On your own, complete the following in complete sentences on a piece of paper… Side 1 1. Why are you taking this course? 2. Define the following A. Sociology B. Perspective C. Free will Side 2 Draw your definition of “home”

What Is Sociology? “...The systematic study of human society ” Systematic Scientific discipline that focuses attention on patterns of behavior Human society Group behavior is primary focus; how groups influence individuals and vice versa

The Sociological Perspective Unit 1 Chapter 1

The Origins of Sociology Ancient world thinkers envisioned ideal society Pioneers’ goal to understand how society operates Evolved through three stages (Comte) Theological – religious view, expression of God’s will Metaphysical – natural rather than supernatural Scientific – scientific revolution, scientific approach Positivism – a way of understanding based on science Human behavior more complex Not just understand, but bring about change toward social justice (Marx)

The Origins of Sociology Auguste Comte ( ) coined term Sociology in 1838 Modern origins in powerful social forces Industrialization, urbanization, political revolution, and new awareness of society One of youngest academic disciplines beginning of 20 th century in U.S. Gender & Race These important contributions have been pushed to the margins of society

What Is Sociology? “...The systematic study of human society ” Systematic Scientific discipline that focuses attention on patterns of behavior Human society Group behavior is primary focus; how groups influence individuals and vice versa Sociological perspective at the “heart of sociology”, offers a unique view of society perspective – way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance; point of view

The Sociological Perspective (Peter Berger) Seeing the general in the particular Sociologists identify general social patterns in the behavior of particular individuals Individuals are unique but, society’s social forces shape us into “kinds” of people w/in any country society acts differently on various categories of ppl

The Sociological Perspective (Peter Berger) On a piece of paper answer the following question.. In what categories do you belong? List as many as you can think of For your chosen categories, complete the following… Give an example of how being in this category (versus another) shapes your experiences. Generalizations vs stereotypes

The Sociological Perspective (Peter Berger) Seeing the strange in the familiar Giving up familiar idea that human behavior is a matter of what people decide to do in favor of the strange notion that society shapes our lives Free will – independent choice, voluntary decision Looking beyond individual behavior to “see” society’s “hand” Marginality – greater ppl’s social marginality, the better they’re able to use sociological perspective

Durkheim’s Study of Suicide Emile Durkheim’s research showed that society affects even our most personal choices. More likely to commit: 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 committing suicide

Sociology, Eleventh Edition National Map 1-1 (p. 14) Suicide Rates across the United States This map shows which states have high, average, and low suicide rates. Look for patterns. By and large, high suicide rates occur where people live far apart from one another. More densely populated states have low suicide rates. Do these data support or contradict Durkheim’s theory of suicide? Why?

Global Perspective The Global Village: A Social Snapshot of Our World Read the handout individually Find a partner who is done reading and answer the following questions in complete sentences on your notebook paper 1. What statistics presented in this box surprise you? Why? 2. How do you think the lives of poor ppl in a lower- income country differ from those typical ppl in the U.S.? 3. Is your “choice” to attend college affected by the country in which you live? If so, how?

Global Perspective Where do you think ppl from the U.S. would fall with respect to a comfortable life in the village? On average, ppl in the U.S. would be among the village’s richest ppl What do we attribute our comfortable lives to? The sociological perspective and global perspective remind us that our achievements also result from our nation’s privileged position in the worldwide social system

Global map 1-1 (p4) Women’s childbearing in global perspective

Importance of Global Perspective Where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives Societies 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

Sociological Theory Theory: a statement of how and why facts are related Explains social behavior in the real world Theoretical paradigm: a set of fundamental assumptions that guides thinking Three major approaches Structural-functional Social-conflict Symbolic-interaction

Structural–Functional Paradigm Views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability How do the structures of a society function? What are the consequences of the patterns of social behavior? Social structure – any relatively stable patterns of social behavior found in social institutions Exs – family, workplace, classroom, etc Social function – consequences for the operation of society as a whole All social structure functions to keep society going Human body, higher ed examples

Structural–Functional Paradigm Social structures work together to preserve society Manifest functions – the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern Latent functions – unrecognized and unintended consequences Macro-level orientation – a concern with broad patterns that shape society as a whole Human body, higher ed examples

Social-Conflict Paradigm Society is arena of inequality that generates conflict and social change Highlights inequality Society structured in ways to benefit a few at the expense of the majority race, class, ethnicity, gender, and age dominant group vs. minority group relations Incompatible interests and major differences Privileges and disadvantages Many use to bring about change Macro-level Schools example

Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm Sees society as the product of everyday social interactions of individuals Society complex and ever-changing Humans attach meaning to everything Subjective Society is shared reality that people construct as they interact with one another Micro-level orientation – close-up focus on social interaction in specific situations Homeless, police officer examples

Complete the following… Part 1 – On your own Read the section “Applying the Paradigms: The Sociology of Sport” p Part 2 – with two or three other people Brainstorm and explain an example for each of the three paradigms You can use a different example for each or you may choose one sociological topic/question and carry it through like the excerpt you just read

Sociology, Eleventh Edition Applying Theory (p. 22) Major Theoretical Perspectives

word bank, ch1 vocab quiz sociologyglobal perspective high-income countriesmiddle-income countries low-income countriespositivism theorytheoretical paradigm structural-functional paradigmsocial structure social functionsmanifest functions latent functionssocial dysfunctions social-conflict paradigmmacro-level orientation micro-level orientationstereotypes symbolic-interaction paradigm