Sociology. Introduction Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of human social life. Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of human

SociologySociology

IntroductionIntroduction

Sociology is the systematic and Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of human social life. scientific study of human social life.

Sociologists study people as they Sociologists study people as they form groups and interact with one form groups and interact with one another. another.

IntroductionIntroduction

SociologySociology (from Latin: (from Latin: sociussocius, , "companion"; and the suffix "companion"; and the suffix -ology-ology, "the , "the study of")study of")

Sociology is the scientific or systematic Sociology is the scientific or systematic study of society, including patterns of study of society, including patterns of social relations, social stratification, social social relations, social stratification, social interaction, and culture. interaction, and culture.

Areas studied in sociology:Areas studied in sociology: The analysis of brief contacts between The analysis of brief contacts between

anonymous individuals on the street anonymous individuals on the street

IntroductionIntroduction The study of global social interaction. The study of global social interaction. Numerous fields within the discipline concentrate Numerous fields within the discipline concentrate

on how and why people are organized in society, on how and why people are organized in society, either as individuals or as members of either as individuals or as members of associations, groups, and institutions. associations, groups, and institutions.

Sociology is considered a branch of the social Sociology is considered a branch of the social sciences.sciences.

Sociological research provides educators, Sociological research provides educators, planners, lawmakers, administrators, developers, planners, lawmakers, administrators, developers, business leaders, and people interested in business leaders, and people interested in resolving social problems and formulating public resolving social problems and formulating public policy with rationales for the actions that they policy with rationales for the actions that they take.take.

The Birth of SociologyThe Birth of Sociology Auguste Comte (1798Auguste Comte (1798

—1857), widely —1857), widely considered the considered the “father of sociology,” “father of sociology,” became interested in became interested in studying society studying society because of the because of the changes that took changes that took place as a result of place as a result of the French the French Revolution and the Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution.

The Birth of SociologyThe Birth of Sociology

Comte looked at the extensive Comte looked at the extensive changes brought about by the changes brought about by the French Revolution and the Industrial French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution and tried to make sense Revolution and tried to make sense of them. of them.

He felt that the social sciences that He felt that the social sciences that existed at the time, including existed at the time, including political science and history, couldn’t political science and history, couldn’t adequately explain the chaos and adequately explain the chaos and upheaval he saw around him. upheaval he saw around him.


Comte decided that to understand Comte decided that to understand society, one had to follow certain society, one had to follow certain procedures, which we know now as procedures, which we know now as the the scientific methodscientific method. .

Comte also believed in positivism, Comte also believed in positivism, which is the application of the which is the application of the scientific method to the analysis of scientific method to the analysis of society. society.


Comte felt that sociology could be Comte felt that sociology could be used to inspire social reforms and used to inspire social reforms and generally make a society a better generally make a society a better place for its members. place for its members.

Comte’s standards of “research” Comte’s standards of “research” were not nearly as exacting as that were not nearly as exacting as that of today, and most of his conclusions of today, and most of his conclusions have been disregarded, as they were have been disregarded, as they were based mostly on observation rather based mostly on observation rather than serious investigation. than serious investigation.

Types of SociologyTypes of Sociology QUALITATIVE QUALITATIVE

SOCIOLOGYSOCIOLOGY Albion Small (1854-1926) Albion Small (1854-1926)

developed qualitative developed qualitative sociologysociology

Concerned mainly with Concerned mainly with trying to obtain an accurate trying to obtain an accurate picture of a group and how picture of a group and how it operates in the world. it operates in the world.

Small and his followers Small and his followers were particularly interested were particularly interested in understanding how in understanding how immigration was affecting immigration was affecting the city and its residents the city and its residents through interviews and through interviews and observations. observations.

Types of SociologyTypes of Sociology

QUANTITATIVE SOCIOLOGYQUANTITATIVE SOCIOLOGY Quantitative sociology relies on Quantitative sociology relies on

statistical analysis to understand statistical analysis to understand experiences and trends. experiences and trends.

