1. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach 7/e
James M. Henslin
Chapter One: The Sociological Perspective
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2. Sociology
Is the science that studies human society and social behavior. Sociologists are mainly interested in Social Interaction.
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3. Sociological Perspective
Sociology teaches us to look at social life in a scientific/ systematic way.
By adopting the sociological Perspective, we can look beyond commonly held beliefs to the hidden meanings behind human actions.
The sociological perspective tells us that we are human beings and that we have learned our behavior from others.
The sociological Perspective can help us broaden our view of the social world. To view things objectively.
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4. Sociological Perspective
Sociology can also help us find an acceptable balance between our personal desires and the demands of our social environment.
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5. Sociological Perspective
If we do what we want to do we will conflict with others a great portion of the time. But if we always do what others tell us we will not grow as individuals.
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6. Seeing the Broader Social Context
How Groups Influence People
How People are Influenced by Their Society
People Who Share a Culture
People Who Share a Territory
Seeing the Broader Social Context
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7. Social Location—Corners in Life
Jobs
Income
Education
Gender
Age
Race
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8. C. Wright Mills—Connection Between History and Biography
History—Location in Broad Stream of Events
Biography—Individual’s Specific Experiences
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9. Sociological Imagination
Sociology can also help us view our own lives in a broader social and historical context.
The ability to see the connection between the larger world and our personal lives is what C. Wright Mills termed the sociological Imagination. According to Mills good students of society possess this.
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10. The Growing Global Context
The Global Village
Instant Communication
Sociology Studies both the Global Network and Our Unique Experiences
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11. Sociology and the Other Sciences
The Natural Sciences—Explain and Predict Events in Natural Environment
The Social Sciences—Examine Human Relationships
Sociology and the Other Sciences
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12. Anthropology
The comparative study of various aspects of past and present cultures, and is the social science closest to sociology.
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13. Psychology
The social Science that deals with the behavior and thinking of organisms, and differs from sociology primarily because it focuses on the individual rather than on the group and draws heavily on tools of the natural sciences.
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14. Social Psychology
Is the study of how an individual’s behavior and personality are affected by the social environment.
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15. Economics
Is the study of the choices people make in an effort to satisfy their wants and needs.
Or what this guy tried to teach you!
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16. Political Science
The examination of the organization and operation of governments.
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17. History Is the study of past events and what we learn from them.
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18. The Goal of Science Explain Why Something Happens Make Generalizations
Look for Patterns
Move Beyond Common Sense
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19. Origins of Sociology Tradition vs. Science Emerged mid-1800s
Grew Out of Social Upheaval
The Scientific Method
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20. Early Years of Sociology
Sociology took root in the 19th Century primarily in France, Germany and England. These nations most strongly felt the effects of the Industrial Revolution.
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21. Auguste Comte and Positivism
Applying the Scientific Method to Social World
Coined the Term “Sociology”
“Armchair Philosophy”
Auguste Comte and Positivism
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22. Comte
Like most French scholars he was interested in finding a solution to the chaos of the French Revolution.
He was heavily influenced by the study of the natural sciences. Comte said sociologists could use similar methods to uncover laws that govern the operation of society.
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23. Comte Comte said sociologists should be concerned with two problems:
Order
Change
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24. Comte-Social Statics
He used the term social statics to describe the process by which the overall structure of a society remains relatively stable.
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25. Comte-Social Dynamics
He applied the term social dynamics to the processes by which elements within a society change in a systematic fashion to allow social development.
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26. Comte-Cerebral Hygiene
At one point in his life he practiced cerebral hygiene, in which he refused to read any other scholars work.
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27. Herbert Spencer—Social Darwinism
Second Founder of Sociology
Lower and Higher Forms of Society
Coined Phrase “Survival of the Fittest”
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28. Spencer
Spencer was largely influenced by the views of Charles Darwin. Spencer viewed society as a set of interdependent parts that work together to maintain the system over time. Spencer thought of society in terms of Darwin’s theory of Evolution.
