Sociology: An introduction

What is sociology? Sociology is one of the social sciences- history, anthropology, geography, economics, psychology, archeology, political science Sociology is the study of cultures, social structure and their effects and influence on behavior Sociologists look at how jobs, education, gender, race and age affect ideas and behavior

Culture Culture is the knowledge, values, customs, and physical values shared by a society What is acceptable in our culture?

Socialization Socialization is the cultural process of learning to participate in life What characteristics are influenced by nature (heredity) or nurture (contact with others)?

Social Structure Social Structure defines limits on our behavior, roles, social status, social institutions. Location on the social structure influences attitudes, perceptions and behavior. People are divided by social class and social groups.

Sociological Perspectives Conflict Perspective- emphasis is on competition, change and constraint within society Functional Perspective- looks at the contribution of each part of society (family, economy, religion, etc.) Symbolic Interaction Perspective- focuses on the interaction of people based on mutually understood symbols

Macro vs. Micro Perspectives

Sociology vs. Common Sense All questions are true/false More U.S. students are shot in school today than fifteen years ago. The earnings of U.S. women have caught up with men. When faced with natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, people panic, and social organization disintegrates Most rapists are mentally ill. Most people on welfare are lazy and looking for a handout. They could work if they wanted to. Compared with women, men maintain more eye contact in face to face conversations Couples that live together before marriage are more satisfied than couples that do not live together before marriage. Most husbands that get laid off from work take up the slack and increase the amount of work they do around the house. Students in Japan are under such intense pressure to do well in school their suicide rate is double that of U.S. high school students.

Origins of Sociology

Origins Sociology grew out of the social upheaval of the Industrial Revolution and revolutionary movements of the 1700’s and 1800’s Questions of where we fit in in new society

Auguste Comte 1798-1857 Known as the founder of sociology Used the scientific method to identify what holds society together (positivism) Comte was more of a social philosopher than a true sociologist Thought that the study of society could bring about social reform

Herbert Spencer 1820-1903 Thought society evolved from lower (barbarian) to higher (civilized) forms Used ideas of Charles Darwin and thought that only the fittest societies survived (Social Darwinism)

Karl Marx 1818-1893 Believed that the engine of human history is class conflict and economics as a force for social change Society was a battle of the have’s (bourgeoisie) against the have not’s (proletariat) Struggle could only end through revolution when the workers defeated the capitalists The result would be a classless society where people will work according to their abilities and receive according to their needs

Emile Durkheim 1858-1917 Studied how social forces effect behavior Identified social integration, how people are influenced by their social group, effected peoples behavior. Human behavior can’t be understood on individualistic terms, it must always be examined with the effects of social forces

Max Weber 1864-1920 Studied religion as a force for social change Saw Protestant religions as a force that gave birth to capitalism. Money was a sign of success Coined the term Protestant Work Ethic

W.E.B. DuBois 1868-1963 African-American who studied sociology and race relations Sociology he used was not theoretical but for social reform Studies led him to write books on social reform in America

Perspectives in Sociology Symbolic Interaction, Functional Analysis, Conflict Theory

Sociological Perspectives Conflict Perspective- emphasis is on competition, change and constraint within society Functional Perspective- looks at the contribution of each part of society (family, economy, religion, etc.) Symbolic Interaction Perspective- focuses on the interaction of people based on mutually understood symbols

Symbolic Interactionism Scottish moral, philosophers of the 1700’s noticed how individuals evaluate their own conduct by comparing themselves with others. People use symbols to develop their views of the world and to communicate with each other

Symbolic Interactionism Symbols tell us: Who we are related to and how to behave To tell time and how to coordinate our actions with other people Build buildings, make movies and music Without symbols no government, no hospitals, no religion

Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic interactionists see the self as a symbol- it consists of the ideas and symbols of who we are.

