Political
Science
Psychology
 Political scientists are
concerned, for example,
Anthropology
with voting patterns and
participation in political parties.
 A political scientists might
investigate the relationship
between a family’s social class
and voting behavior.
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Sociology
Social
Sciences
Psychology
 Psychology investigates human
mental and emotional
processes.
History
Economics
Political
Science
Psycholog
y
 While sociologists concentrate
on the group, psychologists
also study the
Anthropology
development and functioning
of the individual.
Sociology
 A psychologist might study the
effects of birth order on
emotional development.
Social
Sciences
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Sociology
 Sociology investigates human
social behavior from a group
rather than an individual
perspective.
 It concentrates on
patterns of modern-day
social relationships.
History
Economics
Political
Science
Psychology
Sociolog
y
Anthropology
 Sociologists might study the
relationship between the
employment of women and
family size.
Social
Sciences
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Compare how someone studying
individual behavior would explore alcohol
abuse with how someone studying group
behavior would approach the problem.
Exploring why a person reacts in a particular way to
alcohol abuse illustrates the study of individual
behavior. Looking at socioeconomic factors that
favor or discourage alcoholism is an example of the
study of group behavior.
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Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display the answer.
The Origins of Sociology
 Sociology is a young science.
 It grew out of the writings of European
scholars who were interested in bringing
back a sense of community to society in
the late 1800s.
 After World War II, America took the lead in
developing the field of sociology.
 The majority of all sociologists are from the
United States.
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Time Line of Early
Sociologists
C. Wright Mills publishes 1959
Sociological Imagination
Jane Addams awarded 1931
Nobel Peace Prize
1904 Max Weber publishes
The Protestant Ethic and
the Spirit of Capitalism
W.E.B. DuBois publishes 1899
The Philadelphia Negro: A
Social Study
1897 Emile Durkheim
publishes Suicide
Herbert Spencer 1850
publishes
1848 Karl Marx publishes The Communist Manifesto,
Social Statics
promoting a classless society
1838 Auguste Comte’s book, Positive Philosophy, identifies
science of sociology
1837 Harriet Martineau publishes Society
in America
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Select a sociologist, by clicking on their name, and view their contributions..
Jane Addams – early American sociologist
 1860–1935
 social reformer
 co-founded Hull House in Chicago slums
 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1931
 focused on problems caused by imbalance of
power among social classes
 active in women’s suffrage and peace movements
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Auguste Comte–early French sociologist
 1798–1857
 father of sociology
 first to advocate the scientific study of society
 positivism– science based on knowledge of
which we can be “positive”
 distinguished between social stability (statics) and
social change (dynamics)
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W.E.B. DuBois–early American sociologist
 1868–1963
 African American educator and social activist
 focused on the question of race inside and outside
the United States
 analyzed social structure of African American
communities
 active in Pan African movement, concerned with
rights of all African descendents
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Emile Durkheim–early French sociologist
 1858–1917
 first used statistical methods in study of human
groups
 first to teach university sociology course
 showed human behavior to be explained by social
factors rather than psychological ones
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Harriet Martineau–early English sociologist
 1802–1876
 emphasized sociology as a science
 translated Comte’s Positive Philosophy
 introduced feminism into sociology
 strong and outspoken supporter of both women
and slaves
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Karl Marx–early German sociologist
 1818–1883
 guided by principle that social scientists should try
to change the world rather than merely study it
 emphasized the role of class conflict in social
change
 writings were later used as a basis for communism
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C. Wright Mills–early American sociologist
 1917–1962
 called the personal use of sociology “the
sociological imagination”
 first described emergence of strong middle class
(White Collar, 1951)
 published Power Elite, (1956)
 father of student movement of 1960s
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Herbert Spencer–early English sociologist
 1820–1903
 early proponent of Social Darwinism
 opposed social reform; it interfered with process of
natural selection
 compared society to human body; composed of
parts working together to promote its well-being
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Max Weber–early German sociolgist
 1864–1920
 developed the concept of verstehen–
understanding social behavior by putting yourself
in the place of others
 identified rationalization as key to change from
preindustrial to industrial society
 pioneered techniques to prevent personal biases
in research
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Name the “giants” who helped to lay the
foundation for the discipline of sociology
and identify their contribution.
Marx Mills DuBois
Addams Weber Comte
Durkheim Spencer Martineau
Click on the names to view their contributions.
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Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display the answer.
Jane Addams – early American sociologist
 1860–1935
 social reformer
 co-founded Hull House in Chicago slums
 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1931
 focused on problems caused by imbalance of
power among social classes
 active in women’s suffrage and peace movements
37
Auguste Comte–early French sociologist
 1798–1857
 father of sociology
 first to advocate the scientific study of society
 positivism– science based on knowledge of
which we can be “positive”
 distinguished between social stability (statics) and
social change (dynamics)
38
W.E.B. DuBois–early American sociologist
 1868–1963
 African American educator and social activist
 focused on the question of race inside and outside
the United States
 analyzed social structure of African American
communities
 active in Pan African movement, concerned with
rights of all African descendents
39
Emile Durkheim–early French sociologist
 1858–1917
 first used statistical methods in study of human
groups
 first to teach university sociology course
 showed human behavior to be explained by social
factors rather than psychological ones
40
Harriet Martineau–early English sociologist
 1802–1876
 emphasized sociology as a science
 translated Comte’s Positive Philosophy
 introduced feminism into sociology
 strong and outspoken supporter of both women
and slaves
41
Karl Marx–early German sociologist
 1818–1883
 guided by principle that social scientists should try
to change the world rather than merely study it
 emphasized the role of class conflict in social
change
 writings were later used as a basis for communism
42
C. Wright Mills–early American sociologist
 1917–1962
 called the personal use of sociology “the
sociological imagination”
 first described emergence of strong middle class
(White Collar, 1951)
 published Power Elite, (1956)
 father of student movement of 1960s
43
Herbert Spencer–early English sociologist
 1820–1903
 early proponent of Social Darwinism
 opposed social reform; it interfered with process of
natural selection
 compared society to human body; composed of
parts working together to promote its well-being
44
Max Weber–early German sociolgist
 1864–1920
 developed the concept of verstehen–
understanding social behavior by putting yourself
in the place of others
 identified rationalization as key to change from
preindustrial to industrial society
 pioneered techniques to prevent personal biases
in research
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Sociology includes three major
theoretical perspectives:
FUNCTIONALISM
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CONFLICT
PERSPECTIVE
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
Click the hyperlink to learn more about theoretical perspectives or click on a graphic
to learn more about a particular type of theoretical perspective.
