Sociology & You Chapter 1

Vocabulary Perspective: a particular point of view Sociology: scientific study of social structure Sociological Perspective: view that looks @ behavior of groups – not individuals Social Structure: patterned interactions of people in social relationships Conformity: when members of a group act, think, feel, and behave in similar ways Sociological Imagination: ability of individuals to see the relationship between events in their personal lives and events in their society

Nature of Sociology Attitudes and beliefs are determined by perspectives We often take for granted that our outlook is shared by everybody e.g. calling parents & adults by first names is now acceptable What is sociology?

Nature of Sociology What is sociological perspective? Always looks @ group behavior – not behavior of individuals Important because sociology studies patterns, trends, & behaviors of large (e.g. homeless) and small (e.g. gangs) groups. Sociologists look for societal reasons rather than individual reasons to describe behavior, trends, etc. e.g. parents send students to Viator because of quality of education vs. Mr. & Mrs. Carlson want Suzie to become more focused on studies and Mr. & Mrs. Andrews feel Viator has a more challenging curriculum than public schools.

The Importance of Patterns What is social structure? At-large patterns are constant but individual patterns may differ e.g. families – at-large = mom & dad set rules, provide food, etc.; individual = In family 1 dad may be disciplinarian, in family 2 mom is disciplinarian

The Importance of Patterns Group behavior vs. individual behavior The whole = sum of its parts & the whole is new entity (e.g. H2O – hydrogen & oxygen are gasses, but when combined make a liquid) People’s behavior in a group setting cannot always be predicted based on individual traits. (e.g. riots after Bulls championship) Reasons for changed behavior in a group are many. Some include: peer pressure, conformity, acceptance, recognition, place group values above personal values (e.g. sacrifice bunt instead of trying to hit a homerun).

Acquiring the Sociological Imagination What is sociological imagination? How does sociological perspective effect sociological imagination? We make individual decisions based on societal acceptance. Why is it important to be able to analyze our individual values and actions in comparison to those of society? So we can make informed decisions and better understand events