The Sociological Perspective The Systematic Study of Human Society zU&feature=related Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

What Is Sociology? “...The systematic study of human society ” –Systematic Scientific discipline that focuses attention on patterns of behavior –Human society Group behavior is primary focus; how groups influence individuals and vice versa –At the “heart of sociology” The sociological perspective which offers a unique view of society Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Why Take Sociology? Education and liberal arts –Well-rounded as a person –Social expectations More appreciation for diversity –The global village –Domestic social marginality Enhanced life chances –Micro and macro understanding –Increase social potentials Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Benefits of the Sociological Perspective 1.Helps us assess the truth of common sense 2.Helps us assess both opportunities and constraints in our lives 3.Empowers us to be active participants in our society 4.Helps us live in a diverse world Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of Global Perspective Where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected through technology and economics. Many problems that we face in the United States are more serious elsewhere. Thinking globally is a good way to learn more about ourselves. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Global Map 1.1 Women’s Childbearing in Global Perspective Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sociological Perspective Peter Berger Seeing the general in the particular –Sociologists identify general social patterns in the behavior of particular individuals. Seeing the strange in the familiar –Giving up the idea that human behavior is simply a matter of what people decide to do –Understanding that society shapes our lives Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Durkheim’s Study of Suicide Emile Durkheim’s research showed that society affects even our most personal choices. –More likely to commit: male Protestants who were wealthy and unmarried –Less likely to commit: male Jews and Catholics who were poor and married One of the basic findings: Why? –The differences between these groups had to do with “social integration.” –Those with strong social ties had less of a chance of committing suicide. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. National Map 1.1 Suicide Rates across the United States

Figure 1.1 Rate of Death by Suicide, by Race and Sex, for the United States. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

C. Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination The power of the sociological perspective lies not just in changing individual lives but in transforming society. Society, not people’s personal failings, is the cause of social problems. The sociological imagination transforms personal problems into public issues. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Origins of Sociology One of the youngest of academic disciplines, sociology has its origins in powerful social forces. –Social Change Industrialization, urbanization, political revolution, and a new awareness of society –Science 3-Stages: theological, metaphysical & scientific –Positivism–A way of understanding based on science –Gender & Race These important contributions have been pushed to the margins of society. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociological Theory Theory: a statement of how and why facts are related –Explains social behavior to the real world Theoretical paradigm: A set of fundamental assumptions that guides thinking –Structural-functional –Social-conflict –Symbolic-interaction Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural-Functional Paradigm The basics –A macro-level orientation, concerned with broad patterns that shape society as a whole –Views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability Key elements: –Social structure refers to any relatively stable patterns of social behavior found in social institutions. –Social function refers to the consequences for the operation of society as a whole. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who’s Who in the Structural- Functional Paradigm Auguste Comte –Importance of social integration during times of rapid change Emile Durkheim –Helped establish sociology as a discipline Herbert Spencer –Compared society to the human body Robert K. Merton –Manifest functions are recognized and intended consequences. –Latent functions are unrecognized and unintended consequences. –Social dysfunctions are undesirable consequences. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social-Conflict Paradigm The basics: –A macro-oriented paradigm –Views society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and social change Key elements: –Society is structured in ways to benefit a few at the expense of the majority. –Factors such as race, sex, class, and age are linked to social inequality. –Dominant group vs. disadvantaged group relations Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who’s Who in the Social-Conflict Paradigm Karl Marx –The importance of social class in inequality and social conflict W.E.B. Du Bois –Race as the major problem facing the United States in the 20th century Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Feminism and the Gender-Conflict Approach A point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict between women and men Closely linked to feminism, the advocacy of social equality for women and men Women important to the development of sociology: Harriet Martineau and Jane Addams Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Race-Conflict Approach A point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories People of color important to the development of sociology: Ida Wells Barnett and W.E.B. Du Bois Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm The basics –A micro-level orientation, a close-up focus on social interactions in specific situations –Views society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals Key elements –Society is nothing more than the shared reality that people construct as they interact with one another. –Society is a complex, ever-changing mosaic of subjective meanings. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who’s Who in the Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm Max Weber –Understanding a setting from the people in it George Herbert Mead –How we build personalities from social experience Erving Goffman –Dramaturgical analysis George Homans & Peter Blau –Social-exchange analysis Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critical Evaluation Structural-Functional –Too broad, ignores inequalities of social class, race & gender, focuses on stability at the expense of conflict Social-Conflict –Too broad, ignores how shared values and mutual interdependence unify society, pursues political goals Symbolic-Interaction –Ignores larger social structures, effects of culture, factors such as class, gender & race Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying Theory Major Theoretical Approaches Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying the Approaches: The Sociology of Sports The Functions of Sports –A structural-functional approach directs our attention to the ways in which sports help society operate –Sports have functional and dysfunctional consequences Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sports and Conflict Social-conflict analysis points out that games people play reflect their social standing. Sports have been oriented mostly toward males. Big league sports excluded people of color for decades. Sports in the United States are bound up with inequalities based on gender, race, and economic power. Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Figure 1.2 “Stacking” in Professional Football Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociology, 13 h Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sports as Interaction Following the symbolic-interaction approach, sports are less a system than an ongoing process. All three theoretical approaches— structural-functional, social-conflict, and symbolic-interaction—provide different insights into sports. No one is more correct than the others.