1. The Sociological Imagination
Making the Familiar Strange
The Sociological Imagination
Chapter 1-Introduction to Sociology

2. Discussion Outline I. Thinking like a Sociologist
II. The Sociology of Sociology
III. Modern Sociological Theory

3. I. Thinking like a Sociologist…
Sociology is…
The systematic study of human society and the relationship between individuals and society
Rigorous and systematic=Powerful scientific tool
What do sociologists study?
Why do some people refer to sociology as a “soft science”?

4. ??? Sociology: why is it important and beneficial? Example:???
Unveiling new levels of reality…making the familiar strange…challenging conventional wisdom and questioning what most people take for granted
Example:???

5. Thinking Like a Sociologist…
The Sociological Imagination
C. Wright Mills
The sociological imagination helps us to understand how the social structure affects our lives and the lives of others
Private troubles  Public issues

6. Thinking Like a Sociologist: Agency vs. Structure
What determines an individuals behavior/ lot
in life?
Agency-making individual choices based on free-will
Structure-cultural and structural influences operate in the decision making process
Society is organized
Society is patterned & predictable
**How does accounting for structural and cultural
influences confront the American value system?

7. Thinking like a Sociologist…
Social Institutions

8. Thinking like a Sociologist
The individual and the wider society

9. II. The Sociology of Sociology-Historical Development
18th century
Political Revolution
-Chaos and disorder
Industrial Revolution
-Urbanization
The Enlightenment
-Rejection of traditional beliefs and authority
Before social science and the enlightenment, who had the authority to say what was right and wrong regarding social issues?

10. The Creation of Sociology: Key Figures
Auguste Comte
Positivism/ Empirical study of society
Harriet Martineau
Social methods and feminism

11. The Creation of Sociology: Key Figures
The Big Three…
Karl Marx
Emile Durkheim
Max Weber
Other voices were silenced, excluded and marginalized

12. Karl Marx ( )
Society fundamentally divided between two classes that clash in pursuit of their own interests
Class Conflict
**What did Marx see as the solution
to the evils of capitalism?

13. Marx
Industrialization leads to two classes: the bourgeoisie, or the owners of the means of production; and the proletariat, or the workers who earn wages.
The bourgeoisie use their power to control the institutions of society to their advantage.
What other institutions might those at the very top of the class structure be able to control? How?
I.e.: The political landscape and massive donations

14. Verstehen: study of human subjectivity
Max Weber (1864 – 1920)
Verstehen: study of human subjectivity
“Understanding”; “Insight”
Importance of a “value-free sociology”?

15. Émile Durkheim (1858 – 1916) Division of labor Social Solidarity
…What maintains social order?
Division of labor
Social Solidarity
Cohesion and harmony
Suicide (1897/1951)

16. III. Modern Sociological Theory
What is a theory?

17. Theory
A theory is a set of statements that explains why a particular phenomena happens
Theories can be viewed as tools or lenses through which individuals view society.
Theories differ

18. The Primary Theoretical Perspectives
The Big Four: Functionalism, Conflict, Symbolic Interactionism, Feminist
Ask and answer the “big” questions in sociology
Provide a lens through which to view and understand aspects of the social world

19. Functionalism
Society is a complex social system of interdependent parts that work together to ensure a society’s survival.
Based off work of Durkheim
If something exists, it has a function for society in providing cohesion and stability
Crime?
Manifest Functions
Latent Functions
Wedding Rings? Schools?

20. Conflict Theory
Conflict theory examines the ways in which groups disagree, struggle over power, and compete for scarce resources.
Based off of work of Karl Marx
Conflict, tension, and competition between groups results from widespread economic inequality
What groups? What resources?
I.e.: Gang rivalries, social classes, families, etc

21. Feminist Theories
Feminist theories explain the social, economic, and political position of women in society. Focus is on gender issues.
Maintain that women suffer injustice because of their sex/gender.
Seeks to free women from traditionally oppressive expectations and constraints.

22. Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism looks at individuals’ everyday behavior and communication through symbols and shared meanings.
It is a micro-level perspective.
Interactionists see society as socially constructed through everyday interaction

23. Levels of Analysis
Macro sociology - Looks at the "big picture" of society and suggests how society is affected at the institutional level.
Micro sociology - Concerned with the social psychological dynamics of individuals interacting in small groups/local level

24. The Primary Sociological Theories
Functionalism
How does structure help society work? How does structure help maintain stability and order?
Conflict
How are resources distributed? Who is benefitting from structure of society? Who is losing?
Symbolic Interactionism
How do we construct meaning through symbols? How are people constructing reality and creating reality? How are people interpreting and experiencing their environments
Feminist
How does life reflect gender? How is power being distributed on the basis of gender/sex?