1. What is Sociology? Family Sociology
Montclair State University
Introduction
1) The class name
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2. Sociological Inquiry Families do not exist or evolve in isolation
Rather, they react to and have an influence on the social world around them
The sociological perspective on families emphasizes the rules, roles, and relationships that are created an maintained by the larger society
How do sociologists examine family life?
Theoretical perspectives
Methods of social analysis
Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

3. What is Sociology?
What pops into your mind when you think about Sociology?
What do sociologists study?
How is sociological thinking different from other social science disciplines?
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

4. The Sociological Approach
Sociology focuses on the family from the outside in rather than the inside out
Sociology looks “behind the scenes” to explain patterns of behavior
Sociology looks for general processes that produce an individual experience
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

5. Thinking Like a Sociologist
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

6. The Sociological Approach
Sociology focuses on how social forces influence individual behavior, actions, and feelings.
AND
Sociology examines how the interaction of individuals and small groups influence the economic or social change?
Humans viewed as both puppets and puppeteers
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

7. Thinking like a Sociologist
In this class, we will focus on how families are influenced by the larger social structure
Social structure: is a stable framework of social relationships that guides our interaction with others
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

8. The Sociological Approach Levels of Analysis
The macro level comprises:
Society – a population of people that is organized in a cooperative manner to carry out the major functions of life
Culture – All modes of thought, behavior, and production that are communicated to members of a society through all forms of communication 
How would you describe the culture of the U.S.?
Sociologists focus on how society, culture, and social stratification constrain individual choices.
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

9. The Sociological Approach Levels of Analysis
The macro level comprises:
Analysis at the macro level focuses on large-scale
social institutions
social structures
comparisons between entire societies
How does one society differ from another?
Sociologists focus on how society, culture, and social stratification constrain individual choices.
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

10. The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
For example: How are families different in Japan compared to the U.S. ??
The divorce rate in the U.S. is 50%
The rate in Japan is 27%
Sociologists focus on how society, culture, and social stratification constrain individual choices.
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

11. The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level
The micro level includes interactions among individuals, small groups, and families
The micro level focuses on our individual actions, thoughts, and choices
Think of this as the smaller picture
Sociologists focus on how society, culture, and social stratification constrain individual choices.
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

12. The Sociological Approach
Macro Level
Micro Level
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

13. The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
Social institutions
A social institution is a major sphere of social life with rules and roles that define a social unit of importance to society
A social institution is a visible structure that people can recognize and understand
Families are a social institution
MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT OF SOCAIL INSTITUIONS!
Sociologists look outward toward the larger social forces that may influence these individuals, groups and social institutions – forces such as social stratification which are– hierarchies based on power, wealth, gender and/or race.
Sociologist specialize in the study of social institutions.
Sociologists view the family as a social institution.
As Cherlin writes – a social institution refers to a set of roles and rules that define a social unit that is important to society.
For example, why on average, are African-Americans families poorer than white families? It may be that discrimination against African-Americans has resulted in less opportunity for well paying jobs – leading to impoverished families.
Sociologists also study the link between institutions, so we might consider what are the links between economic life and family life. For example, sociologists study the effect of how mother’s employment on child development or school achievements.
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

14. The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
Family sociologists examine how these SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS interact and how they influence behaviors, attitudes, and opportunities in families
Economy
Government
Education
Families
Religion
Healthcare
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

15. The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
The macro level comprises:
Social Status
Social statuses are:
the social positions people occupy and
the privileges and constraints that are attached to these positions
Sociologists look outward toward the larger social forces that may influence these individuals, groups and social institutions – forces such as social stratification which are– hierarchies based on power, wealth, gender and/or race.
Sociologist specialize in the study of social institutions.
Sociologists view the family as a social institution.
As Cherlin writes – a social institution refers to a set of roles and rules that define a social unit that is important to society.
For example, why on average, are African-Americans families poorer than white families? It may be that discrimination against African-Americans has resulted in less opportunity for well paying jobs – leading to impoverished families.
Sociologists also study the link between institutions, so we might consider what are the links between economic life and family life. For example, sociologists study the effect of how mother’s employment on child development or school achievements.
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

