1. Intro to Sociology What is this about??

2. “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” -Marcel Proust

7. Sociological Imagination “...The idea that the individual can understand her own experience and gauge her own fate only by locating herself within her period of time and life, that she can know her own chances in life only by becoming aware of those of all individuals in her circumstances.” - C. Wright MillsThe Sociological Imagination 1959.

9. For each scenario write down your thoughts. To what degree is this a personal problem and to what degree is this a public issue? Your parents declared bankruptcy because they can no longer afford their mortgage and selling the house and moving is no use because the bank says they owe more than the house is worth at resale. Your friend is only 105 lbs but is desperate to lose weight to look “pretty” Your cousin who lives in Troy NY dropped out of college and joined a gang. Your brother wanted to get a law degree but now carries 400K in student loan debt, an amount he may never be able to pay off.

10. Theories

15. Considering multiple perspectives brings us closer to the truth.

20. Emile Durkheim Mechanical solidarity - Societies held together by values, traditions and customs Organic solidarity – societies held together because of a high level of specialization & integration

22. Conflict - Marx Class struggle moves history forward. Competition over scarce resources is at the heart of the conflict. Haves vs. have not's Proletariat – wage earning workers Bourgeoisie – control wages, resources and own means of production

23. Conflict – the Feminist Perspective For my brothers it was easy to think about the future. They can be anything they want. But for me it was hard and for that reason I wanted to become educated and empower myself with knowledge. - Malala Yousafzai Claire Renzetti & Daniel Curran Social institutions such as family, religion, education & government reinforce gender inequality. Patriarchy is not biological but is reinforced through these institutions.

24. Symbolic Interactionism A “micro” perspective How we relate to each other in social situations Symbols, expectations, unspoken language

29. What does money symbolize?

31. Symbols The Swastika before the Nazis

32. Symbol confusion https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/09/02/guest-post-go- where-sex-gender-and-toilets/

33. Symbolic Interactionism Looks at how people interact with one another in society. Considers the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other. Even words are “symbols” How have your words been misinterpreted?

34. Symbols and words can be interpreted differently: What would you like me to do? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO?

35. Why do symbols matter? We learn the meaning of symbols by first observing other reactions Understanding our societal symbols we anticipate how others will react to our actions We choose to act in ways that will create our desired outcomes We are like players on a stage with others.

36. 5 Key Factors (To help us understand society.)

37. 1. Social Structure - social relations (like employment / marriage) - social positions (foreman, president, priest) - #’s of people in groups (demographics)

38. 2. Social Action the way in which individuals & groups try to make social life turn out as they want it. Even: Technology Language The way we dress

39. 3. Functional Integration The Interdependence of parts of a social system. Society has “parts” that rely on each other. Each part contributes something that makes the rest work. Economic example: 1.Manorialism – food  protection etc. 2.Coffee growers  distributers  international markets  packaging plants  coffee house or supermarket  Consumer  Grower 3.Try SUNY NEW PALTZ

40. 4. Power The power of one social actor (group, person or organization) to get others to do its will

41. 5. Culture The language, norms, values, beliefs, knowledge and symbols that make up a way of life