Transcript Sociology 1
The term has Greek and Latin origins and means ‘reasoning about the social’ Auguste Compte (1798-1857) – a French Philosopher coined the phrase sociology Relationship between human beings and the social aspects of the ‘human made’ world that shape our lives It is these aspects of the world, the bits that ‘bear the imprint of human beings that would not exist at all but for the actions of human beings’ Bauman (1990) psychology focuses on the internal aspects of the individual The attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings Ref Hewstone, E Strobe, W, Jonas, K., (2008), Introduction to Social psychology A European perspective fourth edition, Oxford, Blackwell publishing. Aspects of the world that would not exist at all but the actions of human beings!! Building Manufacturing Economics Transport Consumerism Media Sociologists are interested in social class, ethnicity, and gender as fields of social relations within the ‘human made world’ that affect people as a collective or a group level t What is sociology http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFdUtCAX AUM&feature=related Key themes: Discovering and describing the effects of the dynamics of social change Identifying and describing social structures and processes Explaining the relationship between individual and ‘collective’ society Concerned with major social problems such as unemployment, poverty, homelessness, substance misuse, racism which affect people’s lives (assignment?) However identifying and addressing social problems and the welfare needs of people who experience them is typically the focus of another discipline - social policy African Proverb - ‘It takes a village to raise a child’– significance of the wider society in the course of individual development However opinions vary about the degree to which it is a factor- those who take an individualist perspective may agree with Margaret Thatcher ‘there’s no such thing as society’ (Thatcher interviewed by Keays, 1987) Beckett, and Taylor,(2010:162) suggest that ‘the individual is defined by their relationship to others and the groups and communities that are formed by these networks of individuals relationships’ Gender Class Race and ethnicity Social construction operates through social roles – the cluster of expectations which become attached to a particular position, status, job Two Ronnies /John Cleese / class system http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0DUsGS MwZY - you tube clip not available Bronfenbrenner bio-ecological systems theory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me7103oI E-g Developed to explain how everything in a child and the child's environment affects how a child grows and develops. Micro system Mesosystem Exosystem Macrosystem Micro system – is the small, immediate environment the child lives in.– home, school. Children's microsystems will include any immediate relationships or organisations they interact with, such as their immediate family or caregivers and their school or day care. How these groups or organisations interact with the child will have an effect on how the child grows; the more encouraging and nurturing these relationships and places are, the better the child will be able to grow The mesosystem, describes how the different parts of a child's microsystem work together for the sake of the child. For example, if a child's caregivers take an active role in a child's school, such as going to parent-teacher meetings and watching their child's football games, this will help ensure the child's overall growth. Exosystem - settings where the individual is not present but which nonetheless affects them - employment , government policy, local council decisions The exosystem level includes the other people and places that the child herself may not interact with often herself but that still have a large effect on her, such as parents' workplaces, extended family members, the neighbourhood. For example, if a child's parent gets laid off from work, that may have negative effects on the child if her parents are unable to pay rent or to buy groceries; however, if her parent receives a promotion and a raise at work, this may have a positive effect on the child because her parents will be better able to give her her physical needs. Macrosystem – wider cultural context in which the smaller systems are contained and through which ideology and values are transmitted relative freedoms permitted by the national government, cultural values, the economy, wars, etc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RDRfkEM oF4&feature=related Marxism made simple ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses’ Karl Marx“ For Marxists, the existence of a curative rather then preventative model of health care is a consequence of capitalism. Navarro (1976) argues that the dominance of the medical profession in health care helps obscure the social and economic causes of illness The social and economic causes of illness should be resolved by political, not medical, action and initiatives. While health care may be free at the point of delivery(or not) there are also vast profits to be made: by companies selling drugs and high tech equipment to the Health Service. There are vast profits to be made by companies selling drugs and high tech equipment to the Health Service. Little innovation or research is carried out in the field of mental illness.......the Cinderella service. Health care is still about profit and the relative powerlessness of consumers Similar points have been made by feminists. Ann Oakley(1981)finds little evidence to suggest that technological intervention in childbirth is beneficial for mother or child. Doctors have a great deal of control over women’s fertility by controlling access to most forms of contraception and abortion Asamen, J.K., Ellis, M.L., Berry, G.L., 2006, Child Development, Multiculturalism and Media, London, Sage Beckett,C., Taylor, H., 2010 Human Growth and Development, London, Sage