3.  Stresses the Social Contexts in which people live.  How people are influenced by society… › Social location  Gender  Age  Race, ethnicity  Class  Culture

5.  Paradigm  Consensus  Macro  Micro

6.  Tradition v. Science › Tradition  based theories on superstition, myth, stars, bias…etc.  Untested… › Science  theories that can be tested using scientific method. › Soft-Science  Generalities, patterns of behavior

8. Sociologists look at events from a ‘Holistic’, or multi-dimensional perspective. i.e. Biopsychosocial perspective combines several perspectives and approaches.  Uses:  History  Psychology  Anthropology  Economics  Political Science  Literature  Science  Art  Etc.

9.  Positivism  Social Darwinism  Class Conflict  Social Integration  Protestant Ethic

10.  A uguste Comte (1798- 1857)  “Father of Sociology”  First proposed using Scientific Method to understand society  Believed that society develop and progress through the following stages:  Religious, Metaphysical, and Scientific  Comte and other early social scientists assumed human behavior must obey laws of nature  (i.e. Newton's laws of motion)  If discovered, those laws could eliminate moral evils and create a better society i.e. the same way medical scientists discovered how diseases worked and eliminated a lot of human suffering.

11.  Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) › Thought societies evolve from ‘lower’ to ‘higher’ civilized forms › Over time, the most capable survive, while the less capable die out. › Helping the ‘lower’ classes interfers with this natural process and holds back society  NOTE: Did Not conduct Scientific studies!!!

12.  Karl Marx (1818-1883) › Class Conflict drives Human History  Bourgeoisie (owners) vs. Proletariat (workers) › Economic Determinism › Influenced many Sociologists esp. Conflict Theorists

13.  Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) › Wanted sociology recognized as separate discipline › First Professor of Sociology › Show how social forces affect people’s behavior.

14.  Max Weber (1864-1920) › Author Spirit of Capitalism › Disagreed with Marx  (economics is central force in society) › Religion is central force.  (key factor in rise of Capitalism)

15.  Harriet Martineau (1802-1876)  Focused on male perspectives  Women’s roles assigned to wife/mother  Only handful got higher educations  Writings of women ignored… i.e.  Jane Frohock  Lucretia Mott  Elizabeth Cady Stanton  Frances Perkins

16.  Early History › University of Kansas (1890) › *University of Chicago (1892)  George Herbert Mead (symbolic interactionist perspective) › Atlanta University (1897)

17.  Like European women, mostly ignored and denied positions, so many turned to activism.  Jane Addams  Emily Green Balch  Isabel Eaton  Charlotte Perkins Gilman  Florence Kelly  Elsie Clews Parsons  Alice Paul

18.  Jane Addams (1860-1935) › Most successful of the women › Worked for social justice  Co-founded Hull House  Co-founded American Civil Liberties Union  Campaigned for Child Labor Laws  Eight hour work day › Co-winner of Nobel Peace Prize (1931) (first sociologist to do so!)

19. W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) Minority professionals also found it difficult to find positions and contribute in the field due to racism. Also turned to social action.

21.  1940’s shifted from reform to theory  Two Schools of thought: › Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)  Developed models of society showing how everything worked together harmoniously (no need to fix) › C. Wright Mills (1916-1962)  Urged social reform, (need to fix)  The Power Elite/ inequality threatens

22.  Theory vs. Reform leads to Applied Sociology  The use of sociology to solve problems  Division still exists: › Want focus on social reform › If applied social work, not sociology

23.  Symbolic Interactionism  Functional Analysis  Conflict Theory › Macro – Large scale patterns in society › Micro – patterns between individuals

24.  Considers symbols in daily life  what these symbols mean  How people interact with each other › People attach meanings to symbols and act according to their interpretations of them  Language (verbal and written)  Music, clothing, etc.

25.  Neglects the macro level of social interactions i.e. The Big Picture  Dismisses the influence of social forces and institutions on individual interactions

26.  Each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society’s functioning as a whole.  Held together by social consensus and cooperation.  Mechanical Solidarity- maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work.  Organic Solidarity- interdependent, but have varied beliefs and work.

27.  Neglects the negative functions  i.e. divorce  Justifies the status quo  Doesn’t encourage change  See active social change as undesirable because will take care of itself.

28.  Focuses on conflict and change › Dialectics  Challenge the status quo  Encourages social change

29.  Negative (focus on problems)  Cynical  i.e. sees the system as manipulative and having ulterior motives  Sees capitalism as controlling the masses  not as preserving society and social order

30.  Cross-Species  Considers the similarities in differences between human and social behavior and that of other animals.  Cross-Cultural  Compares customs and standards of behavior within a community or system.  Statistical perspective  How often an attitude or practice occurs within any given group.

31.  Historical Perspectives  Deals with social issues from the point of view of historical attitudes, values, practices and contexts.  Religious Perspective  Considers the effects that religious doctrines, scriptures, and spirituality have in individuals and society.  Feminist Perspective  Concerned with gender differences and the limitations associated with traditional, male dominated theories of society.

32.  NOTE: › All perspectives have strengths and weaknesses and present a single-sided, distorted picture of society. › Some compliment each other, some contradict. › Integrated approach gives the fullest understanding of issues.