1. CH. 1
Sociology: The Real World

2. What is Sociology?
Sociology: is one of the social sciences—disciplines that examine the human, or social, world; The scientific study of society and human behavior.
- How Groups Influence People
- How People are Influenced by Their Society
According to Howard Becker, sociology is the study of people “doing things together” because neither the individual nor society exist independently of one another.

3. What is Sociology? (cont’d)
Sociologists are interested in all aspects of Society – a group of people who shape their lives in patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups.
Sociology looks at a broad range of institutions(social location) – structures in our society, like education, economics, and politics – to better understand social relationships.

4. Jobs Income Education Gender Age Race/Ethnicity Religion Family
Social Institutions/Location - Corners in Life
Jobs
Income
Education
Gender
Age
Race/Ethnicity
Religion
Family

5. What is Sociology? (cont’d)
Sociology can help you develop a sociological perspective—a way of looking at the world through a sociological lens.
Sociologists have developed several approaches for developing a sociological perspective:
The Beginner’s Mind
Culture Shock
Sociological Imagination
The following group of slides discusses each of these approaches.

6. The Beginner’s Mind
Just as it sounds, the “beginner’s mind” is the opposite of an expert’s mind.
Bernard McGrane says that to explore the social world, it is important that we clear our minds of stereotypes, expectations, and opinions so that we are more receptive to our experiences.
Borrowing from the Zen Buddhist tradition, McGrane believes that true learning occurs when we quiet our own “mental chatter.” Then, we can see in a new way.
Talk to your students about the experiment included in the Data Workshop. Emphasize the importance of using their beginner’s mind.
How might “doing nothing” in a public space alter how you experience the world around you?
[James Leynse/Corbis]

7. Culture Shock
Culture shock is the sense of disorientation you experience upon entering a new environment.
Behaviors that are typical in one society or culture may seem very strange in another context.
Culture shock is a very common experience when people travel abroad. For discussion, ask your students if they have experienced this. It is also possible to experience culture shock when traveling to another part of the country. If you’re from a big city, mannerisms of people in small towns (like saying hello to strangers) might surprise you. If you’re from a small town, hailing a taxi in a big city might be difficult until you become accustomed to that culture. This relates to Mills’s quote—without understanding the context, it is difficult, if not impossible, to understand social life.
Additionally, people might experience “culture shock,” extreme disorientation, when they exit certain institutions:
Graduating high school or college
Soldiers returning from war, or leaving active duty altogether
Prisoners returning to society after decades of imprisonment
Retiring from a job that you’ve held for decades
Push students to consider how the idea of “culture shock” can help to gain a sociological perspective.

8. C. Wright Mills - The Sociological Imagination
The Sociological Imagination: Understanding your own biography from a historical perspective; The intersection of biography and history
History - Location in Broad Stream of Events
Biography - Individual’s Specific Experiences

9. Levels of Analysis
Sociologists can use different levels of analysis to explore social relationships:
Microsociology: examines small-group interactions to see how they impact larger institutions in society
Macrosociology: examines large-scale social structures to determine how they impact groups and individuals
Micro-Macro Continuum
A microsociological analysis might look at the relationship between a couple or the interactions of a sports team, or even the short interaction between a cashier and a shopper. A macrosociological analysis might look at the economy and how it impacts consumer behavior or how a presidential election influences American morale.

10. Sociology and the Other Sciences
The Natural Sciences
Explain and Predict Events in Natural Environment
The Social Sciences
Examine Human Relationships
The goal of any science:
Explain Why Something Happens
Make Generalizations
Look for Patterns
Predict What will Happen
Move Beyond Common Sense

11. Sociology and the Other Sciences
Anthropology
Studies Culture
Economics
Studies the Production and Distribution of Goods and Services
Political Science
Studies How People Govern Themselves
Psychology
The Study of Processes Within
Individuals
Sociology
Similarities to Other Disciplines

12. Origins of Sociology Tradition vs. Science The Industrial Revolution
Grew Out of Social Upheaval
Imperialism of the Time
Rise of the Scientific Method

13. Auguste Comte and Positivism
Stated that sociology needed to be treated like any other scientific discipline.
He laid the groundwork for future sociologists and helped to establish the discipline.
Applying the Scientific Method to Social World
Coined the Term “Sociology”
“Armchair Philosophy”

14. Herbert Spencer - Social Darwinism
Second Founder of Sociology
Lower and Higher Forms of Society
Coined Phrase “Survival of the Fittest”

15. Karl Marx and Class Conflict
Engine of Human History is Class Conflict
Karl Marx was a German philosopher and political activist considered father of conflict theory.
The Bourgeoisie vs. The Proletariat
Marx theorized that capitalism created social inequality
between the bourgeoisie, who owned
the means of production (money, factories,
natural resources, and land), and the
proletariat, who were the workers.
Marx predicted that inequality leads to
class conflict.

