 Stresses the Social Contexts in which people live.  How people are influenced by society… › Social location  Gender  Age  Race, ethnicity  Class  Culture

 Paradigm  Consensus  Macro  Micro

 Tradition v. Science › Tradition  based theories on superstition, myth, stars, bias…etc.  Untested… › Science  theories that can be tested using scientific method. › Soft-Science  Generalities, patterns of behavior

Sociologists look at events from a ‘Holistic’, or multi-dimensional perspective. i.e. Biopsychosocial perspective combines several perspectives and approaches.  Uses:  History  Psychology  Anthropology  Economics  Political Science  Literature  Science  Art  Etc.

 Positivism  Social Darwinism  Class Conflict  Social Integration  Protestant Ethic

 A uguste Comte ( )  “Father of Sociology”  First proposed using Scientific Method to understand society  Believed that society develop and progress through the following stages:  Religious, Metaphysical, and Scientific  Comte and other early social scientists assumed human behavior must obey laws of nature  (i.e. Newton's laws of motion)  If discovered, those laws could eliminate moral evils and create a better society i.e. the same way medical scientists discovered how diseases worked and eliminated a lot of human suffering.

 Herbert Spencer ( ) › Thought societies evolve from ‘lower’ to ‘higher’ civilized forms › Over time, the most capable survive, while the less capable die out. › Helping the ‘lower’ classes interfers with this natural process and holds back society  NOTE: Did Not conduct Scientific studies!!!

 Karl Marx ( ) › Class Conflict drives Human History  Bourgeoisie (owners) vs. Proletariat (workers) › Economic Determinism › Influenced many Sociologists esp. Conflict Theorists

 Emile Durkheim ( ) › Wanted sociology recognized as separate discipline › First Professor of Sociology › Show how social forces affect people’s behavior.

 Max Weber ( ) › Author Spirit of Capitalism › Disagreed with Marx  (economics is central force in society) › Religion is central force.  (key factor in rise of Capitalism)

 Harriet Martineau ( )  Focused on male perspectives  Women’s roles assigned to wife/mother  Only handful got higher educations  Writings of women ignored… i.e.  Jane Frohock  Lucretia Mott  Elizabeth Cady Stanton  Frances Perkins

 Early History › University of Kansas (1890) › *University of Chicago (1892)  George Herbert Mead (symbolic interactionist perspective) › Atlanta University (1897)

 Like European women, mostly ignored and denied positions, so many turned to activism.  Jane Addams  Emily Green Balch  Isabel Eaton  Charlotte Perkins Gilman  Florence Kelly  Elsie Clews Parsons  Alice Paul

 Jane Addams ( ) › Most successful of the women › Worked for social justice  Co-founded Hull House  Co-founded American Civil Liberties Union  Campaigned for Child Labor Laws  Eight hour work day › Co-winner of Nobel Peace Prize (1931) (first sociologist to do so!)

W.E.B. Du Bois ( ) Minority professionals also found it difficult to find positions and contribute in the field due to racism. Also turned to social action.

 1940’s shifted from reform to theory  Two Schools of thought: › Talcott Parsons ( )  Developed models of society showing how everything worked together harmoniously (no need to fix) › C. Wright Mills ( )  Urged social reform, (need to fix)  The Power Elite/ inequality threatens

 Theory vs. Reform leads to Applied Sociology  The use of sociology to solve problems  Division still exists: › Want focus on social reform › If applied social work, not sociology

 Symbolic Interactionism  Functional Analysis  Conflict Theory › Macro – Large scale patterns in society › Micro – patterns between individuals

 Considers symbols in daily life  what these symbols mean  How people interact with each other › People attach meanings to symbols and act according to their interpretations of them  Language (verbal and written)  Music, clothing, etc.

 Neglects the macro level of social interactions i.e. The Big Picture  Dismisses the influence of social forces and institutions on individual interactions

 Each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society’s functioning as a whole.  Held together by social consensus and cooperation.  Mechanical Solidarity- maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work.  Organic Solidarity- interdependent, but have varied beliefs and work.

 Neglects the negative functions  i.e. divorce  Justifies the status quo  Doesn’t encourage change  See active social change as undesirable because will take care of itself.

 Focuses on conflict and change › Dialectics  Challenge the status quo  Encourages social change

 Negative (focus on problems)  Cynical  i.e. sees the system as manipulative and having ulterior motives  Sees capitalism as controlling the masses  not as preserving society and social order

 Cross-Species  Considers the similarities in differences between human and social behavior and that of other animals.  Cross-Cultural  Compares customs and standards of behavior within a community or system.  Statistical perspective  How often an attitude or practice occurs within any given group.

 Historical Perspectives  Deals with social issues from the point of view of historical attitudes, values, practices and contexts.  Religious Perspective  Considers the effects that religious doctrines, scriptures, and spirituality have in individuals and society.  Feminist Perspective  Concerned with gender differences and the limitations associated with traditional, male dominated theories of society.

 NOTE: › All perspectives have strengths and weaknesses and present a single-sided, distorted picture of society. › Some compliment each other, some contradict. › Integrated approach gives the fullest understanding of issues.