Normal v. JUST PLAIN WEIRD Sociology Normal v. JUST PLAIN WEIRD

The Pledge of Allegiance

Body Painting at Sporting Events

Beauty Pageants for Toddlers

Embalming

Paparazzi

Family Planning

Awkward…in an Elevator

CULTURE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE Sociology CHAPTER 1 CULTURE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Q. 1 - What is Sociology? Sociology IS the systematic, scientific study of social behavior in human groups. What does it seek to document: Trends and patterns in human behavior How people relate to each other and influence each other’s behavior.

Q. 1 (Continued) Sociology ISN’T: Psychology (focuses on Individuals) Social Work (application) Common Sense (assessments without evidence)

Q. 2 Sociologists use the Scientific Method to study What is Sociology? Q. 1 Sociology Study of human behavior in groups What people do? Why they do it? Q. 2 Sociologists use the Scientific Method to study Politics, race, location, gender, culture, socioeconomic issues, etc All interact with each other – causing group behavior We all belong to many groups; you’re a member of your sociology class, and you're a member of your family; you may belong to a political party, sports team, or the crowd watching a sporting event; you’re a citizen of your country, and you're a part of a generation. You may have a somewhat different role in each group and feel differently in each. At a rock concert, for example, some may enjoy singing along, others prefer to sit and observe, while still others may join in a mosh pit or try crowd surfing. Why do we feel and act differently in different types of social situations? Why might people of a single group exhibit different behaviors in the same situation? Why might people acting similarly not feel connected to others exhibiting the same behavior? These are some of the many questions sociologists ask as they study people and societies.

Q. 3 What is your sociological identity Q. 3 What is your sociological identity? The collection of group memberships that determine your identity Volunteer Musician Dancer Writer Mathematician Friend Colleague Neighbor….. Student Daughter Son Sister Brother Employee Sociologists working from the micro-level study small groups and individual interactions, while those using macro-level analysis look at trends among and between large groups and societies. For example, a micro-level study might look at the accepted rules of conversation in various groups such as among teenagers or business professionals. In contrast, a macro-level analysis might research the ways that language use has changed over time or in social media outlets. All sociologists are interested in the experiences of individuals and how those experiences are shaped by interactions with social groups and society as a whole. To a sociologist, the personal decisions an individual makes do not exist in a vacuum. Cultural patterns and social forces put pressure on people to select one choice over another. Sociologists try to identify these general patterns by examining the behavior of large groups of people living in the same society and experiencing the same societal pressures.

Q. 4 What is a Sociological Perspective? Sociology seeks to see how society “is”, not what it should be Studying groups without attributing your own opinions or values What’s it called when you do insert your own opinions/values when studying groups? CULTURAL BIAS A key basis of the sociological perspective is the concept that the individual and society are inseparable. It is impossible to study one without the other.

Q. 5 What is Sociological Imagination? The ability to see a connection Between you And the larger world View the world through other’s eyes Look beyond commonly held beliefs to hidden meanings Look at Correlations: Ex. There is a distinct connection between hospitalization and death Causation: Smoking has been linked as a cause of cancer through research

Q. 6 How is Sociology Scientific? Ask a question (hypothesis) Create a way to collect data for an answer Observe Carefully Analyze your observations to see what answers they provide It is NOT common sense even though it may seem that way….appearances are often deceiving!