16. Durkheim and Social Integration
Got Sociology Recognized as Separate Discipline
Studied How Social Forces Affect Behavior - the social factors that bond and hold people together.
In Suicide, he studied the relationship between social isolation/integration and suicide at the macro-level.

17. Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic
Religion and the Origin of Capitalism
Religion is Central Force in Social Change
Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism
Also studied how society
was becoming industrialized.
Concerned with the process of
rationalization (applying economic
logic to all human activity). Believed that
contemporary life was filled with
disenchantment (the result of the
dehumanizing features of modern societies).

18. Sociology in North America
First Took Root in 1890 at University of Kansas
Spread Rapidly in Next 20 Years
Not at Harvard until 1930
American Journal of Sociology 1895

19. George Herbert Mead
Studied the connection between thought and action— or between the individual and society.
Suggested that social processes give meaning to objects in our society—people interact, and meanings come from these interactions.
Social Interactionist
For example, a chair isn’t inherently important as an object for sitting (as many of us know, it can also be used for climbing and reaching, for blocking an entrance, or as a weapon against an enemy), but because we interact on a daily basis with others who use chairs most commonly for sitting, we come to accept that this is the meaning of this object. This is a trivial example, but the idea can be applied to lots of other objects in our society—for example, things like flags or religious icons have meanings that have been shaped by social interactions. Mead is a symbolic interactionist. We’ll talk more about symbolic interactionism in a minute.
[The Granger Collection, NY]

20. Erving Goffman
Studied how the “self” is developed through interactions with others in society.
Goffman used the term dramaturgy to describe the way people strategically present themselves to others.
Goffman found it interesting that a person could “act” one way in front of his or her parents, and yet “act” totally differently in front of friends. When you think about it, people are usually very adept at recognizing the social situation they are in and acting accordingly. This does suggest, though, that we are always acting, so when you feel you are being “your true self,” is this really the case?
[University of Pennsylvania Archives]

21. Sexism in Early Sociology
Attitudes of the Time
1800s Sex Roles Rigidly Defined
Few People Educated Beyond Basics
Harriet Martineau
Social Activist; Journalist; Political Economist
Translated Comte’s work into English,
making his ideas accessible to
England and America.
Published Society in America before
Durkheim and Weber were
even born
Her Work was Ignored

22. Jane Addams: Sociologist and Social Reformer
Member of American Sociological Society from Start
Came from Background of Wealth and Privilege
Co-Founded Hull House
Co-Founded American Civil Liberties Union

23. Racism at the Time: W.E.B Du Bois
B.A. from Fisk University
First Harvard Ph.D. for African American
Published a Book Each Year from
Neglected by Sociologist Until Recently

24. Sociological Theories – Schools of thought
Theories in sociology are propositions that seek to explain the social world and help to make predictions about future events.
Theories are also sometimes referred to as approaches, schools of thought, paradigms, or perspectives.
Your book refers to paradigms, as ways of thinking, or “theoretical umbrellas,” meant to provide a broad explanation for the way things work.
Sociological theories typically address social processes at either the microsociological or macrosociological level.
Your book mentions the poem about the blind men and the elephant. The purpose of this is to suggest that there are different ways of approaching or looking at a specific topic. While people (even sociologists) may disagree about which way is the best, there are times when considering many different perspectives or theories will lead to the best understanding of the topic.

25. Symbolic Interactionism
How people use symbols in everyday life
Applying symbolic interactionism – Changing the meaning of symbols affects expectations
Society is produced and reproduced through our interactions with each other, by means of language, and our interpretations of that language.
Face-to-face interaction is the building block of everything else in society, because it is through interaction that we create a meaningful social reality.

26. Structural Functionalism
Society is viewed as an ordered system of interrelated parts, or structures, which are the social institutions that make up society (family, education, politics, the economy)
Each of these different structures meets the needs of society by performing specific functions for the whole system (society).
The key word here is function
The main principles of the functionalist paradigm are these:
1. Society is a stable, ordered system of interrelated parts, or structures.
2. Each structure has a function that contributes to the continued stability, or equilibrium, of the whole.

27. Conflict Theory Karl Marx and Conflict Theory
Conflict theory proposes that conflict and tension are basic facts of social life and suggests that people have disagreements over goals and values and are involved in struggles over both resources and power.
The theory thus focuses on the processes of dominance, competition, upheaval, power, authority, and social change.

28. Levels of Analysis Functionalists and Conflict Theorists - Macro Level
Symbolic Interactionists - Micro Level
Microsociology – interest in the interaction of people “within” social structures; investigates relationships within groups
Macrosociology – interest in the “intersection” of social structures; focuses on groups as a whole

29. Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology