McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 1 SOCIOLOGY An Invitation to Sociology 1

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 2 1. An Invitation to Sociology What is Sociology? What Is Sociological Theory? The Development of Sociology Major Theoretical Perspectives

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 3 What is Sociology? Sociology –Systematic study of social behavior in human groups How those relationships influence behavior How societies develop and change Influence of social relationships

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 4 What is Sociology? The Sociological Imagination –Awareness of relationship between an individual and the wider society (C. Wright Mills) Ability to view one’s society as an outsider, rather than from perspective of our limited experiences and cultural biases Goes beyond personal experiences and observations

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 5 What is Sociology? Sociology and the Social Sciences –Science: body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic observation –Natural Science: study of physical features of nature and ways they interact and change –Social Science: study of social features of humans and ways they interact and change

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 6 What is Sociology? Sociology and the Social Sciences –Emphasizes the influence that society has on people's attitudes and behavior and the ways in which people interact and thereby shape society Sociology and Common Sense –Sociologists test and analyze information they use

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 7 What Is Sociological Theory? Theory –Set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behavior Effective theories have explanatory and predictive power Theories never a final statement about human behavior

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 8 The Development of Sociology Early Thinkers –Auguste Comte (1798–1857) Coined sociology to apply to the science of human behavior –Harriet Martineau (1802–1876) Studied social behavior in Britain and U. S Emphasized impact economy, law, trade, health, and population could have on social problems

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 9 The Development of Sociology Early Thinkers –Herbert Spencer (1820–1903) Studied “evolutionary” change in society Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) –Developed fundamental thesis to help explain all society Anomie: loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 10 The Development of Sociology Max Weber (1864–1920) –To fully comprehend behavior, we must learn subjective meanings people attach to their actions, called Vertehen Ideal Type: construct or model for evaluating specific cases

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 11 The Development of Sociology Karl Marx ( ) –Society fundamentally divided between two classes that clash in pursuit of their own interests Worked with Engles Emphasized group identification and associations that influence one’s place in society Argued working class should overthrow the existing class system

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 12 The Development of Sociology Modern Developments –Charles Horton Cooley (1864—1929) Increased understanding of groups of relatively small size –Jane Addams (1860–1935) Combined intellectual inquiry, social service work, and political activism

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 13 The Development of Sociology Modern Developments –Robert Merton (1940–2003) Created theory of deviant behavior Emphasized sociology should use “macro-level” and “micro-level” approaches Macrosociology: concentrates on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations Microsociology: stresses study of small groups, often through experimental means

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 14 Latent Functions: unconscious or unintended functions that may reflect hidden purposes of an institution Dysfunctions: element or process of a society that may actually disrupt the social system or disrupt it stability Major Theoretical Perspectives –Emphasizes ways parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability Functionalist Perspective Manifest Functions: institutions are open, stated, conscious functions that involve intended, recognized, consequences of an aspect of society

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 15 Major Theoretical Perspectives Conflict Perspective –The Marxist View: conflict not merely a class phenomenon, but part of everyday life in all societies –Assumes social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 16 Major Theoretical Perspectives Conflict Perspective Conducted research to assist the struggle for a racially egalitarian society Believed knowledge essential to combating prejudice and achieving tolerance and justice In-depth studies of urban life –An African American View: W. E. B. DuBois

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 17 Major Theoretical Perspectives Feminist Perspective –Views inequity in gender as central to all behavior and organization –Sometimes allied with conflict theory Also focuses on micro-level relationships, just as interactionists do

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 18 Major Theoretical Perspectives Interactionist Perspective –Generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction to understand society as a whole –Sociological framework for viewing humans as living in a world of meaningful objects Nonverbal communication: can include many gestures, facial expressions, and postures

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 19 Major Theoretical Perspectives Interactionist Perspective –George Herbert Mead (1863—1931) –Erving Goffman (1922—1982) Dramaturgical approach: people seen as theatrical performers

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 20 Major Theoretical Perspectives The Sociological Approach –Gain broadest understanding of society by drawing on all major perspectives, noting where they overlap or where they diverge –Each perspective offers unique insights into the same issue –A researcher’s work always will be guided by his or her theoretical viewpoint