Quantify the data to render it Quantify the data to render it suitable for statistical manipulation.suitable for statistical manipulation.

The Other Social The Other Social SciencesSciences

Social sciences concern people’s Social sciences concern people’s relationships and interactions with relationships and interactions with one another. one another.


ANTHROPOLOGYANTHROPOLOGY Anthropology Anthropology

concerns individual concerns individual cultures in a society, cultures in a society, rather than the rather than the society as a whole. society as a whole.

Anthropologists Anthropologists place special place special emphasis on emphasis on language, kinship language, kinship patterns, and patterns, and cultural artifacts.cultural artifacts.


POLITICAL SCIENCEPOLITICAL SCIENCE Political science Political science

concerns the concerns the governments of governments of various societies. various societies.

Political science also Political science also concerns the relation concerns the relation of people in a society of people in a society to whatever form of to whatever form of government they government they have.have.


PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY Psychology takes the Psychology takes the

individual out of his or individual out of his or her social circum her social circum stances and examines stances and examines the mental processes the mental processes that occur within that that occur within that person. person.

Psychologists study Psychologists study the human brain and the human brain and how it functions, how it functions, considering issues considering issues such as memory, such as memory, dreams, learning, and dreams, learning, and perception.perception.


ECONOMICSECONOMICS Economics focuses on Economics focuses on

the production and the production and distribution of society’s distribution of society’s goods and services. goods and services.

Economists study why Economists study why a society chooses to a society chooses to produce what it does, produce what it does, how money is how money is exchanged, and how exchanged, and how people interact and people interact and cooperate to produce cooperate to produce goods.goods.

What Sociologists DoWhat Sociologists Do

People with training in sociology People with training in sociology pursue a variety of different career pursue a variety of different career and research paths. Because and research paths. Because “society” is such a broad field of “society” is such a broad field of study, a background in sociology study, a background in sociology helps support dozens of different helps support dozens of different career choices. career choices.


SOCIAL WELFARESOCIAL WELFARE Social workerSocial worker Child welfare workerChild welfare worker Adoption agency Adoption agency

workerworker Foreign aid workerForeign aid worker Peace Corps/VISTA Peace Corps/VISTA

volunteervolunteer ClergyClergy


CRIME AND CRIME AND DEVIANCEDEVIANCE

Many sociologists Many sociologists focus their research focus their research on understanding the on understanding the roots of criminal and roots of criminal and deviant behavior. deviant behavior.

Law enforcement Law enforcement officerofficer

AttorneyAttorney Prison administratorPrison administrator


HEALTH CAREHEALTH CARE An understanding of An understanding of

changing changing demographics and demographics and culture is essential for culture is essential for keeping members of a keeping members of a society healthy. society healthy.

DoctorDoctor PsychiatristPsychiatrist Marriage or family Marriage or family

counselorcounselor

What Sociologists DoWhat Sociologists Do INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

RELATIONS AND RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACYDIPLOMACY

Maintaining good relations Maintaining good relations with other societies is always with other societies is always important. Sociologists who important. Sociologists who specialize in international specialize in international relations must understand relations must understand the intricacies of how their the intricacies of how their society interacts with others. society interacts with others.

DiplomatDiplomat Public relations Public relations

representativerepresentative Government Government

communications workercommunications worker

What Sociologists DoWhat Sociologists Do EDUCATIONEDUCATION Many people study Many people study

sociology because sociology because they want to develop they want to develop more effective ways to more effective ways to educate a society’s educate a society’s youth or because they youth or because they want to continue want to continue learning and teaching learning and teaching about sociology itself. about sociology itself.

