The Sociological Point of View Chapter One

Purpose To better understand human society, sociologists study how humans interact with each other.

Answer the following while watching the video on Papua New Guinea culture. Describe the clothing and makeup the Huli men wear. Identify the two possible meanings of the dance performed during the segment. Explain why the Huli people are happy to welcome tourists. State how the elder and the young boy who were interviewed feel about the traditions of their people and tourists’ role in keeping their traditions alive.

Examining Social Life Section 1

Introduction The primary interest of sociologists is the combination of The diversity of society/difference in how people view a certain subject example: religion is a personal choice The shared characteristics and ideas of society example: crime is wrong

Math Problems For psychology, we had a math problem: PSYCHOLOGY = thoughts + behaviors We have one for sociology too: SOCIOLOGY = human society + social behavior

The Sociological Perspective Definition: look at social life in a scientific systematic way, rather than depending on common-sense explanations

Purpose of developing See a connection between you and society Broaden your view of the social world Learn there are many views of social reality Sociological Imagination: the ability to make a connection between your personal life and the larger world

Sociology’s Place in the Social Sciences Remember, the Social Sciences include: sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, economics, and political science

Social Sciences Review Sociologists: study how society works together Psychologists: study thoughts and behaviors of the individual Economists: study financial situations Anthropologists: study people—what makes them different from animals Historians: study trends from the past

History of Sociology Section 2

A Historical Timeline Developed as a separate study in the late 1800s Due to the Industrial Revolution and the many social changes due to urbanization The Early Years— primarily in France, Germany, and England

August Comte: France, 1798-1857 Considered the father of sociology; he coined the name sociology Intrigued by the causes and consequences of the French Revolution Focused on social order and social change Said social statics hold society together and social dynamics were the ways society changed Never completed his college education

Herbert Spencer: England, 1820-1903 Pursued a study of sociology after inheriting enough money to quit working Social Darwinism—coined the phrase survival of the fittest to refer to the similarities between societies and biological systems

Karl Marx: Germany, 1818-1883 Could never hold a job for long because of his revolutionary and radical ideas Felt society was influenced by its economy and two groups—the proletariat (workers) and the bourgeoisie (capitalists/owners) His views led to the development of conflict theory

Emile Durkheim: France, 1858-1917 Developed the first college sociology course in France Focused only on observable phenomena Organized the first sociological study—Suicide, 1897

Max Weber: Germany, 1864-1920 Looked at separate groups in society Verstehen: put yourself in someone else’s shoes Employed the concept of ideal type—the basic components of features of society

The American Sociological Association (ASA) Firsts College Class: University of Kansas, 1889 College Department: University of Chicago, 1892 Organization: 1905 Growth 115 members in 1906 Over 14,000 members today

Current Perspectives Remember, a perspective is just an idea.

Functionalist Perspective Based on the ideas of Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim View society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to ensure the social system runs smoothly Functions—positive consequences for society Manifest Function: the intended consequence Latent Function: the unintended consequence

Conflict Perspective Focus on the forces in society that promote competition and change; can be violent or non-violent Competition over scarce resources (like money) is at the basis of social conflict

Interactionist Perspective Focus is on how individuals interact with one another in society Look at the role of symbols in our daily lives

Chapter One Review! Answer the following questions from the book: Interpreting Visuals: look at the pictures on the following pages and answer the question in aqua: page 4—Stock Market, page 5—The Homeless, page 7—Drum Ceremony, page 8—Depression, page 9—French Revolution, page 16— Labor Strike, page 17—Ugandan Children Who was C. Wright Mills? Why is he important to the field of sociology? Read through Cultural Diversity on pages 18-19. Answer question one on page 19. Answer #1 and #5 under Thinking Critically on page 20.