1. The Sociological Perspective
McGraw-Hill
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE The Sociological Perspective1
part
THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Sociological Perspective
McGraw-Hill
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. UNDERSTANDING SOCIOLOGY1
UNDERSTANDING SOCIOLOGY
What is Sociology?
What is Sociological Theory?
The Development of Sociology
Major Theoretical Perspectives
Applied and Clinical Sociology
Developing the Sociological Imagination
Appendix: Careers in Sociology

4. What is Sociology? Sociology
The systematic study of social behavior in human groups.
Examines the influence of social relationships on people’s attitudes and behavior.
Studies how societies are established and change.

5. What is Sociology? The Sociological Imagination
Definition: An awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society.
It is the ability to view our own society as an outsider might, rather than from the perspective of our limited experiences and cultural biases.

6. What is Sociology? Sociology and the Social Sciences
In contrast to other social sciences, sociology emphasizes the influence that groups can have on people’s behavior and attitudes and the ways in which people shape society.

7. What is Sociology? Sociology and Common Sense
Knowledge that relies on “common sense” is not always reliable.
Sociologists must test and analyze each piece of information that they use.

8. What is Sociology? Figure 1.1: Race of Victims in Death Penalty Cases
Source: Death Penalty Information Center 2003

9. What is Sociological Theory?
Theory: An attempt to explain events, forces, materials, ideas or behavior in a comprehensive manner.
Sociological Theories: Seek to explain problems, actions, or behavior.
Effective theories should explain and predict.
Sociologists employ theories to examine the relationships between observations or data that may seem completely unrelated.

10. The Development of Sociology
Early Thinkers
Auguste Comte 1798–1857
--Coined the term sociology as the science of human behavior
Harriet Martineau 1802–1876
--Studied social behavior in England and the United States
Herbert Spencer 1820–1903
--Studied “evolutionary” change in society
Continued...

11. The Development of Sociology
Early Thinkers
Émile Durkheim 1858–1917
--Pioneered work on suicide
Max Weber 1864–1920
--Taught the need for “insight” in intellectual work
Karl Marx 1818–1883
--Emphasized the importance of the economy and of conflict in society

12. The Development of Sociology
Modern Developments
Charles Horton Cooley 1864–1929
--Pioneered work on small groups within society
Jane Addams 1860–1935
--Combined sociological study with activism
Robert Merton 1910–2003
--Works on deviant behavior and crime

13. The Development of Sociology
Merton’s Micro and Macro Approaches to the Study of Society
Macrosociology: Concentrates on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations.
Microsociology: Stresses the study of small groups and often uses experimental study in laboratories.

14. The Development of Sociology
Prominent Contributors to Sociological Thought
1798
1857
Auguste Comte
1802
1876
Harriet Martineau
1820
1903
Herbert Spencer
1818
1883
Karl Marx
The “time lines” shown here give an idea of relative chronology.
1858
1917
Émile Durkeim
1860
1935
Jane Addams
George Herbert Mead
1863
1931
1864
1920
Max Weber
1864
1929
Charles Horton Cooley
1868
1963
W.E.B. Du Bois
1902
1979
Talcott Parsons
1910
2003
Robert Merton
1916
1962
C. Wright Mills
1922
1982
Erving Goffman
Source: Figure 1-2 (p.15) in Richard T. Schaefer and Robert P. Lamm, Sociology: An Introduction. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

15. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalist Perspective
Emphasizes the way that parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.
Views society as a vast network of connected parts, each of which helps to maintain the system as a whole.
Each part must contribute or it will not be passed on from one generation to the next.
Continued...

16. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalist Perspective
Manifest Functions of institutions are open, stated, conscious functions. They involve the intended, recognized, consequences of an aspect of society.
Latent Functions are unconscious or unintended functions and may reflect hidden purposes of an institution.
A dysfunction is an element or a process of society that may actually disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability.

17. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Conflict Perspective
Assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups.
Conflict is not necessarily violent.
Conflict can be over economics or over competing values.
Continued...

18. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Conflict Perspective
The Marxist View: Conflict is seen not merely as a class phenomenon but as a part of everyday life in all societies.
This view emphasizes social change and redistribution of resources, making conflict theorists more radical than functionalists.
Continued...

19. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Conflict Perspective
A Racial View: W. E. B DuBois: Encourages sociologists to view society through the eyes of those segments of the population that rarely influence decision making.
Sociology, contended DuBois, had to draw on scientific principles to study social problems such as those experienced by Blacks in the United States.
Continued...

20. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Interactionist Perspective
Generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to understand society as a whole.
Interactionism is a sociological framework for viewing human beings as living in a world of meaningful objects. These “objects” may include material things, actions, other people, relationships, and even symbols.

21. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Feminist Perspective
Definition: Views inequity in gender as central to all behavior and organization.
Unlike conflict theory, with which it is sometimes allied, the feminist perspective often focuses on the micro-level relationships of everyday life, just as interactionists do.

22. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Table 1.1: Comparing Major Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalist Conflict Interactionist
View of society Stable, well integrated Characterized by tension Active in influencing and
and struggle between affecting everyday social
groups interaction
Level of analysis Macro Macro Micro analysis as a way
emphasized of understanding the
larger macro phenomena
Key concepts Manifest functions Inequality Symbols
Latent functions Capitalism Nonverbal communication
Dysfunction Stratification Face-to-face interaction
View of the People are socialized to People are shaped People manipulate
individual perform societal functions by power, coercion, symbols and create their
and authority social worlds through interaction
Continued…

23. Major Theoretical Perspectives
Table 1.1: Comparing Major Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalist Conflict Interactionist
View of the Maintained through Maintained through Maintained by shared
social order cooperation and force and coercion understanding of
consensus everyday behavior
View of social Predictable, reinforcing Change takes place all Reflected in people’s
change the time and may have social positions and their
positive consequences communications with others
Example Public punishments Laws reinforce the People respect laws or
reinforce the social order positions of those disobey them based on
in power their own past experience
Proponents Émile Durkheim Karl Marx George Herbert Mead
Talcott Parsons W. E. B. Du Bois Charles Horton Cooley
Robert Merton Ida Wells-Barnett Erving Goffman

24. Major Theoretical Perspectives
The Sociological Approach
Sociologists make use of all four perspectives.
Each perspective offers unique insights into the same issue.

25. Applied and Clinical Sociology
Applied Sociology: The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations.
Clinical Sociology: The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering social relationships and facilitating change.
Basic Sociology: Seeks a more profound knowledge of the fundamental aspects of social phenomena.

26. Developing a Sociological Imagination
Theory in Practice
Research in Action
The Significance of Social Inequality
Speaking Across Race, Gender, and National Boundaries
Social Policy Throughout the World

27. Social Inequality
Barbara Ehrenreich discusses her book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America
(Click inside frame to start video)
Video © NBC News Archives.