Stranded

List 4 things that your group would take with them if they were stranded on a desert island. Be prepared to explain why.

UNIT 1

Sociological Perspectives

True or False…?

Personal troubles are really public issues :)

~C. WRIGHT MILLS

Unit 1 Sociological Perspectives

OverviewWhat is sociology?Origins of sociologyTheoretical perspectivesResearch MethodsCausation in scienceProcedures and ethics in research

What is Sociology?

1. Perspectives – particular point of view2. Sociology- scientific study of social structure; studies human

society and social behavior; study of patterns in society3. Sociological perspective- a view that looks at behavior of

groups, not individuals4. Social sciences5. Social structure- the patterned interaction of people in

social relationships6. Conformity

All groups encourage conformity

7. Sociological imagination- ability to see the link between society and self (social awareness)

C. Wright Mills8. Careers in sociology – see Sociology Today worksheet p.12

Perspectives

Draw a road map to Madigan’s. Start from where you are sitting right now. Compare maps with others

Why did you choose the route you did?Defend your route. Why is it the best?

As social beings our perspectives (or social maps) aren’t always the same as those of other people and therefore our reality isn’t the same

either.

Answer the following statements…

1. Young men join gangs because________.

2. A woman divorces her husband because________.

3. Immigrants come here because________.

Personal Societal

Sociological Imagination

Shoe and Coffee CupFocus on the object that has the most personal meaning to you.Describe the object with a few sentences.

Who manufactures the object?Who sells the object?Who buys the object?When did they start making the object?Does everyone use it?Are there other uses for this object?Who, if anyone, suffers from this object?

Most objects have a wider social and economic significance than just a personal one.Other lives are connected to it. The sociological imagination asks us to see our lives in terms of the larger picture.

The Origins of Sociology

European origins1. Auguste Comte (kaw NT)

(French: 1798-1857) Founder of sociology, coined

the term sociology Positivism- the belief that

knowledge should be derived from scientific observation

Social statics- study of social stability and order

Social dynamics- study of social change

The Origins of Sociology

2. Harriet Martineau (English: 1802-1876)

Emphasized sociology as a science

Feminism Believed that women's lack of

economic power kept them dependant

Translated Comte Author of Society in America

The origins of Sociology

3. Herbert Spencer (English: 1820-1903)

Social Darwinism Coined the term

“survival of the fittest” Evolutionary social

change will occur without

interference from people; society will prosper as a result

Opposed social reform

The Origins of Sociology

4. Karl Marx (German: 1818-1883) Identified several different social classes,

predicted that at some point society would be left with only two Proletariats- working class; those who

labor for the bourgeoisie Bourgeoisie- class owning the means for

producing wealth (factories & equipment) Capitalists- person who owns or

controls the means for producing wealth

class conflict- ongoing struggle between he bourgeoisie and the proletariat

class conflict- ongoing struggle between he bourgeoisie and the proletariat

Proletariat will rise up and overthrow the bourgeoisie A classless society will result (communism)

All of history is

a struggle of class

The Origins of Sociology(Later European Scholars)

5. Emile Durkheim (French: 1858-1917)

Society exists due to consensus of members of society; functions maintain social order

Mechanical solidarity: (pre-industrial societies) social dependency based on a widespread consensus of values and beliefs, enforced conformity, and dependence on tradition and family

Organic solidarity: (industrial societies) social interdependency based on a high degree of specialization in roles

Make people dependent on one another for goods and services

Suicide

The Origins of Sociology (Later European Scholars)

6. Max Weber (German: 1864-1920) Sociologists must discover the personal

meanings, values, beliefs, and attitudes underlying social behavior

Verstehen: understanding the social behavior of others by putting themselves mentally in their places; allows you to see things from a different point of view

Rationalization: the mindset that emphasizes knowledge, reason and planning Key influence in the change from an

preindustrial to industrial society Ideal Type: essential characteristics of a

feature of society

Sociology in Early America

7. Jane Addams (American: 1860-1935) Social reformer

Applied sociology: service learning Hull House (Chicago)

Immigrants, sick, poor, and aged received help Could see first hand the effects of the industrial

revolution on the lower class Nobel peace prize in 1931

“A fatal want of harmony between theory and [sociology students] lives, a lack of coordination between thought and action…”

Sociology in Early America

8. W.E.B. Du Bois (American: 1868-1963)

Studied race relations Social structure of African

American communities Social Action

Co-founder of the NAACP Civil rights Pan-Africanism

Theoretical Perspectives

What is theoretical perspective? A set of assumptions accepted as true

3 theoretical perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism

Musical Floobs

1. You must sit out if you don’t have a chair when the music stops.

2. Anyone left without a place to sit at the end of future rounds may share a chair with someone. How is this game representative of the functionalist and the conflict perspectives?

