1. Normal v. JUST PLAIN WEIRD
Sociology
Normal v. JUST PLAIN WEIRD

2. The Pledge of Allegiance

3. Body Painting at Sporting Events

4. Beauty Pageants for Toddlers

5. Embalming

6. Paparazzi

7. Family Planning

8. Awkward…in an Elevator

9. CULTURE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Sociology
CHAPTER 1
CULTURE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

10. Q. 1 - What is Sociology?
Sociology IS the systematic, scientific study of social behavior in human groups.
What does it seek to document:
Trends and patterns in human behavior
How people relate to each other and influence each other’s behavior.

11. Q. 1 (Continued) Sociology ISN’T: Psychology (focuses on Individuals)
Social Work (application)
Common Sense (assessments without evidence)

12. Q. 2 Sociologists use the Scientific Method to study
What is Sociology?
Q. 1
Sociology
Study of human behavior in groups
What people do?
Why they do it?
Q. 2 Sociologists use the Scientific Method to study
Politics, race, location, gender, culture, socioeconomic issues, etc
All interact with each other – causing group behavior
We all belong to many groups; you’re a member of your sociology class, and you're a member of your family; you may belong to a political party, sports team, or the crowd watching a sporting event; you’re a citizen of your country, and you're a part of a generation. You may have a somewhat different role in each group and feel differently in each.
At a rock concert, for example, some may enjoy singing along, others prefer to sit and observe, while still others may join in a mosh pit or try crowd surfing. Why do we feel and act differently in different types of social situations? Why might people of a single group exhibit different behaviors in the same situation? Why might people acting similarly not feel connected to others exhibiting the same behavior? These are some of the many questions sociologists ask as they study people and societies.

13. Q. 3 What is your sociological identity
Q. 3 What is your sociological identity? The collection of group memberships that determine your identity
Volunteer
Musician
Dancer
Writer
Mathematician
Friend
Colleague
Neighbor…..
Student
Daughter
Son
Sister
Brother
Employee
Sociologists working from the micro-level study small groups and individual interactions, while those using macro-level analysis look at trends among and between large groups and societies. For example, a micro-level study might look at the accepted rules of conversation in various groups such as among teenagers or business professionals. In contrast, a macro-level analysis might research the ways that language use has changed over time or in social media outlets.
All sociologists are interested in the experiences of individuals and how those experiences are shaped by interactions with social groups and society as a whole. To a sociologist, the personal decisions an individual makes do not exist in a vacuum. Cultural patterns and social forces put pressure on people to select one choice over another. Sociologists try to identify these general patterns by examining the behavior of large groups of people living in the same society and experiencing the same societal pressures.

14. Q. 4 What is a Sociological Perspective?
Sociology seeks to see how society “is”, not what it should be
Studying groups without attributing your own opinions or values
What’s it called when you do insert your own opinions/values when studying groups?
CULTURAL BIAS
A key basis of the sociological perspective is the concept that the individual and society are inseparable. It is impossible to study one without the other.

15. Q. 5 What is Sociological Imagination?
The ability to see a connection
Between you
And the larger world
View the world through other’s eyes
Look beyond commonly held beliefs to hidden meanings
Look at Correlations: Ex. There is a distinct connection between hospitalization and death
Causation: Smoking has been linked as a cause of cancer through research

16. Q. 6 How is Sociology Scientific?
Ask a question (hypothesis)
Create a way to collect data for an answer
Observe Carefully
Analyze your observations to see what answers they provide
It is NOT common sense even though it may seem that way….appearances are often deceiving!