Introduction to Sociology

What makes you an individual? List ten things that shape who you are

Perspective  What is it your perspective on the world?  How does it affect who we are ?

Corner Perspectives  Move to the corner that best represents you

 Corner A: Right- Handed  Corner B: Left-Handed

Corner A: Male Corner B: Female

Find Your Corner  Corner A: Oldest Child  Corner B: Youngest Child  Corner C: Only Child  Corner D: Somewhere in the middle

Corner A: Medical Tower Corner B: Professional Tower Corner C: Technical Tower

Corner A: Have lived in another country Corner B: Always lived in Nevada Corner C: Have lived in another state but not outside the US

Corner A: Immediate Family in the home Corner B: Step family in the home Corner C: Multi-generational home

How do you identify yourself: Corner A: Hispanic Corner B: Asian Corner C: White Corner D: African American Middle of the room: Other

Sociological Perspective  Stresses the social contexts in which people live and examines how these contexts influence people’s lives.  Social Location- the corners in life where people are located in a society.  Consider how being identified with a group called males or a group called females shapes our ideas of who we are and what we should attain in life.

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

Sociological Perspective  People around the globe take their particular views of the world for granted.  What is “normal” as…  An American?  As a Las Vegan?  As a Palo student? youryour  How have your social groups shaped your ideas and desires?

Where did sociology come from?  Response to the industrial revolution  Answers of tradition became inadequate as industry and democracy grew.  Imperialism- why do cultures differ?  The Scientific Method!  Objective systematic observations to test theories– began applying this to social life.

Auguste Comte , French  Coined the terms sociology to describe the study of society  Focused on two areas of study  -Social order and Social Change  “What creates order instead of anarchy or chaos?” “What causes society to change?”

Herbert Spencer , English  Societies evolve from lower (barbarian) to higher (civilized) forms.  As time passes, the most capable and intelligent (the fittest) members of society survive while the less capable die out.  Strongly influenced by Darwin, an evolutionist from the 1800s.  Don’t help the lower classes – survival of the fittest  SOCIAL DARWINISM

Karl Marx , German  People should change society.  The engine of human history is class conflict  The structure of society is influenced by how its economy is organized  Bourgeoisie proletariat  Bourgeoisie- the capitalist- are locked in conflict with the proletariat – the workers  This struggle will last until the proletariat unite in revolution  Goal is a classless society where you will work according to your ability and receive goods/services according to your needs.

Three Main Sociological Approaches Functionalist Perspective  Based on ideas of Comte, Spencer, Durkheim  Society is a set of interrelated parts that work together and therefore create a stable social system  Write 2 more facts regarding this perspective

Three Main Sociological Perspectives Conflict Perspective o Deals with the forces in society that promote change and competition o Competition over resources creates social conflict o Write 2 more facts regarding this perspective

Three Main Sociological Perspectives  Interactionist Perspective  Focus is on how individuals interact with each other in society  Interested in the role of symbols  Focus on how individuals use symbols when interacting  Give 2 examples of symbols

Women of Sociology Select one of the following women. In 4-5 sentences give a brief overview of their life and discuss their contributions to the early development of sociology.  Harriet Martineau – in book  Jane Addams – in book  Emily Greene Balch  Jessie Bernard  Florence Kelley

Chapter 1 Vocabulary – Unit 1 1.Sociology 2.Social sciences 3.Social interaction 4.Social phenomena 5.Sociological perspectives 6.Sociological imagination 7.Anthropology 8.Psychology 9.Social psychology 10.Economics 11.Political Science 12. History

Chapter 1 Vocabulary 1 – Unit 2 1.Social Darwinism 2.Function 3.Verstehen 4.Ideal type 5.Theory 6.3 theories – in notes 7.Dysfunctional 8.Manifest function 9.Latent function 10.Symbol 11.Symbolic interaction 12. Theoretical Perspective

Ticket out the door Think about and respond either individually or with a partner… How can sociology assist you in everyday life?  Seeing people as social beings  Finding balance between personal desires and the demands or expectations of your social environment  Viewing your life within a larger social and historical context, rather than just you as one individual in the world