Ch.1 The Sociological Perspective

Today’s coming attractions: How did Sociology get started? How does Sociology look at the world? The Sociological Perspective The Sociological Imagination Social theories

How did Sociology get started? From France, Germany & England August Comte (France) Coined the tern “Sociology” Behavior more complex than natural phenomena Becomes an academic discipline in U.S. around 1900

The Sociological Perspective Peter Berger Seeing the general in the particular Durkheim’s Study of suicide Lack of social integration Eg. Wealthy,unmarried Protestant male

The Sociological Imagination C. Wright Mills How changes in society effect us individually

Social theories Theory How & why specific facts are related Confirmed, modified, or rejected through research

Theoretical paradigms Help decide what kinds of research questions to ask. Structural Functionalism Conflict Symbolic interaction Social exchange analysis

Structural Functionalism Society promotes solidarity and stability Manifest functions Recognized or intended consequences Latent functions Unrecognized and unintended consequences Social dysfunction Examples Family Prohibition P.M. Sex

Conflict Theory Karl Marx The point of studying society is to produce changes Social patterns benefit some people while depriving others Example Workers VS owners

Symbolic Interaction Society operates on the subjective meanings of symbols Examples: Stubborn VS. steadfast Bus Police lights & bar fight Slides & Clothes Cloning VS “Somatic cell nuclear transfer”, producing “human NT blastocysts”.

The sociological exchange perspective Smiling Relationships Politics