Foundations of Sociology Relation of Sociology to other social sciences

Social Sciences  History- study of the past  Political Science- study of political (government) systems.  Anthropology- study of past and present cultures.  Psychology- study of mind and human behavior.  Economics- study of economic systems.

Social Interaction  How people relate and influence each other.

Social Phenomena  Observable facts or events that involve human society.

Sociological Perspective  A person’s view of themselves and the world around them.

Sociological Imagination  Ability to see the connection between the larger world and your personal life.  Developed by C. Wright Mills.

Early Sociology People that shaped the field of Sociology

Auguste Comte  French philosopher  Founder of sociology?  Applied scientific method to society.

Herbert Spencer  Englishman  Applied Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to society creating Social Darwinism.

Karl Marx  Believed social structure is influenced by how an economy is organized.  Divided society into two classes… proletariats (have nots) and the bourgeousi (haves)  Wanted two social classes equal.

Emile Durkheim  French sociologist concerned with the problem of social order.  Studied religion in society.

Max Weber  Focused on smaller groups and individuals in society.  Ideal type- essential characteristics of a feature of society.

Current Perspectives in Sociology 3 broad perspectives that form the basis of modern Sociology

Functionalist Perspective  Bases on ideas of Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim.  View society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system.  Society is held together through consensus. Most people agree on what is best for society and work together to ensure that the social system runs smoothly.

Terms of Functionalists  Dysfunctional- negative consequences or situation in society.  Manifest Function- intended consequence of an element in society ex: Car = transportation.  Latent Function- unintended consequence of an element in society ex: Car = sign of wealth and status

Conflict Perspective  Focuses on the forces in society that promote competition and/or change.  Karl Marx studied how some have power in society over others and that conflict over resources is the basis of all conflict.

Interactionist Perspective  Focus on how individuals interact with one another in society.  Study ways in which individuals respond to one another in everyday situations.  Max Weber studied the role of symbols in society ex: flag, eagle, Uncle Sam etc.  Symbolic interaction- how people use symbols when interacting.