When resources (chairs {floobs}) become limited, cooperation becomes necessary (functionalist).In the first round, as resources (chairs{floobs}) became limited, competition developed-the conflict perspective. Students sitting on the floor eliminated the need for competition or conflict and the cooperation made the situation functional for everyone.

Theoretical Perspectives

1. Functionalism (Comte, Spencer, Durkhiem) Approach that emphasizes the contributions made by

each part of society Ex. economy, family, government, & religion

A change in one part will effect another After social upheaval, society will stabilize

a. Manifest functions- intended and recognized consequences of an aspect of society (x. in school is to learn math)

b. Latent functions- unintended and unrecognized consequences of an aspect of society (x. in school close friendships)

c. Dysfunction- negative consequences of an aspect of society (X. bullies, not learning, impersonal)

Come Here!!!

Stand behind the strips on the floor facing a partner

Persuade your partner, without speaking, to come across to your side

One person in each pair will be a winnerConflict perspective emphasizes competition and the use of power over one group by another

When one group feels powerless in relation to another, conflict exists

Theoretical Perspectives

2. Conflict theory (Marx) Approach emphasizing the role of conflict, competition, and

constraint within a society• Opposite of functionalist perspective

groups or societies compete as they attempt to preserve and promote their own special values and interests

View social living as a contest; who gets what? Ppl with the most power get the largest share of what is

considered valuable (scarce resources) • After power groups gain control of resources, they est. rules and

procedures to protect their interests Conflict…leads to social change

Social Movements promote change• X. womens’ movement

• Gender inequality is created by society, and enforced by family, ed. & religion

Theoretical Perspectives

3. Symbolic Interactionism (Weber, Blumer) Focuses on the interactions of people based on mutually

understood symbols• Symbol: anything that represents something else (gestures,

words, events, objects) all members of society need to agree on the meaning

• Basic assumptions

1. Learn meaning of symbols by watching ppl’s reaction

2. Base our behavior (interaction) on the meaning of the symbol

3. Determine how others will respond to the meanings of the symbols based on the meaning of them (internal conversations)

Dramaturgy (Goffman): depicts human interactions as theatrical performances

Changes in America from 1900-2000

1. 4

2. 98%

3. 61%

4. Four

5. Seven

6. 30%

7. 97%

8. 70%

Research Methods

The goal of sociological research is to test common sense assumptions and replace false ideas with facts and evidence.

1. Quantitative research (uses numerical data) Surveys

Population- a group of people with certain specified characteristics Sample- group of people that represents a larger population Representative sample- a sample that accurately reflects the

characteristics of the population as a whole Questionnaire- a written set of questions to be answered by a

research participant Interview- survey method in which a trained researcher asks questions

and records the answers closed-ended questions- choosing from a limited predetermined set

of responses/open-ended- answer in your own words Secondary Analysis (Precollected data)- using precollected information

for data collection and research experiment

Research Methods

2. Qualitative research (uses narrative and descriptive data)

Field research- takes place in a natural setting

Case study- intensive study of a group, incident, or community

• Participant observation- case study where the researcher becomes a member of the group being studied

Research

Topics of StudyCheating…Cliques…Bullying…

Methods of StudySurvey Questionnaire/Interview

@ least 5 subjects 3-5 questions

Record personal stats

Case study using participant observation

Causation

-The belief that events occur in predictable ways and one event leads to another Multiple causation- event occurs due to several factors Variable- characteristic that is subject to change

Quantitative- can be measured numerically Qualitative- defined by its presence or absence in a category Independent- causes something to occur (CATCH!) Dependant- reflects a change Intervening- changes the relationship between an independent and

a dependent variable Correlation- a measure of the relationship between two variables

Spurious correlation- relationship between two variables that is actually caused by a third factor

Questions, Questions…

1. Write five questions about society that you would like to see answered.

2. Include any approach or subject as long as it could be measured and involves social dynamics.

Ex. Do men work harder than women?

What are the major differences in the ways teens communicate compared to adults?

3. Look at each question. Write down all of the variables that you would have to examine to begin to research that question.

Procedures and Ethics in Research

Scientific Method Identify the problem Review the literature Formulate a hypothesis Develop a research design Collect data Analyzing data State findings and conclusions

Ethics