Sociology

Definition - The systematic study of human society and social interaction.

A society is a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political

authority and dominant cultural expectations.

Sociological Imagination The ability to see

the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society.

Private v. Public Issues

Key People&

Contemporary Perspectives

What is the “glue” that holds societies

together?

What provides people with a sense of

belonging?

Why are these bubbles coming out of my head?

Emile Durkheim Concerned with social order and stability People are a product of their social

environment Human potential is socially based, not

biologically based Societies are built on social facts Rapid social change produces social strain

Key Terms for Durkheim Social Facts

Patterned ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist outside any one individual but that exert social control over each person.

Anomie Social control becomes

ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and a sense of purpose in society

Provide Some Examples Social Facts Anomie

Conflict is necessary to produce social change

and a better society

I, too, have these bubbles popping

out my head!

I think today I will establish a free and

classless society

Karl Marx History is a continuous clash between

conflicting ideas and forcesEconomic changes are most important

Class conflict between capitalist class (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat)AlienationFetishism of Commodities

Society should be changed Criticized for too much emphasis on class

struggle

Sociology should be value-free – it should

exclude the researcher’s personal values and economic interests

Then, we need to gain the ability to see the world as others

see it

It really isn’t possible for sociologists to be

value-free is it?

Max Weber Bureaucracies – determines the social

relationships among people These are destructive to human vitality and freedom

Rationalization – the modern world has become dominated by structures devoted to: Efficiency Calculability Predictability Technological Control

Emphasized the goal of value-free inquiry & necessity of understanding how others see the world

Structural Functionalist Based on the assumption that society is a

stable, orderly system (Durkheim) Societal Consensus

Common set of values, beliefs, behavioral expectations

Society composed of inter-related parts Social structures and institutions persist

because they help society persist Strains

Functionalism & Merton Manifest Functions

Intended or overtly recognized by participants in a social unit

Examples

Latent Functions Unintended functions that are hidden and

unacknowledged by participants Examples

Dysfunctions Undesirable consequences

May threaten a society’s capacity to adapt and survive

Conflict Perspective Groups in society are

engaged in continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources (Marx, Weber)

Encompasses several branches: Neo-Marxist (class struggle) Racial-Ethnic (exploitation) Feminist (gender issues)

Symbolic Interactionist Examines people’s day-to-day interactions

and their behavior in small groups (micro-level)

Society is the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups

Subjective RealityEach person’s interpretation or definition of a

given situation (shared or not shared symbols)

Post-Modern Existing theories have not

successfully explained social life in a contemporary society

Society focused on a shift from production to consumption

Postmodern Society Information explosion Rise of a consumer society Global Village