Essentials of Sociology 8th Edition

Essentials of Sociology 8th Edition
Chapter One: The Sociological Perspective This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Chapter Overview The Sociological Perspective The Origins of Sociology Sexism in Early Sociology Sociology in North America Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology Doing Sociological Research Research Methods Ethics in Sociological Research Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

The Sociological Perspective
Stresses the social contexts in which people live Looks at how people are influenced by their society and how social forces affect human behavior “The Sociological Imagination” a term coined by C. Wright Mills refers to being able to look beyond common sense for explanations of why people act the way they do Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Social Location Sociologists study ones social location to understand human behavior Social Location refers to the corners in life that people occupy Social Location includes: Jobs, Social Class, Race, Occupation, Sex, Religion and other demographics Social Location can shape our ideas of who we are and what we should attain in life Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

The Birth of Sociology Sociology emerged in the middle of the 1800’s during a period of social upheaval The Industrial Revolution challenged traditional ideas about social life The scientific method, which was used in the physical sciences, led to the birth of Sociology Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Auguste Comte: Founder of Sociology Lived in France Comte was the 1st Sociologist to advocate using positivism to studying social life Coined the term “Sociology” (the study of society) Advocate of social reform Practiced “Armchair Philosophy” Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism Lived in England Disagreed with Comte that Sociology should guide reform Societies evolve from lower to higher forms Coined the term “Survival of the Fittest” Did not conduct scientific studies Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Emile Durkheim: Social Integration 1st Professor of Sociology Studied suicide rates in several European countries in which he concluded social forces underlie suicidal behavior We must examine how social forces, such as social integration, affect human behavior Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Sexism in Early Sociology
Attitudes of the Time 1800s Sex Roles Rigidly Defined Higher education reserved for men and the wealthy Harriet Martineau Published Society in America Before Durkheim and Weber Were Born Known for translating Comte’s works from French to English Harriet Martineau Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Jane Addams and Social Reform
Came from a background of privilege She worked tirelessly for social justice Co-founded the Hull House in 1889 Campaigned for laws against child labor Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 Jane Addams Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

W.E.B. Du Bois and Race Relations
1st African American to earn a doctorate at Harvard Every year between 1896 and 1914 he published a book on race relations between African Americans and White He became active in social reform after years of collecting and interpreting data Founded the N.A.A.C.P Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Three Theoretical Perspectives Theory-a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work Sociologists use theories to conduct sociological research Allows Sociologists to view a social problem from many different perspectives Symbolic Interactionist Functional Analysis Conflict Theory Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic Interactionists believe that individuals evaluate their own conduct by comparing themselves with others Symbolic Interactionists study: How people interpret symbols How people interact one on one How people behave according to how they define themselves and others Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Functional Analysis The Functional Analysis perspective views society as a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together. Functional Analysists study: The structure of society How each part of society has certain functions that must be fulfilled What happens to society when dysfunctions occur Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Conflict Theory Founded by Karl Marx Groups competing for scarce resources Groups competing for power and authority Conflict can be positive as it can bring about positive change Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Sociological Analysis
Two Levels of Sociological Analysis Macro Level - Large Scale Patterns in Society Functional Analysis and Conflict Theory are components of Macroanalysis Micro Level-Social interactions on a small scale Symbolic Interactionism is a component of Microanalysis Which level of analysis is best? Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Doing Sociological Research The Scientific Research Model Follows Eight Basic Steps: (1) Selecting a topic (2) Defining the problem (3) Reviewing the literature (4) Formulating a hypothesis (5) Choosing a research method (6) Collecting the data (7) Analyzing the results (8) Sharing the results Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Surveys One of the most commonly used methods of sociological research are surveys The researcher: Must make sure that the sample is random and representative of the population Must make sure that the questions (open ended or closed ended) are neutral Must establish rapport with the interviewees (face to face) Advantage: A researcher is able to reach a large number of people at one time Disadvantage: Low response rate (phone calls, mail) and people may not be truthful Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Participant Observation
The researcher observes individuals and they are aware of the researcher’s presence Advantage: The researcher is able to gather useful information Disadvantage: The individual may not act naturally Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Unobtrusive Observation The researcher observes individuals without the knowledge of the researcher’s presence Advantage: The researcher can observe individuals acting naturally and true to themselves Disadvantage: Ethical concerns on the part of the participants Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Secondary Analysis When the researcher gathers information from secondary sources it is referred to as secondary analysis. Secondary sources include: newspapers, historical documents, polic e reports, and other data collected by various societal agencies. Advantage: It can be a valuable way to collect information in a timely manner Disadvantage: Some information may be missing or inaccurate Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Experiments Experiments are not commonly used in Sociological research, but they can be a valuable source of information. The basic experiment involves: The experimental group—those exposed to the independent variable (something that causes a change) The control group—those not exposed to the independent variable. Advantage: The independent variable can be isolated as the cause of change Disadvantage: It is a controlled laboratory setting and not a natural setting. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Ethics in Sociological Research
The researcher : Must be open and honest with research subjects Must remain free of personal biases Protecting Subjects - Brajuha Research Misleading Subjects - Humphreys Research Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

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