1. Sociology “Sociology is the study of people, social life, and society

2. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Def. - Understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context
Consider:
-How groups influence people?
-How people are influenced by their society?
Society:
Def.- People who share a culture or territory
-Culture- language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, traditions, etc.
-Territory- region or land area (town, community, etc.)

3. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Social Location:
Def.- the group memberships that people have because of their location in history and society.
What are “group memberships”?
- Gender - Education
- Age - Income
- Race - Faith

4. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
These “memberships” affect self-image and the goals we set.
They shape our world view
Consider the framework you use to understand the world- who helped shape that perspective?

5. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Sociologist C. Wright Mills (1959): “The Sociological perspective enables us to grasp the connection between history & biography.”
History = each society is located in a broad stream of events.
Biography= individual’s specific experiences

6. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Sociology and the Other Sciences
Superstition or Science?
Example: Gravity
Earth- flat or round?
-Explanations changed with societal advances
Trial and error

7. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Science:
Def. - The application of systematic methods to obtain knowledge and the knowledge obtained by those methods.
Sociology:
Def.- the scientific study of society and human behavior

8. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
The Natural & the Social Sciences:
Natural Sciences:
Def.- the intellectual and academic disciplines designed to comprehend, explain, and predict events in our natural environment.
Examples & subdivisions:
Biology: botany, zoology
Geology: mineralogy, geomorphology
Chemistry: organic, inorganic
Physics: biophysics, quantum mechanics

9. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
The Social Sciences:
Def.- the intellectual and academic disciplines designed to understand the social world objectively by means of controlled and repeated observations.
Like the natural sciences, the social sciences are divided into specialized fields based on their subject matter.

10. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Anthropology: The chief concern is to understand a culture, a people’s way of life.
Culture includes:
Artifacts- tools, art, architecture and weapons
*24,000 BC Venus of Willendorf
Structure- patterns of interaction- how people behaved together or rituals
Ideas & Values- beliefs systems
Forms of Communication- language

11. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Economics: Study the production and distribution of the material goods and service of a society.
- they study consumer trends, needs, costs distribution and what motivates people to buy a certain item.
Political Science: Focuses on politics and government.
- Forms of government, ruling bodies (King, President, Prime Minister, etc.) and how they stay in office.
-Law, constitutional policy and voting behavior
Psychology: Focuses on the processes that occur within the individual.
- mental processes, behavior, disorders and therapy

12. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
Sociology: How is this study similar to the other Social Sciences?
Anthropology- study of culture
Economists- effects of poverty
Example: one of every 6 Americans is now being served by at least one government
anti-poverty program.
Political Scientists- study how individuals are affected by laws and policy.
Psychology- how people adjust to changes in their lives

13. Ch. 1 The Sociological Perspective
The Goals of Science
1st Goal- to explain why something happens.
2nd Goal- Generalizations:
Def.- a statement that goes beyond the individual case and is applied to a broader group or situation.
To achieve generalizations, sociologists look for patterns, recurring characteristics or events.
3rd Goal- To predict, to specify what will happen in the future in the light of current knowledge.
How are these goals attained?