1. SOC101 Introduction To Sociology
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Sharon Raz, Ph.D.
“Introduction and main theoretical perspectives”, by Sharon Raz is licensed under CC BY 4.0

2. First Introduction
Who are we?

3. First Module Introduction and Main Theoretical Perspectives

4. Introduction and Main Theoretical Perspectives Key Topics
Sociology defined
Sociology as a science
The founders of sociology
What is a theory
The three sociological perspectives
Sociology as a profession

5. What is Sociology?
Sociology is the study of groups and group interactions, societies and social interactions, from small and personal groups to very large groups. (Introduction to Sociology" by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0) Sociologists study the world around them from a social point of view.

6. The Sociological Imagination
Being able to look beyond common sense for explanations of why people act the way they do. Try to step outside of your own society in order to understand its patterns. Investigate society as an outsider

7. Society Defined
Society is a group of people that shares a culture and territory
Is the United States a society?
Is Washington State a society?
Can we consider different parts of Washington State as different society?

8. Social Characteristics
Social Locations are the corners of life that people occupy
Your social location often shape your life, your ideas of who you are and what you should attain in life

9. What Is Science?
Science is a body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic research.
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Focuses on physical elements of nature
Focuses on social elements of human beings

10. Science
Theory
Research
Science

11. What is a Theory?
An idea or sets of ideas about how different parts of the world work, how they relate to each other.
Can you think about a theory that you have?

12. Armchair Philosophy
We are all “armchair philosophers”. We all have our own philosophy, our thoughts, which we have not tested scientifically.
All of us have our own theories. In order to develop a scientific theory, we have to study our ideas by using the scientific steps of research.

13. Common Sense Versus Science
Why should we use science when we can use our common sense?

14. The Birth of Sociology as a Science
Sociology, as a science, was born after the industrial revolution in the 1800s.
People ask themselves questions about society before that, but it was only after a major social change occurred, that some thinkers decided to develop it as a science

15. The Early Sociologists
Auguste Comte
Positivism.
He is considered the first sociologist since he coined the term “Sociology”.
Herbert Spencer
“Survival of the fittest”.
(Introduction to Sociology" by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0)

16. Émile Durkheim The first sociology professor.
He used scientific investigation in order to examine his theories.
He believed that everything can be explained by social factors, even the most individual phenomenon, like suicide.
Durkheim studied suicide rates in some European countries.
He believed that we must examine how social forces, like social integration, impact human behavior

17. Karl Marx
Marx was not a sociologist, but his ideas had impacted sociology
Marx focused on the social class system.
He believed that there are only two competing classes: the Proletariat (workers) and the Bourgeoisie (owners).

18. Max Weber One of the founders of sociology.
Weber disagreed with Marx about the social class structure.
He wrote about society and focus on social class and religion.

19. Harriet Martineau Jane Addams
She was the first woman sociologist in an extremely sexist time.
She published a book about Society in America
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a social activist.
She won the Nobel Peace Price for founding the Hull House.

20. Theoretical Perspectives
Perspectives are groups of theories that have some theoretical similarities.
Each sociologist has a unique point of view about society, but when we compare between their theories we can find some similarities.

21. The Three Sociological Perspectives offer three different theoretical paradigms.
Each of them tries to explain how society affects us.
Each perspective think about society, social forces, and human behavior differently.

22. The Three Sociological Perspectives
The Functional Analysis
The Conflict Theory
The Symbolic Interactionism

23. The Functional Analysis (Functionalism)
Views society as a system. Each part of society exists because it serves a certain purpose, it is functional for society.
Society needs all its parts.
The main goal of society is to remain stable.
In order to maintain stability, all the different parts of society have to work together as a system

24. The Functional Analysis
The Functionalists examine the functions and dysfunctions that different aspects of society have:
Functions are benefits or uses that help keep society in balance
Dysfunctions are parts of society that are no longer functional. They undermine the society’s balance.

25. We can also differentiate between manifest and latent functions:
Manifest functions are functions that society thought about and planned for. They are stated and conscious functions
Latent functions are functions that society didn’t mean to achieve on propose. They are unconscious or unintended functions

26. The Conflict Perspective
Society is not stable. Society is driven by social change.
Social change is effected by multiple conflicts that co-exist in society.
Social groups and individuals often compete over scarce resources, like: money, land, power, influence, values.
Conflicts are not necessarily negative, since they promote social change.

27. The Conflict Perspective
Can you describe social conflicts?
Who participate in the conflict?
What is the conflict about?

28. Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic Interactionism focuses on our everyday life and how we use symbols in order to interact with each others.
Use your “Sociological Imagination” and look around you. Can you recognize some symbols that we use in our everyday life?
How are these symbols help us to interact with each others?

29. Symbolic Interactionism
We live in a symbolic world. Everywhere around us there are symbols. Without symbols, the objects that we use have no meanings and our conversations are meaningless.
Symbolic interactionists analyze these symbols in relation to the interactions they create between people.

30. The Two Levels Of Analysis
Macrosociology / Macro Level Analysis - Focuses on the big picture, on large Scale Patterns in Society
Functional Analysis
Conflict Theory
Microsociology / Micro Level Analysis - Focuses on everyday interactions, on small scale patterns of society
Symbolic Interactionism

31. The Three Sociological Perspectives - Summary
Level of Analysis
Main Ideas
Key Terms
Functional Analysis
Macro
Society works as a system.
Every part of society is functional for the entire system.
All part of society work together
Society main goal is stability
Functions
Dysfunctions
Social Structure
Conflict Theory
There are multiple conflicts in society.
Social groups compete over scarce resources
Conflict brings social change
Conflict
Power
Resources
Inequality
Symbolic Interactionism
Micro
Everyday interactions are based on understanding common symbols.
We communicate with the help of these symbols
Symbols
Interaction
Meanings

32. Sociology As A Profession
A debate between sociologist about whether sociology should focus on creating and discovering knowledge about society or whether sociology should be used in order to change society (social reform).
Basic Sociology
Focusing on Sociological Research
Public Sociology
Suggest some social changes to decision makers
Applied Sociology
Uses their Sociological Knowledge to reform society