Transcript Sociology

Essentials of Sociology, 5/e
David B. Brinkerhoff
Lynn K. White
Suzanne T. Ortega
Rose Weitz
Chapter 1, The Study of Society
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What Is Sociology?
The Emergence of Sociology
Current Perspectives in Sociology
The Science of Society
Three Strategies for Gathering Data
Sociologists: What Do They Do?
Sociology
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The study of human social interaction.
Concepts of role and social structure allow
sociologists to analyze human drama.
Sociological imagination is the ability to see
personal experience in the context of socialstructural forces
The Founders of Sociology
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August Comte - studied social order (statics)
and social change (dynamics).
Harriet Martineau - employed sociological
insight to advocate women’s rights and oppose
slavery.
The Founders of Sociology
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Herbert Spencer - saw the parts of a complex
social order as functioning like organs in the
human body.
Karl Marx - developed the concepts and
cornerstones of conflict theory.
Sociology in the United States
Three features:
 Concern with social problems.
 Reforming rather than a radical approach to
problems.
 Emphasis on the scientific method.
Structural-functional Theory
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Stability. How does a social structure
contribute to the maintenance of society?
Harmony. How do the parts of a society work
for the good of the whole?
Evolution. Social structures evolve and adapt
to new needs and demands.
Structural-functional Analysis
Two important steps:
 Determine the nature of the over-all social
structure.
 Assess the consequences of various parts of
the social structure for the social entity as a
whole.
Conflict Theory
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Competition. Competition over resources is
characteristic of all human relationships.
Structured Inequality. Those who benefit
strive to maintain their advantage.
Revolution. The process of change may be
abrupt and revolutionary.
Conflict Analysis
Two basic questions:
 Who benefits from structural inequality?
 How do they maintain their advantage?
Symbolic Interaction Theory
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Symbolic meanings are important.
Meanings grow out of relationships.
Meanings are negotiated.
Symbolic Interaction Analysis
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Individuals derive their habits and their sense
of self through interactions with others.
Interested in how individuals negotiate their
way through relationships.
Sociological Research
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State the problem.
Gather data.
Find patterns.
Generate theories.
Strategies for Gathering Data
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Experiment - variables are manipulated to test
theories of cause and effect.
Survey research - asking a large number of
people a set of standardized questions
Participant observation - examines the
context of human interaction.
Sociologists: What Do They Do?
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Most are employed in college and university
settings where they teach and do research.
Applied sociology seeks to provide immediate
practical answers to problems.
Sociologists also work in government, business
and non-profit organizations.