Study the interactions & conflicts within groups to determine how society functions. The study of society and social behaviour.

Fundamental Questions: 1. What function does society serve in the lives of individuals? 2. What role do social institutions have in society? 3. How do individuals learn & adapt to the specific rules & modes of behaviour that govern the group?

Fundamental Beliefs:  The groups to which an individual belongs will determine the roles & expectations that he/she will value and emulate in his/her private life.

The study of:  Social life  Social change  Social causes & consequences of human behaviour  The structure of social groups, organizations, & how people interact within these contexts

Sociologists determine  Whether changes in society are predictable or unpredictable  Whether they are gradual or sudden  Whether changes occur spontaneously or follow a specific course

Norms  The expectations of appropriate conduct that serve as a basis of all social interactions Example: All Catholic Priests are expected to be celibate Norms are important if society is to maintain social order & stability

Norms

The Roles we Play  We all play certain roles in society (this is referred to as our status)  Status is the term used to describe our position with an institution Example: Cardinal Ambrozic Secondary Many roles (teachers, students, guidance counsellors, VP, principal, superintendent, custodian, secretaries)

Roles  We don’t have consistent roles Example- Ms. Lindsay – the roles she plays everyday: Mother-wife-teacher-coach-parishioner

Hierarchy  Ranking system used in any environment based on authority of power  Each position or role requires a certain type of expertise which is valued by society Can you put the positions at Ambrozic in order of hierarchy?

Deviance  Any behaviour that is different from the societal norm  A behaviour is deviant because we, as a society, do not accept it “We must not say that an action shocks the common conscience because it is criminal, but rather that it is criminal because it shocks the common conscience” Emile Durkheim

Rehabilitation  Is to re-educate or re-socialize someone back to society’s acceptable values & norms  In this area, sociology has formed a strong link with the justice system

Schools of Thought 1. Structural Functionalism Society’s function is to provide stability & equilibrium to its members Not concerned with social change, but change needs to take place when something no longer meets the needs of its members

Emile Durkheim ( )  Social change is inevitable and follows logical & predictable paths  Society becomes more complex as it becomes more diverse

2. Marxism Economic power and material wealth create a situation of natural competition between different classes in society This power is the basis for most relationships in society

Karl Marx ( )  Economic power led to political power  Critical capitalism, he called it the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie", believing it to be run by the wealthy classes purely for their own benefitcapitalism bourgeoisie

3. Feminist Theory  Focus on sex and gender issues  Inequalities in society stem from a value system & decision-making process that favours men and excludes women Examples:  Liberal feminists – want equality  Radical feminists – natural child bearing role has lead to their oppression

Dorothy Smith (1926- ) Liberal Feminist  The symbols, the vocabulary, the codes of our culture reflect the standpoint of the male.  Our laws and our legal system are patriarchal  All mainstream religions have been concocted and perpetuated by male authority figures,  Our language is premised on the male standpoint (ie. Mail”man”, police”man”)