Introduction to Sociology

1. Introduction to Sociology

2. What is Sociology? • Sociology is the systematic study of human behaviour in a social context • interactions between two or more people • organization – hierarchy - institutions

3. Sociology challenges our assumption about the way the world works What causes the following? • Famine - Drought? If drought causes famine, why have so many famines occurred in places with perfectly normal weather conditions or involve some groups hoarding food so others would starve?

4. War - territorial greed? If territorial greed causes war, how do you explain countries that are not adjacent to each other going to war?

5. Economic Success - hard work? If hard work causes prosperity, why are so many hard working people poor?

6. Marriage – why do we marry? - Love? If love leads to marriage, why are there so many people divorcing?

7. 5. Suicide • Depression? If depression leads to suicide, why don’t all depressed people commit suicide?

8. Suicide From a Sociological Perspective Suicide - appears to be anti-social (exceptions) - condemned by most people, religion - committed typically in private - When trying to understand suicide, we tend to focus on the individual and their state of mind

9. Emile Durkheim (1859-1917) • Sociologist • First person to study suicide • Studied the association between rates of suicide and rates of psychological disorder for different sexes and age groups • Studied commonly held assumptions about suicide

10. Assumption One: People who are psychologically unwell are more likely to commit suicide • Durkheim studied the number of males/females in insane asylums - more women than men in insane asylums - If more women are insane, then they should have a higher rate of suicide

11. BUT • Durkheim discovered that there were four male suicides for every female suicide • Therefore, psychological disorder is not an indicator of suicide

12. Assumption Two: Psychological disorders are more frequently present by the time a person reaches maturity Durkheim studied suicide rates based on age - discovered that suicide rates increased steadily with age Therefore, psychological disorder is not an indicator of suicide

13. By studying suicide rates, Durkheim dispelled the myth that suicides were associated with psychological disorder

14. If psychological disorder is not an indicator of suicide, then what causes suicide? Durkheim’s Data: • Married adults are half as likely to commit suicide than unmarried adults Why? - Marriage creates social ties and cements individuals to a group

15. 2. Women are less likely to commit suicide Why? • More involved in the intimate relations of family life • Females are culturally sanctioned to express emotion and show vulnerability • Females are encouraged to talk to each other

16. Jewish people are less likely than non-Jewish people to commit suicide Why? - Centuries of persecution turned the Jewish people into a closely knit group

17. The elderly are more likely to commit suicide if faced with misfortune Why? More likely to live alone, have lost a partner, lack a job and large circle of friends

18. Results of Study • Durkheim’s study proved that suicide rates are strongly influenced by social forces • Durkheim believed that suicide rates related to the degree of social solidarity in different groups * the more cohesive the group, the more firmly anchored individuals are to the social world and therefore, less likely to take their own life

19. Sociologists attempt to study phenomena through group interactions and the organization of society Think like a sociologist: In Canada in 2001, the highest rates of suicide occurred among males between 40 to 44 years of age. Why? - recession – loss of jobs and contacts - high divorce rates – loss of family