“Sociology is the objective study of human behaviour in so far as it is affected by the fact people live in groups”: Sugarman (“Sociology”, 1968) “Sociology may be defined as the study of society - the web of human interactions and relationships”: Ginsberg (“The Study of Society”, 1939) “Sociology is the study of individuals in a social setting…Sociologists study the interrelationships between individuals, organisations, cultures and societies”: Ritzer (“Sociology”, 1979) “The purpose of Sociology is the scientific study of human society through the investigation of people’s social behaviour”: Giner (“Sociology”, 1972) What Is Sociology? “Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behaviour as social beings. The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing encounters between individuals in the street up to the investigation of world-wide social processes”: Giddens (“Sociology”, 1989) “Sociology is the study of individuals in groups in a systematic way, which grew out of the search for understanding associated with the industrial and scientific revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries”: Lawson and Garrod (“The Complete A-Z Sociology Handbook”, 1996)

Identify some of the ways sociologists study social life Examples Two major themes Identify some of the things sociologists study Identify some of the ways sociologists study social life

Identify some of the ways sociologists study social life Two major themes Identify some of the things sociologists study Identify some of the ways sociologists study social life Sociologists study social behaviour - people and their patterns of behaviour. The focus is on the way people form relationships and how these relationships, considered in their totality, are represented by the concept of a “society”. The definitions included words like “scientific”, “systematic” and “objective” - ideas that tell us something about how sociologists study behaviour and the kinds of knowledge they are trying to produce to explain such behaviour. Sociologists create knowledge that is factual, rather than simply based on opinion. Systematic ways of studying social behaviour are used - sociologists test their ideas about social behaviour using evidence drawn from their observations. The focus of attention is group behaviour – how the groups people join or are born into (family, work, education and so forth) affect their development and behaviour.

“Sociology is a social science concerned with the study of social relationships and the various ways these relationships are patterned in terms of our membership of social groups”. This being the case, we need to look a little more closely at the concepts of social groups in order to understand how the relationships we form shape our behaviour…

A Friendship Group Includes people who hang around together because they like each other A Work Group Might include people who do the same type of job. A “social group” is a collection of individuals who interact – both formally and informally – with each other. A Peer Group Includes people of roughly the same age An Educational Group Might include people studying together in the same school / college or class. A Family Group People who are related by birth, marriage, etc.

Social Groups… Structure Society Institutions Small Groups Individuals Our relationships are based on (or structured by) both formal and informal rules. “Society” therefore, represents a totality of relationships that imposes rules upon our behaviour. Structure Society The largest group to which we usually belong… Institutions Small Groups Individuals Groups, such as families, peer and friendship groups, etc. Action Institutions are stable patterns of group behaviour that persist over long periods of time The main types of institutional groups in our society are: Family and Kinship, Government, Work and cultural institutions such as the media, education, and religion.

That is, the way our individual lives are built around social relationships and the rules we have developed to govern such relationships. One of the main things sociologists investigate are “social structures” Sociologists argue that our individual choices of behaviour are shaped by the relationships we form (or have imposed on us). In the following screens, therefore, we need to investigate some of the ways our behaviour is constrained, formally and informally, by social structures…

Identify some of the ways your behaviour is influenced by: Society The Media Language… Lifestyle Laws Advertising

Identify some of the ways your behaviour is influenced by: School Your Family Respect for authority Right and wrong behaviour What you are taught Language

Identify some of the ways your behaviour is influenced by: Your Peers Your Friends Fashion Self-perception Gender behaviour

If Sociology is the study of social relationships and the way in which our lives are structured by rules, it follows that the initial answer to the question “What is Sociology?” is that it is the study of Social Order… In other words, Sociology explains how order is: Created Maintained Reproduced This being the case, the next step is to examine these ideas, beginning with the concept of culture…

The End? The next Presentation examines Culture and Identity

Sociology 11 Sociology 11 Mr. Bausback Class Notes Chapter 1&2

A word to strike fear into the hearts of Sociology teachers and students alike… It’s going to be complicated – I’ll never understand it… It’s complicated – how can I teach it so they’ll grasp it? “Theory!” However, as with everything in life, theory is as complicated as you want to make it. And besides – (sociological) theory is Important. And as with most things, if you understand the basics, it’s much easier to grasp the harder bits… If we grasp the theory behind something, everything else is much easier to understand…

“Theory” A suggested explanation for something… A systematic and general attempt to explain something… “Theory” “Why do people commit crimes? “Why do people get married?” “How does the media affect us?” “Why do kids play truant from school?” “Why do some people believe in God?” “How is our identity shaped by culture?”

“Theory” …is something we use all the time in our everyday life “Why do I feel unwell?” We all use theory to construct explanations about the social world in which we live… Which, in a way, is what Sociologists also try to do… “Why are my friends behaving oddly?” In a slightly different way, of course… “Why do I have to go to school?”

Sociological Theory High-Level Theories Functionalism… Comes in a variety of shapes and sizes… Sociological Theory High-Level Theories Focus on trying to explain how and why society is ordered Functionalism… Mid-Range Theories Marxism… Focus on trying to explain some general aspect of social behaviour Interactionism… Feminism… Low-Level Theories Focus on trying to explain a specific aspect of social behaviour. Why do girls achieve higher educational qualifications than boys? Why do I always fall asleep in Psychology lessons?

If you understand the basic principles of High-level theories you will find it easier to understand other types of theory. This is because Mid- range and Low-level theories are often based on the principles underpinning High- level theories. High level theories are usually known by their more-common label of “Sociological Perspectives” A “perspective”, for our current purposes, is simply a way of looking at and understanding the social world. Different sociologists, working within different perspectives, construct different theories about the nature of that world…

Sociological Perspectives… The following slides are designed to help you understand the basic themes / principles of a range of sociological perspectives Sociological Perspectives… They do this by using analogies… In other words, they help you to decide “what society is like” (from different sociological perspectives) by asking you to compare “society” to something familiar… Part of your task in the following screens, therefore, is to use a variety of different analogies to develop a picture of how the concept of “society” is seen and explained by different sociological perspectives…

“Society Is Like”: A Human Body Functionalism… “Society Is Like”: A Human Body Characteristics of human body… Characteristics of society… Each part of the body works in harmony with all other parts Each part of society works in harmony with all other parts

“Society Is Like”: A League Table Marxism… “Society Is Like”: A League Table Characteristics of league table… Characteristics of society… A league is characterised by competition between teams Society involves competition between social groups / classes

“Society Is Like”: A Play Interactionism… “Society Is Like”: A Play Characteristics of a play… Characteristics of society… A play has actors who play their individual roles Society consists of individual actors who play a variety of roles

“Society Is Like”: A League Table Feminism… “Society Is Like”: A League Table Characteristics of league table… Characteristics of society… A league is characterised by competition between teams Society involves competition between men and women

“Society Is Like”: A Theme Park Post-Modernism… “Society Is Like”: A Theme Park Characteristics of theme park… Characteristics of society… A theme park has numerous different rides Society is characterised by a multiplicity of choices (work, education, leisure, etc.)

“...THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF HUMAN SOCIETY ” 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 1 1 2 2 2 2 2

REASONS FOR TAKING 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

OTHER WAYS SOCIOLOGY ALLOWS US TO SEE ANEW ADVANTAGES OF A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL MARGINALITY ALLOWS US TO NOTICE DIVERSITY IN AMERICA SOCIOLOGY DRAWS ATTENTION TO SOCIAL CRISIS IMPORTANCE OF THESE ITEMS THEY ALLOW US TO SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MICRO AND MACRO SOCIAL ELEMENTS

GLOBAL LINKAGE SOCIOLOGY OFFERS STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE GLOBAL VILLAGE ALL SOCIETIES ARE INCREASINGLY CONNECTED THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS INTERDEPENDENCY OF NATIONS MANY SOCIAL PROBLEMS FACED BY AMERICANS ARE MORE SERIOUS ELSEWHERE MORE AWARENESS UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL ISSUES AND THE WORLD AROUND AMERICA ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES FEWER ETHNOCENTRIC TENDENCIES

The Sociological Perspective OBSERVATIONS ARE CERTAINLY IMPACTED BY THE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE COME TO VIEW THE WORLD 2 2 3 3 3 3 3

THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: PETER BERGER SEE THE GENERAL IN THE PARTICULAR GENERAL SOCIAL PATTERNS IN THE BEHAVIOR OF PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS INDIVIDUALS ARE UNIQUE…BUT SOCIETY’S SOCIAL FORCES SHAPE US INTO “KINDS” OF PEOPLE CONSIDER THESE PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO KILL THEMSELVES PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO AND SUCCEED IN COLLEGE AND ENJOY A FAVORABLE QUALITY OF LIFE 7 10

Seeing the General in the Particular 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 African Americans Whites 10.9 20.2 6.2 12.4 1.9 4.9 Males Both Sexes Females RATE OF DEATH BY SUICIDE By Race and Sex U.S. Bureau of the Census WHAT SOCIAL FORCES ARE AT WORK HERE? PER 100,000 PERSONS 9 12

DURKHEIM’S STUDY OF SUICIDE MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT MALE PROTESTANTS WHO WERE WEALTHY AND UNMARRIED HAD HIGHER SUICIDE RATES PROTESTANTISM AND INDIVDUALISM LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT MALE JEWS AND CATHOLICS WHO WERE POOR AND MARRIED BEING CATHOLIC AND GROUP-ORIENTATION 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 COMMITING SUICIDE

COLLEGE BOUND? A COLLEGE DEGREE IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN AMERICA WHAT IS IT ABOUT SOCIETY THAT MAKES THESE PEOPLE MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A COLLEGE EDUCATION? BLACKS: 60 PERCENT HISPANICS: 66 PERCENT WHITES: 68 PERCENT ONLY PART OF THE STORY… COLLEGE DROPOUT RATES ARE VERY HIGH AMONGST BLACKS AND HISPANICS

SOCIOLOGY ASKS STUDENTS TO: SEEING THE STRANGE IN THE FAMILIAR PETER BERGER: “THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM” SOCIOLOGY ASKS STUDENTS TO: GIVE UP FAMILIAR ASSUMPTIONS KNOW THAT SOCIETY INFLUENCES PEOPLE BY GUIDING THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS ANY DOUBTS??? TO WHAT REAL EXTENT DID YOUR OWN “FREE WILL” ENTER INTO YOUR DECISION TO ATTEND COLLEGE? WHAT ABOUT EXTERNAL SOCIAL FORCES? 10 14

EXTERNAL FORCES SIT RIGHT ON TOP OF US!!! REWARDS & PUNISHMENTS SOCIETY COMMUNITY & NORMS DYADS GROUPS ORGANIZATIONS AND NORMS NORMS NORMS SOCIETY SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS NORMS & NORMS 11 15

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION C. WRIGHT MILLS’ SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION SOCIETY IS OFTEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OF OUR PROBLEMS WE NEED TO LEARN TO SEPARATE THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH PERSONAL TROUBLES, OR BIOGRAPHY SOCIAL ISSUES, OR HISTORY EXAMPLES: WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THESE DAYS LIFESTYLES OF THOSE WE LABEL DISABLED IN THE 1950’S AND NOW 16 16

THINK IN TERMS OF FAMILY, THE ECONOMY, RELIGION, THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND SCHOOL THINK IN TERMS OF LAWS, VALUES, NORMS, TRADITIONS, SOCIAL EXPECATIONS, ROLES, STATUSES, AND BELIEF SYSTEMS.

STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY!

THE DISCIPLINE’S ORIGINS SOCIOLOGY SPRANG FROM THREE SEPARATE, YET INTERDEPENDENT REVOLUTIONS THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION A BELIEF IN SCIENCE BEGAN TO REPLACE TRADITIONAL FORMS OF AUTHORITY THE ECONOMIC REVOLUTION INDUSTRIALISM AND CAPITALISM WERE CHANGING ECONOMIC PATTERNS THE POLITICAL REVOLUTION MORE DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND STANDARDS WERE BEING ADOPTED 6 6 7 7 7 7 7

PERSONALITIES AUGUSTE COMTE (1798-1857) KARL MARX (1818-1883) POSITIVISM; LAW OF THREE STAGES; THE “TWIN PILLARS” KARL MARX (1818-1883) CLASS CONFLICT/STRUGGLE HERBERT SPENCER (1820-1903) SOCIAL DARWINISM EMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1917) GROUP FORCES; SOCIAL SOLIDARITY W.E.B. DU BOIS (1868-1963) PLIGHT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS PERSONALITIES 7 7 8 8 8 8 8

WOMEN IN SOCIOLOGY HARRIET MARTINEAU (1802-1876) TRANSLATED THE WORKS OF AUGUSTE COMTE FOCUSED ON ISSUES SURROUNDING WOMEN’S RIGHTS SLAVERY THE WORKPLACE AND FACTORY LAWS JANE ADDAMS (1860-1933) SOCIAL WORKER DEVELOPED PLAN TO HELP IMMIGRANTS NEW TO CITY LIFE IN AMERICA HULL HOUSE IN CHICAGO NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER, 1931

SOCIAL PARADIGMS THEORY: A STATEMENT OF HOW AND WHY FACTS ARE RELATED PARADIGM: A SET OF FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS THAT GUIDES THINKING DOWN WITH PEOPLE PEOPLE HOLD DIFFERING OPINIONS ABOUT THEIR SOCIAL WORLD WE ALL COME FROM DIFFERENT SOCIAL EXPERIENCES AND THEY BIAS OUR ASSUMPTIONS UP WITH PEOPLE 8 9 9 9 9 9 9

STRUCTURAL -FUNCTIONALISM THE BASICS A MACRO-ORIENTED (LARGE-SCALE) PARADIGM VIEWS SOCIETY AS A COMPLEX SYSTEM WITH MANY INTERDEPENDENT PARTS THE PARTS WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE SOCIAL STABILITY AND ORDER MAJOR CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM’S PARTS IS NOT REQUIRED OR DESIRED; SYSTEM SEEKS TO MAINTAIN IT EQUILIBRIUM KEY ELEMENTS: SOCIAL STRUCTURE REFERS TO RELATIVELY STABLE PATTERNS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR FOUIND IN SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS SOCIAL FUNCTION REFERS TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL PATTERNS FOR SOCIETY THE WORK OF ROBERT K. MERTON ON SOCIAL FUNCTION 9 10 10 10 10 10 10

THE BASICS: KEY ELEMENTS: A MACRO-ORIENTED PARADIGM VIEWS SOCIETY AS A STRUCTURED SYSTEM BASED ON INEQUALITY SOCIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN GROUPS OVER SCARCE RESOURCES IS THE NORM 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. MINORITY GROUP RELATIONS INCOMPATIBLE INTERESTS AND MAJOR DIFFERENCES 10 11 11 11 11 11 11

THE CONFLICT PARADIGM

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM SYMBOLIC INTERACTION IS A MICRO-ORIENTED PARADIGM, WHICH MEANS IT IS EFFECTIVELY USED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND SMALLER-SCALE SOCIAL PHENOMENA THE BASICS: THE VIEW THAT SOCIETY IS THE PRODUCT OF EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS PRINCIPLES: SOCIETY IS A COMPLEX MOSAIC OF UNDERSTANDING THAT EMERGES FROM THE VERY PROCESS OF INTERACTING GOFFMAN’S DRAMATURGICAL ANALSYIS THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY 11 12 12 12 12 12 12

BURGER AND LUCKMANN’S IDEAS THINK OF LANGUAGE AS A CONSTANT PROCESS THAT INVOLVES EXTERNALIZATION CREATION OF INSTITUTIONS AND RULES THAT GOVERN INTERACTION OBJECTIFICATION PEOPLE BEGIN TO SEE SUCH ARRANGEMENTS AS DO NOT HAVE A HUMAN CONNECTION - REIFICATION INTERNALIZATION WE INTERNALIZE A SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED REALITY AS WE LEARN TO ADAPT TO SOCIETY ON OUR WAY TO BECOMING A “NORMAL HUMAN” EXAMPLE: THE PROCESS BY WHICH A TECHNICAL COLLEGE IS TRANSFORMED INTO A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE