1. Sociology
An Introduction

2. Key terms- sociology, culture, socialization, social structure, conflict perspective, functionalist perspective, symbolic interaction perspective.

3. What is sociology?
Sociology is one of the seven social sciences- history, anthropology, geography, economics, psychology, archeology, political science
Sociology is the study of cultures, social structure and their effects and influence on behavior
Need to use sociological imagination to look beyond the individual as the cause for success and failure.
Need to see how society influence’s outcomes
Look at suicide

4. Culture
Culture is the knowledge, values, customs, and physical values shared by a society
Family
Marriage
Issues such as race, gender and social control

5. Socialization
Socialization is the cultural process of learning to participate in life
What characteristics are influenced by nature (heredity) or nurture (contact with others)?

6. Social Structure
Social Structure defines limits on our behavior, roles, social status, social institutions.
Location on the social structure influences attitudes, perceptions and behavior
People are divided by social class and social groups.

7. Sociological Perspectives
Conflict Perspective- emphasis is on competition, change and constraint within society
Focus on social classes and differences in wealth, power and prestige
Upper classes control society’s wealth and resources and exploit lower classes
Once a group has power they want to keep it and create advantages for themselves
Major conflict theorists- Karl Marx, W.E.B. Du Bois, John Bellamy Foster
Criticisms
Conflict is not always a bad thing, competition can create excellence

8. Sociological Perspectives
When people control try to enforce authority those not in control will resist. The result is a constant struggle over who has authority
Lewis Coser looked at people in close relationships and described how these relationships divide responsibility and privileges. When the relationship changes conflicts will occur

9. Sociological Perspectives
Symbolic Interaction
How communication influences our interactions
Root of society is from symbols
Symbols help develop our worldview
Vary from culture to culture

10. Symbolic interactionists see the self as a symbol- it consists of the ideas and symbols of who we are.
Symbols tell us:
Who we are related to and how to behave
To tell time and how to coordinate our actions with other people
Build buildings, make movies and music
Without symbols no government, no hospitals, no religion

12. Sociological Perspectives
Functionalism
The central idea of this perspective is that society is made up of interrelated parts that make up the whole.
Early sociologists saw society as a living organism that, in order to function smoothly all the parts had to work in harmony
Functionalists look at the structure of society- how the parts fit together to make the whole
They also investigate the function- what each part does and how it contributes to society
Criticisms
Does not take into account wealth and power
Thinks that social change occurs slowly

13. Functional Analysis
Sociologist Robert Merton dismissed the organic theory but kept the essence of functionalism- society as a whole composed of parts working together
He used the term function to describe the beneficial aspects of society
Dysfunctions are consequences that harm society.
Functions can either be manifest or latent
Manifest functions are intended to help the system
Latent functions are unintended consequences of manifest functions
Latent dysfunctions are consequences that harm the social system

14. Macro vs. Micro Perspectives

15. Other Sociological Perspectives
Feminist Theory- How society is ordered around gender; inequality, oppression
Exchange theory- Experiences consist of rewards and costs that lead to our choice of social interaction
Environmental theory- how societies adjust as resources and the environment change

16. Sociology vs. Common Sense
All questions are true/false
More U.S. students are shot in school today than fifteen years ago.
The earnings of U.S. women have caught up with men.
When faced with natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, people panic, and social organization disintegrates

17. 4. Most rapists are mentally ill. 5
4. Most rapists are mentally ill. 5. Most people on welfare are lazy and looking for a handout. They could work if they wanted to. 6. Compared with women, men maintain more eye contact in face to face conversations

18. 7. Couples that live together before marriage are more satisfied than couples that do not live together before marriage. 8. Most husbands that get laid off from work take up the slack and increase the amount of work they do around the house. 9. Students in Japan are under such intense pressure to do well in school their suicide rate is double that of U.S. high school students.

19. Assignment
Of the three theoretical perspectives, which one do you think is the most effective in studying sociology? Why?
You must answer both parts of the question to receive full credit.