1. Intro to Sociology

2. What is Sociology?

3. What is Sociology?
Social science that studies human society and social behavior
How people relate to one another and influence each other’s behavior
Focus on group rather than individual

4. Why do we study Sociology?

5. Why do we study sociology?
Perspective of yourself and world around you
What is perspective?
People might see things differently than you do

6. Other Social Sciences…
Anthropology
Psychology
Economics
Political Science
History
Human Geography

7. Anthropology
Investigate culture, the customary beliefs and material traits of a group
Most closely related to sociology
Why is studying culture important?

8. Psychology Studies human mental and emotional processes The individual
Why would it be important to study sociology as well as psychology?

9. Economics
Economists study the process of goods and services being produced, distributed, and consumed
How could a sociologist help an economist?

10. Political Science
Investigates the organization, administration, history, and theory of government
Example: study voting patterns and participation in political parties
What would sociologists be interested in within this field?

11. History Written record of the human past
Collect evidence by analyzing artifacts created during the time period being studied
Examples: physical objects, oral reports, written reports and documents
Why would studying our history be important?

12. Human Geography
Interaction between human populations and the places they live
How might this be helpful?

13. Thinking Like a Sociologist

14. Personal Problems vs. Societal Problems
Affect a particular person and the people in their immediate lives
Societal
Things that affect groups within society or society as a whole
Sociologists are not going to look at how factors affect an individual, but rather categories of people
What are some categories that would be interesting to study to you?

15. Impact of the Internet
Several studies have shown that the Internet has helped create a form of isolation
People are spending more time online and less time in social interactions
What are some positives/negatives of the use of Internet and/or social media?

16. Patterns
Patterned interactions of people in social relationships captures the attention of sociologists
What examples of patterns in society can you think of?

17. Sociological Perspectives
Emile Durkheim
Helps you see that all people are social beings
Your behavior is influenced by social factors and you have learned your behavior from others
The mixing of individual parts creates a new whole with new characteristics

18. Group Dynamics Not simply a collection of individuals
Something new is created when individuals come together
Tragedy, as well as joy, can change group behavior
What examples can you think of that prove this?

19. Conformity Behavior that matches group expectations
Individuals may not necessarily agree with a groups ideas or values but they still go along with it…
WHY????

20. Sociological Imagination
C. Wright Mills
Being able to see the connection between the larger world and your personal life
Developing a sociological imagination helps us appreciate cultural differences
Are you able to look at a different culture or group of people without a biased view?

21. Video