1. Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective Introduction .

2. Social Sciences Sociology- study of human society and social behavior
  Social Sciences Sociology- study of human society and social behavior.   Economics- study of choices people make in order to satisfy their wants and needs. Anthropology- comparative study of past and present cultures. Political Science- the study of organization and operations of governments. Psychology- Behavior and thinking of organisms. History- Study of Past Events.     .  

3. Sociological Imagination- Ability to see the connection between the larger world and your personal life.
Sociological Imagination looks at how historical events impact normal events in an individual’s life. (Generally people do not realize what happens until after it is done).
Sociological Perspective- To look beyond commonly held beliefs to the hidden meanings behind human actions.

4. Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
FUNCTIONALISTS – they see society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system; they focus on functions and dysfunctions.
Field of Study: the role of family and education in society.
Sociologists: Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, Auguste Comte. Durkheim was the first to study suicide in 1897.
Dysfunctional-negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system. Manifest Function- an intended and recognized consequence of some element of society. Latent Function- unintended and unrecognized consequence of some element of society.
Anomie-breakdowns of social norms make it hard for people
to identify who they are or what life means.

5. Sociologists: Karl Marx
CONFLICT THEORISTS – they focus on forces in society that promote competition and change; see social change as an inevitable feature of society.
Competition over scarce resources is the basis of social conflict.
Field of Study: Racial relations, employee-worker disputes, who possesses power, and decision making in families.
Sociologists: Karl Marx
Workers (proletariat) would overthrow the Owners/Capitalists (bourgeoisie) and there will be a classless society.

6. They are interested in the role symbols play in our daily lives.
INTERACTIONISTS – Interested in separate groups in society rather than society as a whole.
They are interested in the role symbols play in our daily lives.
Symbol- anything that represents something else.
Verstehen –an attempt to understand the meanings individuals attach to their actions. Put yourself in the place of others and try to see situations through their eyes.
Field of Study: Child development, relationships within groups, mate selection.
Sociologists: Max Weber

7. Discuss with your neighbor the following questions:
What are the manifest functions of college?
How would a Conflict sociologist view college?

8. Theories of Sociology are built on evidence that is gathered and a clear conclusion can be made.
Can you tell what type of people are we talking about from the clues given?

9. Is able to sit on leather while traveling from place to place.
Separates himself from others at sporting events.
Monday through Friday is seen wearing a silk object.
Enjoys hitting a small white object with a staff.
His life partner goes by the name “Muffy.”

10. Can be seen drinking out of an aluminum object.
Might be nocturnal.
Has been known to pray to a porcelain deity.
Food of choice is micro waved noodles.

11. Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology- In relation to license plates:
Functionalists:
Manifest Function- license plates were created to track vehicle registrations.
Latent Function- license plates are collectables.
Conflict Theorists:
The state makes car owners have plates to keep track of us-that shows the power of the state. If we have some higher economic power we can obtain personalized plates.

12. Interactionist Theorists:
Every car is supposed to have one. If it’s a generic one created by the state we are simply illustrating our conformity to the role of auto-owner or renter.
If we have a personalized plate style, we are symbolically communicating our support of whatever cause the plate is showing the world.
If we have a personalized plate that has unique letter/number combinations that spell something such as “SOCTCHR,” we are sending a symbolic message about who we are and that we are rich enough and clever enough to have this special plate.

13. Famous Sociologists
Auguste Comte ( ) Founder of Sociology focused on social order and social changes. He used the scientific method to test theories.
Jane Addams (1860 – 1935) She was the most prominent woman of the Progressive Era.
She was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She was a leader in woman suffrage and world peace. She made the nation aware of issues of concern to mothers, such as the needs of children and public health.

14. Julian Samora-( ) A pioneering scholar of Mexican American studies, he focused on civil rights and discrimination, public health, and rural poverty for Mexican-Americans. He become the first (known) Mexican American to earn a US doctorate in sociology and anthropology. He fought against racial/ethnic hostility and ignorance. He helped found the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project. He served on numerous governmental and private boards and commissions, including the US Commission on Civil Rights, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the President’s Commission on Rural Poverty.

15. Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915) Booker T
Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915) Booker T. Washington was the most famous black man in America between 1895 and He was also considered the most influential black educator of the late 19th and early 20th centuries insofar as he controlled the flow of funds to black schools and colleges. He was representative of the last generation of black leaders born in slavery and spoke on behalf of blacks living in the South.

16. W.E.B. Du Bois –(1868 – 1963)
He became the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. He wrote extensively and was the best known spokesperson for African American rights during the first half of the 20th century. He cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

17. Robert Ezra Park (1864–1944) was an American urban sociologist, one of the main founders of the original Chicago School of Sociology.
He was noted for his work on ethnic minority groups, particularly African Americans, and on human ecology, a term he is credited with coining.
Human Ecology- study of the relationship between humans and their natural, social, and built environments.

18. Harriet Martineau (1802 – 1876) was an English social theorist and Whig writer. She is considered the first woman sociologist. She changed opinions on issues of women’s lives that were previously ignored such as marriage, children, domestic and religious life, and race relations.

19. Robert Alexander Nisbet ( ) He was a sociologist and a political conservative. He promoted traditionalist conservatism.
Traditional conservatives believe that not all change is good. They look to the past for what was lost and how to recapture it.

20. Indicate whether the following statements represent functionalism (F), the conflict perspective (C), or interactionism (I)
Societies are in relative balance
Power is one of the most important elements in social life.
Religion helps hold a society together morally.
Social change is constantly occurring.
Social life should be understood from the viewpoint of the individuals involved.