1. Chapter 4 Macrosociology: Studying Larger Groups and Societies

2. Example of Macro issues  Recall suicide discussion– social structure (group characteristics) help explain variation in suicide rates  Darley and Latane study on bystander apathy –In groups of 2, 100% went for help –In groups of 6, 60% went for help –Individual level of analysis but illustrates social structural effects  Hirschi and Stark, “Hellfire and Delinquency”

3. Religious commitment and Juvenile Delinquency  So commonsensical, why bother?  Theory WOULD predict a relationship –E.g., Durkheim… moral and social integration –Psych theory also relevant

4. Church Attendance FrequentInfrequent Delinquent22%38% Not Del78%62%

5. Church AttendanceFrequentInfrequent BoysDel50% Not Del50% 100% GirlsDel10% Not Del90% 100%

6. Research on Effects of religious commitment mixed  Some studies find little or no relationship (unchurched areas)  Some do find predicted relationship (churched areas)  Perrin study on honesty fits into this literature –Perrin found that religious commitment does predict honesty (in a religious setting – Pepperdine)

7. Contextual Effect?  Relationship exists only in religious integrated settings? Utah, Bible belt?  Contextual = relationship found among individuals in some social contexts, not others  Contextual effects mark the borderline between micro- and macrosociology.

8. Perrin Says….  Stark has not settled this debate, despite his claims to have done so  People tend to exaggerate religious commitment – dilutes effects  When one looks at other deviant behaviors (premarital sex) and other dependent variables (for example, mental health, happiness), religion seems to matter  Pretty clear that religious commitment not as strong a predictor as one would hope  Perhaps this was not so in the early Church when Christian so countercultural

9. Population (or census) data vs. sample data  Random sample -everyone has an equal chance of being selected in the sample -SLOPS (self-selected listener opinion polls)  Alf Landon vs. FDR (1936) –Automobile registration and Phones a way to pick sample in 1936?

10. E.g., Election Polls: How do they work?  Impossible to ask everyone  Phone surveys – random digit dialing (not sure how handling cell phone issue)  Sample size approximately 1000 produces margin of error of 3%  Called a 95% confidence interval

11. Three Dominant Macro Theories  Functionalism: examining society in terms of the functions each part plays  Social Evolution: explaining social structures in terms of the survival function for societies (subset of Functionalism?)  Conflict: conflict (class or interest groups) explains culture and social structure

12. Functionalism  Borrowed from biology – think of the human body  Three components: 1.The part of the system to be explained (e.g., extended family in poor countries) 2.Learning how this part of the system preserves another part of the system from disruption – its function (e.g., support for dependents) 3.The theory identifies the source of the potential disruption (high rates of death).

13. Other Examples…  Durkheim defended religion as functional –Part to explain = religion –Its function = moral and social integration –Potential disruption = secularization  Kingsley Davis on article on prostitution –Part to explain = prostitution –Its function = family preservation –Potential disruption = male sexuality

14. Critique  “Conservative” theory – meaning, status quo is healthy  Not change oriented – this leads to…

15. Social Evolutionary Theories  Social Evolution implicit in Functionalism  Again, think of evolutionary theory in bio  Societies that adapt have a better chance for survival.  Through the process of selection, certain highly adaptive structures and cultural traits tend to exist in societies.

16. Conflict Theory  If conflict creates society, then…  where functionalists and evolutionists see balance, equilibrium, symmetry, conflict sees…  Competition, conflict, exploitation  Concerned with how power is distributed and how status groups (classes and other interest groups) gain power and use power to reshape society in their favor.

17. The conflict theorist asks…  Functional for whom?  Whose interests are served?  Who benefits?

18. Perhaps helpful to think in terms of 2 kinds of conflict theory  “Radical,” “Critical,” “Marxist” –Karl Marx –Conflict is economic –May abandon science in favor of their political or moral agenda  “Interest Group Theory,” Status Group Theory” –Max Weber –Power and status key, yes –Not always about economic interest and struggles

19. Examples  Why marijuana and not alcohol?  What is family violence? What is child abuse?