K-12 teacherK-12 teacher College professorCollege professor Educational policy-Educational policy-

makermaker

Examining Social LifeExamining Social Life

Social interaction: Social interaction: is a dynamic, is a dynamic, changing sequence of social actions changing sequence of social actions between individuals (or groups) who between individuals (or groups) who modify their actions and reactions modify their actions and reactions according to the actions by their according to the actions by their interaction partner(s).interaction partner(s).


Social phenomenon:Social phenomenon: include all include all behavior which influences or is behavior which influences or is influenced by organisms sufficiently influenced by organisms sufficiently alive to respond to one another.alive to respond to one another.


Sociological Sociological imagination: imagination: is a is a sociological term, sociological term, coined by the coined by the American sociologist American sociologist C. Wright Mills in C. Wright Mills in 1959, describing the 1959, describing the process of linking process of linking individual experience individual experience with social institutions with social institutions and one's place in and one's place in history.history.

Using Sociological Using Sociological ImaginationImagination

Scenario:Scenario: A group of teenagers A group of teenagers attend a party where alcohol is being attend a party where alcohol is being served. After consuming large served. After consuming large quantities of alcohol, four of these quantities of alcohol, four of these teenagers decide to leave and drive teenagers decide to leave and drive to another party. to another party.


Task:Task: Exercise Exercise your Social your Social Imaginations by Imaginations by describing some of describing some of the social the social consequences of consequences of this action for…this action for…


the four teenagersthe four teenagers


other driversother drivers


the parents of the the parents of the teenagersteenagers


society as a wholesociety as a whole

Sociology: Then and NowSociology: Then and Now

Overview: Overview: Early sociologists Early sociologists attempted to understand the social attempted to understand the social conditions produced by the Industrial conditions produced by the Industrial Revolution.Revolution.

Key TermsKey Terms

Social Darwinism:Social Darwinism: is a theory that is a theory that competition among all individuals, competition among all individuals, groups, nations or ideas drives social groups, nations or ideas drives social evolution in human societiesevolution in human societies

Function:Function: What something does or is What something does or is used forused for

Verbsteben:Verbsteben: empathetic empathetic understanding of meanings others understanding of meanings others attach to their actionsattach to their actions

Key TermsKey Terms

Ideal Type:Ideal Type: also also known as pure type, known as pure type, or Ideal type (in the or Ideal type (in the original German), is original German), is a typological term a typological term most closely most closely associated with associated with sociologist Max sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920).Weber (1864-1920).

Key TermsKey Terms

Theory:Theory: a theory is a testable model a theory is a testable model of the manner of interaction of a set of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomenaof natural phenomena

Theoretical Perspectives: Theoretical Perspectives: General General set of assumptions about the nature set of assumptions about the nature of phenomenon. Outline the nature of phenomenon. Outline the nature of social life.of social life.

Key TermsKey Terms

Functionalist Perspective:Functionalist Perspective: theoretical perspective that views theoretical perspective that views society as a set of interrelated parts society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a that work together to produce a stable social system.stable social system.

Dysfunction:Dysfunction: an abnormality an abnormality Manifest Function:Manifest Function: intended and intended and

recognized consequence of some recognized consequence of some element of societyelement of society

Key TermsKey Terms

Latent Function:Latent Function: unintended and unintended and unrecognized consequence of some unrecognized consequence of some element of society.element of society.

Conflict Perspective: Conflict Perspective: theoretical theoretical perspective that focuses on those forces in perspective that focuses on those forces in society that promotes competition and society that promotes competition and change.change.

Interactionist Perspective: Interactionist Perspective: theoretical theoretical perspective that focuses on how individuals perspective that focuses on how individuals interact with each other in society.interact with each other in society.

Key TermsKey Terms Symbol: Symbol: anything anything

that stands for that stands for something else and something else and has a shared has a shared meaning attached to meaning attached to it.it.

Symbolic Symbolic Interaction: Interaction: interaction between interaction between people that takes people that takes place through the place through the use of symbols. use of symbols.

Documents

Sociology. Introduction Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of human social life. Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of human