Functional Analysis The central idea of this perspective is that society is made up of interrelated parts that make up the whole. Organic Theory- Comte and Spencer saw society as a living organism that, in order to function smoothly all the parts had to work in harmony

Functional Analysis Functionalists look at the structure- how the parts fit together to make the whole They also investigate the function- what each part does and how it contributes to society Sociologist Robert Merton dismissed the organic theory but kept the essence of functionalism- society as a whole composed of parts working together He used the term function to describe the beneficial aspects of society Dysfunctions are consequences that harm society. Functions can either be manifest or latent Manifest functions are intended to help the system Latent functions are unintended consequences of manifest functions Latent dysfunctions are consequences that harm the social system

Conflict Theory Society is composed of groups in a constant struggle for resources Alliance and cooperation may be seen on the surface but underneath there is a struggle for power

Conflict Theory Karl Marx is the founder of the conflict theory. It was developed as his response to the transformation of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. He described human history as a competition between the group that controls the means of production and exploitation of those not in control

Conflict Theory When people control try to enforce authority those not in control will resist. The result is a constant struggle over who has authority Lewis Coser looked at people in close relationships and described how these relationships divide responsibility and privileges. When the relationship changes conflicts will occur

Assignment due the day after tomorrow Of the three theoretical perspectives, which one do you think is the most effective in studying sociology? Why? You must answer both parts of the question to receive full credit.

Basics, Symbolic Culture, Values, Norms, Mores and Sanctions

What to know Definitions- culture, material culture, nonmaterial culture, culture shock, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, symbol, gesture, language, values, norms, folkways, mores, sanctions, taboos Concepts- seven basics about all culture, how does language allow culture to exist, explain the differences between mores, folkways, norms, values

Two types of Culture Material Culture- things that can be seen or felt. Examples: buildings, art, machines, hairstyle, clothes Non-material culture- a groups way of thinking, beliefs, values, language, gestures Culture is neither right or wrong

How culture changes Two ways: Internally through invention and adaptation Externally through borrowing Does culture invent more than it borrows or does it borrow more than it invents?

Basic Ideas of Culture All culture is learned- culture is within us. We take culture for granted, we assume that our culture is normal behavior Culture shock- the disorientation people experience when they come in contact with a fundamentally different culture and can no longer depend on their assumptions about life A consequence of the culture within us is ethnocentrism

Culture Basics Nothing natural about material, nonmaterial culture Culture is the lens which we see the world Provides the instruction for various situations, basis for our decision making Culture provides the moral imperative, the right way of doing things Contact challenges our basic assumptions about life Culture is universal-society cannot exist without developing shared ways of dealing with the challenges of life All people are ethnocentric (positive and negative)

Cultural Relativism Culture Relativism- to understand culture on its own terms. Seeing how these elements fit together without judging them as superior or inferior to one’s own way of life

Culture Areas of the U.S.

Ancestry in the U.S.

Decide if the statement is an example of ethnocentrism or cultural relativism 1. The British drive on the wrong side of the road. 2. The Chinese characters for China mean “center of the universe”. 3. Frenchmen use forks with their left hands. 4.Americans believe democracy is the only form of government. 5. In some cultures it is a delicacy to eat dog. 6. Milk is the only drink to serve children. 7. It is rude to haggle over the price of an item. 8. Looking directly at a person means that you respect that person. 9. It is wrong to show up late for an appointment 10. Women in India wear red on their wedding day.

Symbolic Culture Symbol- something people attach meaning and that they use to communicate Gesture- using the body to communicate with others, a way to convey a message without words. Certain gestures accepted in some cultures are inappropriate or unintelligible in other cultures. Gestures are learned, highly specific to a culture. There are some gestures that represent fundamental emotions- sadness, anger, fear, joy- inborn, do not vary from culture to culture Culture is universal but people have different ways of expressing culture

Language Symbols that can be put together in infinite ways for the purpose of communication. Language allows culture to exist Language has embedded in it our ways of looking at the world

Language allows human experience to be cumulative Ideas, knowledge, and attitudes passed from generation to generation Modify behavior with what previous generations have learned. Communicate events past , present and future Allows culture to develop by freeing people to move beyond their immediate experiences

Language Language provides a social or shared past and future Language allows for shared perspectives- talking allows people to reach a shared understanding that form the basis of social life. When people do not share a language it invites miscommunication and suspicion Language allows for complex goal directed behavior-common language allows people to set a purpose, place events in sequence, etc

Values and Norms

Review Culture is learned and universal Two parts of culture-material and non material Cultural views can be ethnocentric, culture can also be viewed through a lens of cultural relativism Language and gestures are two symbols of nonmaterial culture Language allows us to share our perceptions, future and past Language shapes our perception of objects and events

