Introduction to Sociology

Marty W. Deane – Instructor

SOCL 100 - 503W 6:00-8:50

What Is Sociology?

.The systematic study of human society and social behavior

• SystematicScientific discipline that focuses attention on

patterns of behavior

• Human societyGroup behavior is primary focus; how groups

influence individuals and vice versa

• At the “heart of sociology”The sociological perspective which offers a

unique view of society

During class, carefully observe the interaction and behavior of the instructor and the other students.

What patterns do you see in who speaks?

What about how people use space? What categories of people are taking the

class in the first place…

Think: race, social class, and gender, age.

•What was the reason for such a massacre? (how could society have contributed?)•When did it become a societal issue versus a personal issue?

(Sociological V. Psychological)•What was the response to the shootings?•Could Columbine/Va Tech/etc. have had an effect?

To Understand Sociology:TWO things you must develop:

Sociological Perspective

Sociological Imagination

Keep in mind, that the perspective you take influences what you see

One perspective emphasizes certain aspects of an event

Another perspective accepts different aspects of the same event

Same event – seen in different ways.

What do you see?

WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE?

Can you see both parallel and the slope?

Benefits of the Sociological Perspective

1. Helps us assess the truth of common sense

2. Helps us assess both opportunities and constraints in our lives

3. Empowers us to be active participants in our society

4. Helps us live in a diverse world

Importance of Global Perspective

(as a sociological perspective)Where we live makes a great difference in

shaping our livesSocieties throughout the world are increasingly

interconnected through technology and economics

Many problems that we faced in the United States are more serious elsewhere

Thinking globally is a good way to learn more about ourselves

The Sociological Perspective:Peter Berger (1963)

Seeing the general in the particularSociologists identify general social patterns in

the behavior of particular individualsIndividuals are unique but, society’s social

forces shape us into “kinds” of people (e.g. Women, Catholics, Hispanics)

Seeing the strange in the familiarGiving up the idea that human behavior is

simply a matter of what individuals decide to do (e.g. who is more likely to divorce?)

Understanding that society shapes our lives

Sociological PerspectivePeople are influenced by their societyAn individual’s identity is socially bestowed (who we are – and how people treat us are usually consequences of our social location in society)

Our personalities are shaped by the way we are accepted, rejected, and defined by other people. (e.g. are we worthy – depends on the values of the groups in which we are immersed)

•Perspective: What the “Blurred Lines” being described in the song? This was a #1 Song…. Controversial? Why?

•Sociology is about - Asking the right questions

•Seeing a different perspective – what if we flip the script?

Applying the Sociological PerspectivePeriods of crisis or social change

prompt people to think sociologically:

(e.g. Great Depression: Something is wrong with me, I can’t find a job! (personal)

Thinking sociologically : The economy has collapsed there are few jobs to be found –

It isn’t just me

Sociological Imagination

• C. Wright Mills1959

Age 28 - 1944

Mills traveled via motorcycle back and forth to Columbia University

C. Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination

The power of the sociological perspective lies not just in changing individual lives but in transforming society

Society, (not personal failings) is a root cause of social problems

The sociological imagination transforms personal problems into public issues

Mills: Sociological Imagination….enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography

Turns personal problems into public issues

The Society in which we grow up, and our particular location in that society, lie at the center of what we do and what we think.

To understand others issues – think of the social forces that are affecting their lives.

Mills Basic AssumptionsHuman beings cannot be

understood apart from the social and historical structures in which they are formed and in which they interact

The sociological imagination is simply a “quality of mind” that allows us to grasp “history” and biography” and the relations between the two within society.

Major Sociological Theories

All the Discussion about Perspective – Leads to “The Big Three”Structural-Functional - Macro

Social Conflict - MacroSymbolic Interactionism - Micro

Sociological TheoryTheory: a statement of how and why facts are relatedExplains social behavior to the real world

Theoretical paradigm: a set of fundamental assumptions that guides theory

THE ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGYOne of the youngest of academic disciplines,

sociology has it origins in powerful social forces:

Social ChangeIndustrialization, urbanization, political revolution,

and a new awareness of societyScience

3-Stages: Theological, Metaphysical & ScientificPositivism – a way of understanding based on science

Gender & RaceThese important contributions have been pushed to

the margins of society

Durkheim’s Study of SuicideEmile Durkheim’s research showed that society

affects even our most personal choices.

More likely to commit suicide : Male Protestants who were wealthy and unmarried

Less likely to commit: Male Jews and Catholics who were poor and married

One of the basic findings: Why?The differences between these groups had to do with

“social integration”Those with strong social ties had less of a chance of

COMMITING suicide

History and Biography• Jimmie Hendrix 1970

• Janis Joplin - 1970

• Jim Morrison 1971

Teenage Wasteland• 1967-1994

Structural –Functional ParadigmThe Basics

A macro-level orientation, concerned with broad patterns that shape society as a whole

Views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability

Key Eelements:Social structure refers to any relatively stable

patterns of social behavior found in social institutions

Social function refers to the consequences for the operation of society as a whole

Who’s Who in Structural-Functional Paradigm

Auguste ComteImportance of social integration during times of rapid change

Emile DurkheimHelped establish sociology as a university discipline/Major study of suicide

Herbert SpencerCompared society to the human body, organic approach

Social-Conflict ParadigmThe Basics:

A macro-oriented paradigmViews society as an arena of inequality that

generates conflict and social changeKey elements:

Society is structured in ways to benefit a few at the expense of the majority

Factors such as race, sex, class, and age are linked to social inequality

Dominant group vs. Minority group relationsIncompatible interests and major differences

Who’s Who in Social-Conflict Paradigm

Karl MarxSociety is a complex system

characterized by inequality and conflict that generate social change

W.E.B. DuBoisRace as the major problem facing the

United States in the twentieth century

Who’s Who in Social-Conflict Paradigm

Jane Adams

Although trained at the University of Chicago – was not considered a serious Sociologist because she was female

Harriet Martineau

First female Sociologist and fought for changes in educational policy – so women could have choices other than home

Symbolic Interaction ParadigmThe Basics:

A micro-level orientation, a close-up focus on social interactions in specific situations

Views society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals

Key Elements: Society is nothing more than the shared reality that people construct as they interact with one another

Society is a complex, ever-changing mosaic of subjective meanings

Who’s Who in Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm

Max WeberUnderstanding a setting from the people in it

George Herbert MeadHow we build personalities from social experience

Erving GoffmanDramaturgical analysis

George Homans & Peter BlauSocial-exchange analysis

Critical EvaluationStructural-Functional

Too broad, ignores inequalities of social class, race & gender, focuses on stability at the expense of conflict

Social-ConflictToo broad, ignores how shared values and

mutual interdependence unify society, pursues political goals

Symbolic-InteractionIgnores larger social structures, effects of

culture, factors such as class, gender & race