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29. Spencer
No corrections should be made to correct social ills. He coined the phrase Survival of the Fittest in reference to the weeding out process. Because of the strong evolutionary orientation of Spencer’s brand of sociology, it came to be known as Social Darwinism.
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30. Karl Marx and Class Conflict
Engine of Human History is Class Conflict
The Bourgeoisie vs. The Proletariat
Marxism Not the Same as Communism
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31. Marx
Marx believed that the overall structure of society is highly influenced by economics.
According to Marx society is divided between those who own the means of production and those who only own their labor. The imbalance of power would eventually lead to a conflict.
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32. Marx
Marx was deeply troubled by the social conditions that came out of a capitalist society. He said that social scientists had a duty to try to change the plights of the many less fortunate, unlike most social scientists.
Marx did not consider himself a sociologist, nor do most sociologists consider themselves to be Marxist.
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33. Durkheim and Social Integration
Got Sociology Recognized as Separate Discipline
Studied How Social Forces Affect Behavior
Identified “Social Integration”—Degree to Which People are Tied to Social Group
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34. Emile Durkheim
( ) was French and was a teacher at the University of Bordeaux when he was in his twenties.
Durkheim was the first sociologist to systematically apply the methods of science to the study of society.
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35. Durkheim He was concerned with the problem of social order.
He viewed society as a set of interdependent parts that maintain the system over time.
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36. Durkheim He viewed the role of these parts in terms of Functions.
Function- is the positive consequence that an element of society has for the maintenance of the social system.
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37. Durkheim
He also believed that sociology should only study those aspects of society that are directly observable.
He also used statistical analysis to study society.
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38. 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
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39. Weber
He said sociologists should go beyond studying what is directly observed.
He thought they should uncover the thoughts and feelings of individuals.
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40. Verstehen and Social Facts
Weber
Verstehen—“To Grasp by Insight”
Importance of Subjective Meanings
Durkheim
Stressed Social Facts
Explain Social Facts with Other Social Facts
How Social Facts and Verstehen Fit Together
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41. Weber
They could do this by using Verstehen- which is the empathetic understanding of the meanings others attach to their actions.
In essence the sociologist puts themselves in the place of others and attempts to see the world through their eyes.
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42. Weber
He also applied the idea of ideal type- which is a description of the essential characteristics of some aspect of society.
An ideal type is constructed by examining many different features of a phenomenon and describing its essential parts.
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43. Values in Sociological Research
Sociology Should be Value-Free
Sociology Should be Objective
Research Should Involve Replication
Goals and Uses of Sociology
Values in Sociological Research
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44. Sexism in Early Sociology
Attitudes of the Time
1800s Sex Roles Rigidly Defined
Few People Educated Beyond Basics
Harriet Martineau
Published Society in America Before Durkheim and Weber Were Born
Her Work was Ignored
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45. Sociology in North America
First Soc. Dept. U. of Chicago
Albion Small
Early History: Tension Between Social Reform and Sociological Analysis
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46. Sociology in North America
Jane Addams and Social Reform
Hull House
Nobel Prize
NAACP
W. E. B. Du Bois and Race Relations
Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: Theory vs. Reform
Grand Theorists
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47. Current Perspectives Theory
is a systematic explanation of the relationships among phenomena.
Theoretic Perspective
is a general set of assumptions about the nature of phenomena.
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48. Functionalist Perspective
View society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system.
Society is held together through consensus.
Functionalists view society in terms of their functions-their positive consequences for society.
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49. Functionalist Dysfunction
is the negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system. EX. Crime
Manifest Function
is the intended and recognized consequence of some element of society.
Latent Function
is the unintended and unrecognized consequence of an element of society.
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50. Conflict Perspective
Focus on those forces in society that promote competition and change. Following Karl Marx, conflict theorists are interested in how those who posses more power in society exercise control over those with less.
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51. Interactionist Perspective
Focus on how individuals interact with one another in society. These sociologists are interested in the ways in which individuals respond to one another in everyday situations.
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52. Symbolic Interactionism
Interaction between people that takes place through the use of symbols.
Symbol
is anything that stands for something else.
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