1. Sociology

2. Social Sciences
Anthropology – comparative study of past and present cultures
Psychology – Study of behavior and mental processes
Economics – Study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods
Political Science – Study of the organization and operation of governments
History – Study of past events

3. What is Sociology?
The study of human society and social behavior from a group perspective

4. What do sociologists look at?
Focus on social interaction
How people relate to one another and influence others behavior
Examine social phenomena
Look at observable facts or events that involve a society

5. Sociological imagination
Ability to see the connection between the larger world and your personal life

6. Development of Sociology
1800s rapid growth of cities due to industrialization
Increase in crime
Pollution
Housing shortages
Realized that society was impacting the individual
These social changes led scholars to start analyzing society’s effect on an individual

7. Auguste Comte French philosopher
Founder of sociology as distinct subject
Focus on social order and social change
Believed certain processes called social statics held society together
Society changes through definite processes called social dynamics
Uncover social statics and dynamics though scientific research and that knowledge can be used to reform society

8. Harriet Martineau British writer Wrote Society in America
Went to US to look at rather it lived up to its promise of democracy
Reported on marriage, family, race relations, education, and religion
Believed scholars should advocate change to solve the problems they studied
Spoke out in favor of women’s rights, religious tolerance, and an end to slavery

9. Herbert Spencer Versus
Believed society is a set of interdependent parts that work together to maintain the system
Considered social change and unrest to be natural occurrences as society evolves toward stability and perfection
Social Darwinism – the fittest societies would survive over time leading to a better society
Believed the best aspects of a society would survive over time
Versus

10. Karl Marx
Believed that the structure of a society is influenced by how its economy is organized
Believed that a society’s economic system strongly influenced its social structure
Emphasized that conflict was the primary cause of social change
This thought led to Conflict Theory

11. Karl Marx: Capitalists v. Workers
Believed in 2 classes
Capitalists own materials and methods to produce
Workers own the labor to produce
Imbalance in power would lead to conflict and end when workers overthrow those in power
Workers would build a classless society where citizens contribute based on ability and rewarded according to needs

12. Emile Durkheim
Developed first university sociology course at U. of Bordeaux
First to apply methods of science to study societies
Function – consequence that an element of society produces for the maintenance of a social system
Ex: interested in function of religion in maintaining social order
Believed shared beliefs and values were the glue that held a society together
Believed sociologists should only study features in society that are observable

13. Max Weber
Interested in separate groups within a society rather than in society as a whole
Focused on the effect of society on an individual
Study what can be observed as well as people’s thoughts and feelings
Developed the concept of the ideal type
The essential characteristics of a feature of society
???Feelings????
??? Thoughts ???

14. Jane Addams Opened settlement house in Chicago called Hull House
Offered welfare, educational and recreational services for the poor
Want to solve the problems of the poor so surveyed the poor to gain a better understanding

15. W.E.B. DuBois
Studied societies by mixing social analysis with social reform
Helped found NAACP
Studied the significance of race in American society

16. Theoretical Perspectives
Sociologists develop theories to provide guidance in their work and help them interpret their findings
Develop theoretical perspectives (school of thought) which are a general set of assumptions about the nature of things
What perspective do you take?

17. Functionalist Perspective
View society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce stable social systems
People agree on what is best for society and work together to ensure social system runs smoothly
Positive functions: family, religion, education, and the economy
Label some things dysfunction because not everything runs smoothly
Dysfunction – negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system
Example: crime
Function vs. Dysfunction

18. Functionalist: manifest v. latent functions
Manifest – intended and recognized consequence of some element of society
Example: automobile provided speedy transportation from one place to another
Latent – unintended or unrecognized consequence of an element of society
Example: automobile helps people gain social standing because it’s a sign of wealth

19. Conflict Perspective
Focus on the forces in society that promote competition and change
Interested in how those who possess more power in society exercise control over those with less power
Topics: decision making in the family, relationships among racial groups, disputes between workers and employers

20. Competition over scarce resources is the basis of social conflict
Group with control over society’s resources establishes rules and procedures to protect interests
Leads to conflict as those with less resources attempt to gain resources
Conflict theorists see change as inevitable
Feminist Perspective – part of conflict perspective because it focuses on area of inequality – gender
Believe society created gender inequality

21. Interactionist Perspective
Focuses on how individuals interact with one another in society
Interested in the ways individuals respond to one another in everyday situations
Interested in meanings that individuals attach to own actions and actions of others
Used to study: mate selection, child development, and relationships in small groups

22. Interactionist: Symbols
Interested in role of symbols in daily life
Ex: statue of liberty – US
handshake – greeting
Symbolic interaction – interaction among people that takes place through the use of symbols
3 elements: meaning, language, and thought
1) respond to things based on meaning
2) meanings come from interaction through language
3) individual adjusts meanings through thought
Social interaction involves individuals defining and interpreting each others actions