16. The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
This hierarchical arrangement of people in terms of power, prestige, and resources is called social stratification
These hierarchies in the U.S. are often based on race/ethnicity, education, income, and gender
Think about how your race or gender or age has blocked your from an opportunity or given you an advantage
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

17. The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level
Micro level deals with issues of social life at the level of individuals or small groups
At the micro level we focus on patterned behaviors of people that are due to the social conditions in which we find ourselves
We act differently in different settings and places
Micro level analysis focuses on personal choices
Families operate on the micro level - where interaction between individuals and small groups takes place.
Individuals are shaped by larger social forces - and social institutions
Small groups, families may adhere to their own culture - their own set of norms and values - but these are shaped by larger institutions like the
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

18. The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level
Micro level deals with issues of social life at the level of individuals or small groups
Micro level analysis focuses on personal choices
Think of an example of a personal choice you made recently and how it was influenced by the larger society, your social status, the economy, the government, the culture of Montclair?
Families operate on the micro level - where interaction between individuals and small groups takes place.
Individuals are shaped by larger social forces - and social institutions
Small groups, families may adhere to their own culture - their own set of norms and values - but these are shaped by larger institutions like the
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Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

19. Social Science Research
How do we know what we know?
Most of us understand the world around us through our personal experience -- the people and situations we have been in or have seen
This personal experience leads to your conclusions about the world
While there is nothing wrong with these ways of knowing -- social scientists are skeptical about relying ONLY on these sources because:
An individual’s experience of those around them is not representative of the broader society
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20. Social Science Research
How do we know what we know?
Social scientists use a systematic and more scientific mode of investigation
Social scientists rely on:
Observations of the social world based on representative samples
Example: If we wanted to study why people in the U.S. get married, we should not just survey college students
We avoid the error of overgeneralization: i.e. using what we know about a small group of people to conclude something about all people
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21. Sociological Theories
Social science theories explain or help us make sense of patterns in social life
Theories shape and direct research – they point us in a direction
That direction influences what we look for, what we find, and how we explain it
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22. Sociological Theories
Theories about families and relationships are made up a set of statements that explain why certain relationships occur
For example: The age at first marriage has increased because more women are graduating from college and starting careers before marrying
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23. Macrolevel theories Macrolevel theories focus on:
a whole society or a large part of it
the BIG PICTURE
Example:
How has the decline in real male wages influenced husbands’ and wives’ involvement in the paid labor force
Research might examine cost of living and employment rates by gender and compare data from 1960 to 2000
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24. Sociological Theories
Theories used to explain relationships at a more personal level are micro level theories
Examples:
A researcher wants to know how often husbands and wives argue on a weekly basis
They might observe a husbands and wife in their home – or tape their conversations over the week
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25. Major Sociological Theories
Structural Functionalism
Operates at the macro level
Structural functionalists view society as a social system with interacting parts
The functionalist perspective views society as a vast organism whose parts are interdependent or interrelated
Think about how social institutions interact: families and the economic system
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26. Major Sociological Theories
Structural Functionalism
Operates at the macro level
Structural-Functionalists focus on how social institutions like families meet the basic needs or functions of a society.
The family as a social institution is analyzed from two perspectives:
1)    How does the family contribute to the maintenance of the larger social system ?
2)    And, in what ways does society and other social institutions (like education or economic system) affect families?
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27. Major Sociological Theories
Exchange Theory
Operates at the micro level
Similar to economic theories that view humans as rational beings who make decisions about the exchange of goods and services
In doing so, they weigh the costs and benefits of exchanges
Emphasis is on efficiency
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28. Major Sociological Theories
Exchange Theory
Operates at the micro level
In relationships, for example, people have some resource that is valued by the other person
This is when exchange can take place
In relationships -- what do women hold of value?
How about men?
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29. Major Sociological Theories
Gender Theory
Operates at both macro and micro level
Central concept is gender—the social and cultural characteristics that distinguish women and men in society.
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30. Major Sociological Theories
Gender Theory Feminist Theory)
Oriented toward power in relationships.
Feminist theory argues that differences between men and women are socially constructed to maintain power of men over women.
Emphasizes culture, rather than biology.
Read more for Assignment 3 in Chapter by Cherlin on Theories
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