1. Sociology Perspective, Theory, and Method
Chapter 1
Sociology
Perspective, Theory, and Method

2. The Sociological Perspective: Seeing the General in the Particular
Seeing general patterns in the behavior of particular individuals.
The general categories which we fall into shape our particular life experiences.
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3. The Sociological Perspective: Seeing the Strange in the Familiar
Brainstorm about three “familiar” practices in the United States.
Now find something “strange” about each of the practices.
Discuss why they seem strange, now that you are using the sociological perspective.
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5. Rate of Death by Suicide, by Race and Sex, for the United States
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6. Seeing Sociologically: Marginality
The greater a person’s marginality:
The better able they are to use the sociological perspective
To become better at using the sociological perspective:
Step back from familiar routines
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7. The Importance of a Global Perspective
The study of the larger world and our society’s place in it.
What is the importance of a global perspective for sociology?
Sociology shows that our place in society profoundly affects our life experiences
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8. Sociology and Public Policy
Sociologists have helped shape public policy
The laws and regulations that guide how people in communities live and work
Question:
Think of a public policy topic in our society that is currently under review and/or discussion.
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9. Sociology and Personal Growth
Helps us assess the truth of “common sense”
Helps us see the opportunities in our everyday lives
Empowers us to be active participants in our society
Helps us live in a diverse world
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10. Careers: The “Sociology Advantage”
A sociology background is excellent in preparing for the working world
Agencies and companies want to be sure that:
Products, programs, and policies they create get the job done at the lowest cost
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11. Social Change and Sociology
What striking transformations took place in 18th and 19th century Europe that:
Drove the development of sociology?
Rise of a factory-based economy
Explosive growth of cities
New ideas about democracy and political rights
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12. Science and Sociology Auguste Comte (1798–1857)
French social thinker who coined the term “sociology” in 1838 to:
Describe a new way of looking at the world
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13. Suicide Rates across the United States
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14. Sociological Theory Theory Two basic questions in building theory
A statement of how and why specific facts are related
Two basic questions in building theory
What issues should we study?
How should we connect the facts?
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15. The Structural-Functional Approach
A framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose:
Parts work together to promote solidarity and stability
Social Structure
Social Functions
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16. The Social-Conflict Approach
A framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that:
Generates conflict and change
Highlights how the following factors are linked to inequality
Class, race, ethnicity, gender, age
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17. Feminism and the Gender-Conflict Approach
A point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict between women and men
Closely linked to feminism, the advocacy of social equality for women and men
Harriet Martineau & Jane Addams: women important to sociology development
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18. The Race-Conflict Approach
Point of view; focuses on inequality & conflict between people
Of different racial and ethnic categories
People of color important to the development of sociology:
Ida Wells Barnett and W.E.B. Du Bois
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19. Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm
The basics
A micro-level orientation, a close-up focus on social interactions in specific situations
Views society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals
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20. Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm
Key elements
Society is a shared reality that people construct as they interact with one another
Society is a complex, ever-changing mosaic of subjective meanings
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21. “Stacking” in Professional Baseball: Does race play a part in professional sports? Looking at the various positions in professional baseball, we see that white players
are more likely to play the central positions in the infield, while people of color are more likely to play in the outfield. What do you make of this pattern?
Source: Lapchick (2011).
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22. Three Ways to do Sociology
All sociologists want to learn about the social world
Three ways to do sociological research
Positivist Sociology
Interpretive Sociology
Critical Sociology
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23. Concepts, Variables, and Measurement
Concept: A mental construct; represents some part of the world in a simplified form
Variable: A concept that changes from case to case
Measurement: Procedure for determining the value of a variable in a specific case
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24. Statistics Descriptive statistics
To state what is “average” for a large population
Most commonly used descriptive statistics are:
Mean; Median; Mode
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25. Reliability and Validity
Consistency in measurement
For measurement to be reliable, the process must yield the same results when repeated
Validity
Actually measuring exactly what you intend to measure
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26. Correlation and Cause Correlation Cause and Effect
A relationship in which two (or more) variables change together
Cause and Effect
A relationship in which change in one variable causes change in another
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27. The Ideal of Objectivity
Objectivity (personal neutrality)
Value-relevant research
Topics the researcher cares about
Value-free research
Dedication to finding truth as it is rather than as we think it should be
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28. Interpretive Sociology
Humans engage in meaningful action
Interpretive sociology differs from scientific or empirical sociology in three ways:
Scientific sociology focuses on action
Interpretive sociology focuses on meaning
Scientific sociology sees an objective reality
Interpretive sociology sees reality
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29. Interpretive Sociology
Scientific sociology favors quantitative data
Interpretive sociology favors qualitative data
Scientific orientation is well-suited for research in a laboratory
Interpretive orientation is better suited in a natural setting
Investigators interact with people
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30. Weber’s Concept of Verstehen
German word for “understanding”
Interpretive sociologist’s job
Observe what people do
Share in their world of meaning
Appreciate why they act as they do
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31. Critical Sociology
The study of society that focuses on the need for social change
Critical sociologists ask moral and political questions
Critical sociologists reject Weber’s goal that
Sociology be value-free
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32. Sociology as Politics Scientific sociologists Critical sociologists
Object to taking sides in this way
Claims critical sociology
Critical sociologists
All research is political in that it either calls for change or does not
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33. Gender and Research Gender
Personal traits & social positions members of a society attach to being female or male
Gender can affect sociological research in five ways
Androcentricity, over-generalizing, gender blindness, double standards, and interference
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34. Research Ethics
Awareness that research can harm as well as help subjects and communities
American Sociological Association
Established formal guidelines for conducting research
Sociologists must be skillful and fair-minded in their work
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35. Research Methods A systematic plan for doing research
Four methods of sociological investigation
Experiments
Surveys
Participant observation
Existing sources
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36. Testing a Hypothesis: The Experiment
Test a specific hypothesis
A statement of how two or more variables are related
An educated guess about how variables are linked – usually an if-then statement
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37. Asking Questions: Survey Research
Survey targets some population
Researchers usually study a sample
A much smaller number of subjects selected to represent the entire population
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38. In the Field: Participant Observation
Cultural anthropologists
Uses “fieldwork” to study societies
Fieldwork makes most participant observation exploratory and descriptive
Participant observation has few hard-and-fast rules
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39. Using Available Data: Existing Sources
Sociologists make use of existing sources
Data collected by others
Most widely used data are gathered by government agencies
Using available information
Criticism
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40. Putting It All Together: Ten Steps in Sociological Research
1. What is your topic?
2. What have others already learned?
3. What, exactly, are your questions?
4. What will you need to carry out research?
5. Might the research cause harm?
6. What method will you use?
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41. Putting It All Together: Ten Steps in Sociological Research
7. How will you record the data?
8. What do the data tell you?
9. What are your conclusions?
10. How can you share what you have learned?
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