1. The Sociological Perspective
Introduction to Sociology
Chapter 1

2. The Sociological Point of View
Our view of the world is shaped by our daily lives ~ our values, beliefs, lifestyles, personal experiences and historic events shape our thoughts and opinions to form us into unique individuals who have diverse and varied outlooks

3. Early Development of Sociology
The roots of Sociology began during the Industrial Revolution
* the ideals of the enlightenment era
* scientific method used to study society
The rapid urbanization of the population led to a multitude of social problems :
* crime
* housing shortages
* pollution
* competition for factory jobs

4. Influential Sociologists . . .
Auguste Comte ( French )
Karl Marx ( German )
Herbert Spencer ( English )
Emile Durkheim ( French )
Max Weber ( German )

5. Comte : Comte is considered the “Founder of Sociology”
Primary concern was to find solutions to the chaos developed by the French Revolution
Believed that the scientific method could be applied to societies ills as it was applied to the natural sciences
Believed that sociologists should be concerned with finding forces that caused “order in society” and “change in society” ( social development )

6. Marx : Marx focused his research on social classes
Society is divided between those who “own the means of production” and those who provide the “labor”
Labeled this an imbalance of economic power
Leads to conflict and troubling social conditions
Anti – capitalist
Proponent of socialism leading to communism

7. Spencer :
Considered “social change” and “chaos” a natural occurrence in a society’s evolution
Best aspects of society would survive over time – no need for intervention to correct social problems
Coined “Survival of the Fittest” – the best societies would survive over time leading to an upgrading of civilization

8. Durkheim :
Durkheim believed that a common belief system was the glue that held society together
Specifically interested in religion’s role in societal order
His scientific analysis focused on “observable” behavior

9. Weber :
Sociologists should study what is “beyond the observable” ( thoughts and feelings of individuals )
Verstehen : empathetic understanding of the meanings others attach to actions
Responsible for developing the concept of the “IDEAL TYPE”

10. 3 Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalist Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Interactionist Perspective

11. Functionalist :
People who view society from the “functionalist” perspective believe that society functions on the notion that the majority’s opinion will be the general rule
Society functions through the general consensus ( agreement ) of the people

12. Conflict :
People who view society from the “conflict” perspective believe that conflict exists in society due to clashes over resources :
* natural resources
* jobs
* power
Conflict forces social change ( revolution )

13. Interactionist Sometimes referred to as the “Symbolic Perspective”
The focus is on the individual rather than groups or society as a whole
Interaction between people takes place through the use of symbols

14. Application of the 3 Perspectives :
Imagine a group of employees go on strike at a large factory
Functionalist Sociologists would focus on how the strike is disrupting production
Conflict Sociologists would focus on the economic disputes between the workers and the management team
Interactionist Sociologists would focus on how the strike is affecting the family lives of the workers