1. Humans: A Social Animal
SOCIOLOGY
Humans: A Social Animal
The T-Mobile Welcome Back

2. Sociology is… Sociology is the study of social life,
social change, and the social causes
and consequences of human
behavior. (American Sociological
Association)

3. Social Conventions
Folkways- informal rules we follow to maintain social harmony
Mores- informal rules we follow that have a moral component
Laws- formalized rules we follow that are codified in legal systems
Sanctions- positive and negative means of obtaining social conformity

4. Personal Space Demonstration
What is Sociology?
The social science discipline that looks at the development and structure of human society (institutions) and how it works
Personal Space Demonstration

5. Personal Space is… Why do we have personal space?
How much space is considered adequate for: intimate friends, friends, acquaintances, superiors/inferiors?
Cultural differences in personal space allowances?

6. Sociology Subject Matter:
Sociologists investigate the
structure of groups, organizations,
and societies, and how people
interact within these contexts.
All human behavior is social so the
subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the
hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions
of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports.
Sociology Subject Matter:

7. Institutions are…
An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given community

8. The Roles we Play
We all play certain roles in our society. Social scientists refer to this as STATUS.
Status is the term used to describe our position within an institution.
What roles do YOU play?
LCVI: There are many positions at LCVI.
teacher, students, secretaries, EA’s, Custodians, V.P.’s, principal, guidance counsellor, superintendent.
Place them in a hierarchy

9. Hierarchy Hierarchy: a ranking system based on authority or power
Each position or role requires a certain type of expertise which is valued by society.
To distinguish between these roles, people are expected to dress and/or act in a certain way.
On any given day, we play many roles in society.
Activity: Perspective Hats

10. Examples: Rules, Norms and Values Students Teachers Values Norms Rules
Values – Society carries with it a system of values (beliefs, ideals).  A particular set of values are assigned to each role.  The practitioners of these roles are expected to accept and internalize these values.
Norms – These are rules set out for a particular role that are considered standard behaviour (eg. Catholic Priests are expected to be celibate)
Rules – These are developed by cultures based on their system of values

11. What’s the Norm for bathrooms??????????
Activity: Bathroom stall game… A B C
What’s the Norm for bathrooms??????????

12. What’s the Norm for bathrooms??????????
Activity: Bathroom stall game… A B C
What’s the Norm for bathrooms??????????

13. What’s the Norm for bathrooms??????????
Activity: Bathroom stall game… A B C
What’s the Norm for bathrooms??????????

14. Bathroom Stall/Urinal Game:
Rules, Norms and Values
Stall Choice
Reason
All stalls free
Stall A Busy
Stalls A and B Busy .
What is the expectation of behavior in a public washroom?

15. Deviance…
Deviance – Any behaviour that is
different from the societal norm.  It is
deviant because we, as a society, do
not accept it. It is a “failure to conform to norms.”
Deviance can range from simple
eccentricities to behaviour that harms
society or is considered disreputable
 “We must not say that an action shocks the common conscience because it is criminal, but rather that it is criminal because it shocks the common conscience.” Emile Durkheim

16. Deviance… What Is Sometimes Considered Deviant?
Suicide: In North America, taking your own life is often considered to be deviant behaviour.
WHY?
WOULD IT BE DEVIANT EVERYWHERE?
WHAT ELSE MIGHT BE CONSIDERED TO BE DEVIANT BEHAVIOUR IN OUR CULTURE?

17. Deviance… Bystander Apathy seems to contradict these values.
Sociologists study true deviant behaviour and how society reacts to it. But they also study behaviour that is not considered deviant, but does seem to contradict the values in a society.
We value the safety of children
We consider pedophiles, kidnappers etc. to be deviant
Therefore, we should act on these values by stepping in to protect children from would-be deviants …… TRUE?
Bystander Apathy seems to contradict these values.
It is an example of something called “diffusion of responsibility”…..people are less likely to respond to a crisis in group situations.