Values, Norms and Sanctions All cultures have values, their ideas about what is valuable in life. Values tell us what is good, bad, beautiful, ugly Norms describe expectations, rules of behavior that develop out of values Sanctions refer to reactions people receive from following or breaking the norms Positive Sanction- approval for following norms Negative Sanction- disapproval for breaking the norm Moral Holidays- specified time when people can break the cultural norms- Mardi Gras for example

Folkways and Mores Norms that are not strictly enforced are called folkways Norms that we think of as essential to our core values are called mores A norm that is so strongly ingrained in our culture to break it is greeted with revulsion is called a taboo

American Values The U.S. is made up of many different groups- we are a pluralistic society. Numerous religious, ethnic and specific interest groups make up our society.

American Values Salad Bowl Theory- immigrants keep their own basic beliefs and ways of life while adapting to the general characteristics of the culture Melting Pot Theory- immigrants groups blend into the culture adding items to the culture but not keeping strong ties to their cultural ties and background

American Values Sociologist Robin Williams (1965) identified fifteen traits of American Culture Achievement and Success Individualism Activity and Work Efficiency and Partiality Science and Technology Progress Material Comfort Humanitarianism Freedom Democracy Equality Racism and Group Superiority Education Religiosity Romantic Love

Value Clusters, Contradictions and Social Change Values are not independent units, some cluster together to form part of a larger whole. Some values contradict each other. Value contradictions can be powerful forces for social change.

Emerging Values Leisure- reflected in a huge recreation industry Self-fulfillment- the “self help” movement Physical Fitness- organic foods, obsessive concern weight and diet Youthfulness- attributed to the baby boomers. Reflected in increase of plastic surgery Concern for the environment -despite a history of exploitation of the environment, today Americans have a concern and commitment for the environment.

Why are cultures so different? Read the essay “One Hundred Percent American” Why are cultures so different? Consider in your answer geography, isolation, human imagination and inventiveness and ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism- the belief that one culture is superior to another know this definition

Values, Cultural Change and Globalization of Culture

Concepts and Definitions Culture war, cultural lag, cultural diffusion, cultural leveling, ideal vs. real culture Provide an example of a culture war. Provide an example of cultural lag. How does technology change culture? Is cultural leveling and the loss of cultural diversity a good or bad thing?

Culture Wars Cultural change is met with strong resistance. People hold their core values dear and see the changes as a threat to their way of life. This creates what is known as a “culture war”

Ideal vs. Real What we see as ideal sometimes is in conflict with reality. Norms, values and goals that a group considers worth aspiring to is “ideal culture”. What we actually do is known as “real culture”

Technology in the Global World Language, gestures, values, norms and folkways are all parts of nonmaterial culture. Culture also has a material side- its things, houses, clothes toys and technology Central to a groups culture is technology or tools. Technology can also include the skills and procedures used to make these tools

Technology To a sociologist technology sets the framework for a groups nonmaterial culture Technology has a significant impact on human life. If a groups technology changes it changes the way people think and relate to each other Technology can be an invisible factor in cultural change

Cultural Lag and Cultural Change Cultural Lag occurs when not all parts of culture change at the same pace. A groups material culture usually changes first , with the non- material culture playing catch-up

Cultural Diffusion and Cultural Leveling For most of human history people lived in relative isolation. Cultures developed unique characteristics that responded to the situations they faced. These characteristics changed little over time Cultures have usually had at least some contact with other groups. During these contacts people learn from each other and adopt parts of each others way of life. This process is known as cultural diffusion. Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural characteristics from one group to another

Cultural Diffusion and Cultural Leveling Changes in communication, travel have sped up the process of cultural diffusion. Much of the world, for better or worse has adopted Western culture in place of their own culture Travel and communication unite us in a way that there is almost no part of the world not effected by this. The result of these new technologies is a process called cultural leveling Cultural leveling is the process by which cultures become similar to one another.

World within a world Subculture- the values and other related behaviors, for example language, that distinguish its members from the larger culture. Many subcultures exist within a culture. Their experiences have led them to have a distinctive way of looking at life or some part of it Ethnic, religious and occupational groups form many different subcultures within our own

Counterculture Values and norms of most subcultures blend with society. In a counterculture values and norms place these groups at odds with general society Members of a mainstream culture will often isolate, attack or ridicule the counterculture