Functionalism
Emphasizes the contributions made by
each part of society
 Family, economy, religion- all parts
 A change in one may lead to a change in another.
 Most aspects of a society
contribute to the
society’s well-being and
survival.
FUNCTIONALISM
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 Society rests on the voluntary
participation of its members.
Functions
• Function- contribution made by some part of
society
– Manifest function- intended and recognized
– Latent function- unintended, happens as a result
• In functionalism, there is consensus on
values
– Accounts for high degree of cooperation in a
society
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Conflict perspective
Emphasizes the role of conflict, competition,
change, and constraint within a society
 Society experiences inconsistency and conflict
everywhere.
 Society is continually subjected to change.
 Society involves
the constraint
and coercion
of some
members by
others.
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CONFLICT
PERSPECTIVE
Conflict Theory
• Central theme is power, who gets what
– Those with power control those without
power
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Symbolic interactionism
Focuses on the interactions among people
based on mutually understood symbols.
 People learn to interpret the meanings of symbols
from others.
 People base their interaction on their
interpretations of symbols.
 Symbols permit people to predict
the behavior expected of them.
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
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Symbolic Interaction
• Dramaturgy-approach that depicts
human interaction as theatrical
performances
– People present themselves by the way
they dress, gestures, tone of voice.
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A theoretical perspective is:
 a set of assumptions about an area of study, in this
case about the workings of society
 viewed as true by its supporters and it helps them
organize their research
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Which perspective is the best?
There is no “better” theoretical perspective.
 Each perspective highlights certain areas of social
life.
 The advantages of one perspective are the
disadvantages of another.
 Certain issues and problems are best understood
from a particular perspective.
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Society Looks at the Internet
We can use technology to help us understand the role of
“perspective taking.”
 The Internet began as a way for military and scientific
personnel to share information after a nuclear war.
 ARPAnet (the Internet’s forerunner) was formed in 1969
with only four connected computers.
 According to some estimates, there will be more than 500
million users worldwide by the year 2003.
 Cyberspace technology showcases the usefulness of the
three theoretical perspectives.
FUNCTIONALISM
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CONFLICT
PERSPECTIVE
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
Click on each theoretical perspective to learn more.
Functionalism
 Cyberspace has both positive and negative
consequences.
 Advantages: parents can work at home and spend
more time with children; individuals with disabilities
can do jobs at home that would otherwise be
denied, becoming more fully integrated into
society.
 Dysfunctions: young people may have easy
access to pornography, which can distort views of
human sexuality; hate groups can be formed by
strangers living many miles apart; anonymity may
encourage antisocial or violent behavior.
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Conflict perspective
 The Internet is changing American society by
contributing to the increasing speed of
technological change.
 Social instability created by rapid change might be
investigated; workers may be let go as more tasks
are performed by computers.
 Could guide investigation comparing numbers of
computers used in school districts of varying
socioeconomic levels. Because computer literacy
is becoming essential for obtaining a well-paying
job, students at wealthy schools with access to
computers may have an advantage over students
in poorer districts.
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Symbolic interactionism
 Can the Internet affect a child’s social development?
 Popularity of TV cartoon characters reinforced by Web
pages where children join fan clubs, interact with other
fans, and view video clips whenever they want.
 Some TV shows feature children behaving in ways
unacceptable in many American homes. TV provides
limited exposure, but the Internet allows them to
become part of daily life.
 Might conclude that what children come to accept as
desirable behavior is based increasingly on
interpretations of symbols and behaviors represented
by these characters, thus the Internet lessens adult
influence on children.
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Think about it...
Which perspective would you choose to
conduct an in-depth study of the
Internet’s effect on society? Why?
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Indicate whether the following
statements represent functionalism
(F), the conflict perspective (C), or
symbolic interactionism (S).
a. Societies are in relative balance. F
b. Power is one of the most important elements in
social life. C
c. Symbols are crucial to social life. S
d. Social life should be understood from the
viewpoint of individuals involved. S
e. Social change is constantly occurring. C
f. Conflict is harmful and disruptive to society. F
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Click the mouse button or press the space bar to display the answers.
Chapter Summary
 Sociology studies patterns in human social
behavior. It assumes a group, rather than an
individual perspective.
 Sociology is a young science that started in
Europe. After World War II, Americans took the
lead in developing the field.
 The three major theoretical perspectives are:
functionalism (society as an integrated whole),
conflict theory (class, race, and gender struggles),
and symbolic interactionism (how group members
use shared symbols as they interact).
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