2. 2 Sociology is the scientific study of human activity.

3. 3... do with, to and for one another Human activity — the things people ….... think and do as a result of others’ influence

4. 4 Social forces are anything humans create that influences or pressures people to interact, behave, respond, or think in certain ways. 1

5. 5 Social forces Human activity (the way it is organized) Opportunities Disadvantages Sense of self Relationships with others and larger environment How do sociologists think about any human activity?

6. 6 Example of an “invention” as a social force: the mobile phone

7. 7 Revolutionary feature of the mobile phone  it frees people from being in a specific physical space when they communicate with others.

8. 8 Social Force: Mobile Phone Human activity (the things we do, think, and act!)

9. 9 What kinds of human activities have changed as a result of the mobile phone?

10. 10 Human activity (the way it is organized) Opportunities Disadvantages Sense of self Relationships with others and environment

11. 11 What opportunities and disadvantages come with the mobile phone? May not be able to fully engage in an activity Immediate access to others (not present), no matter the setting

12. 12 How is sense of self shaped by the mobile phone?

13. 13 What about relationships with others and the surrounding environment? In a survey of 439 doctors who perform cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery 55.6% reported using their mobile phones while performing surgery to send or check text messages, access e-mail, check postings on social networking sites or otherwise use the internet

14. Ability to picture ourselves in society & realize how society effects our experiences and choices

15. In 1959 wrote the book Sociological Imagination which coined the term —the sociological imagination—that stresses being able to connect individual experiences and societal relationships

16. 16 What meaning do you assign to this empty roll of toilet tissue?

17. 17 Which photograph best reflects the meaning you assign to the empty roll of toilet tissue?

18. 18 Cuba U.S.

19. 19 What social forces contribute to different ways of thinking about and responding to empty toilet paper rolls? Resource-rich country Consumption-oriented culture (capitalism) Ability to access resources from foreign sources Resource-poor country Thrift-oriented culture U.S. embargo since 1960 Collapse of Soviet Union

20. 20 How does attitude toward resources and corresponding behavior affect sense of self? Sense of self revolves around consumption Sense of self revolves around ingenuity

21. 21 Question: How do sociologists make sense of the patterns they observe? Answer: Three sociological perspectives

22. 22 Symbolic Interactionism Micro level How do individuals interpret their world? Meaningful symbols Social interaction in small groups – Shared rules of interaction – Language

23. 23 Structural Functionalism Macro level Society is a vast network of interrelated parts What are the parts of US society? How do they function for the maintenance of society? – Stability – Harmony – Evolution

24. 24 Conflict Theory Macro level Social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups Social change is the result of this social conflict Feminist theory – Relationship between gender, social class and minority status

25. 25 Peter Berger