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Introduction to Sociology

Introduction to Sociology. The study of social behavior and the organization of human society. The Sociological perspective SSSocFR1. Seeking out general patterns in the behavior of particular people Categories: women/men, rich/poor, children/adults

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Introduction to Sociology

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  1. Introduction to Sociology The study of social behavior and the organization of human society

  2. The Sociological perspectiveSSSocFR1 • Seeking out general patterns in the behavior of particular people • Categories: women/men, rich/poor, children/adults • Society shapes our experiences: why choose the college you’ve chosen? Is college something you choose to do? Why do Americans have less children? Incidence of suicide in different countries • Global perspective (pg. 5): where you live matters • Related/overlaps other fields of study: psychology, history, political science, various sciences, etc.

  3. The origins of Sociology • 1700s-1800s: changes in Europe (rise of factory based industrial economy, growth of cities & democracy): Industrial Rev. • Awareness of society • 1838: Auguste Comte (French) coined name based on science/research • Philosophers: Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, St. Thomas Aquinas, Galileo, Newton, Shakespeare, Hobbes, Karl Marx

  4. Sociological Imagination • …is an awareness of the discipline of sociology and its relevance to daily life. • In other words, everything we do is shaped by our situation, our values/norms/mores, and how the people around us react. • This means being able to shift your perspective and see events from someone else’s point of view, and understand how the events were influenced.

  5. Other famous sociologists… • Harriet Martineau: argued against slavery • Jane Addams: helped immigrants • William DuBois: argued for rights for blacks, founding member of the NAACP • Sociologists must answer 2 questions: • What should be studied? • How do you connect the facts?

  6. Careers in Sociology • Advertising • Banking • Criminal justice/law • Education • Government/politics • Health care • Clinical therapy • Evaluation research (efficiency) • International business • Military • Child welfare • Social work • Consultants • management

  7. Research Methods • Experiment: scientific way of discovering the unknown--hypothesis, independent & dependent variables, control/experimental groups, placebo, etc. • Example: the Hawthorne Effect: change in subject’s behavior caused by the awareness that they’re being studied (late 1930s, Hawthorne Factory near Chicago)

  8. Survey Method • Series of questions/statements in an interview or on a questionnaire • Population, sample, random sample, open & closed-end formats • Cheap, fast, easy, but… • Interviews  can be expensive • Bias is a danger

  9. Naturalistic vs. Participant Observation • Observe subjects in “natural” setting orwhile joining them in their routine activities, often for months or years (cultural anthropologists) • Expensive & time-consuming; can be biased Secondary Analysis • Analyze data collected by others (government, researchers): cheaper, but… • Complete? Accurate? Relevant?

  10. Theorizing • Inductive logical thought: reasoning that transforms specific observations into theory (“94% of our seniors graduate; I wonder why?”) • Deductive logical thought: transforms general theory into specific hypotheses for testing (“I think most white guys drive trucks; let’s collect some data and test my theory.”)

  11. Code of Ethics in research • Can you protect your subjects’ privacy and guarantee their anonymity? • How can your study be designed to avoid chances for injury or trauma to your subjects? • How can you be sure your data is unbiased, valid and relevant? • Can you get informed consent, and do your subjects have the right to refuse consent? • You must debrief the subjects afterward (discuss, explain, check for harm, etc.)

  12. The Stanford Prison Study

  13. 3 Perspectives in Sociology • Structural functionalism paradigm: society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability (education, jobs, marriage, family vs. crime) • Symbolic interaction paradigm: society is the product of everyday interaction of individuals—how you perceive events & the symbolic meaning, reality is what you think it is (behavior change in situations) • Social Conflict paradigm: (Karl Marx) idea that society has been shaped by conflict among groups & the distribution of resources—highlights inequality (Paradigm: a shift in your thinking/point of view)

  14. Sports • Structural functional paradigm: Sports teams have parts that must work together to win. Positives: recreation, conditioning, relaxation, relationships, jobs, competition, success; negatives: illegal recruiting • Social conflict paradigm: inequality (rich: tennis, golf, sailing, equestrian skiing; less well to do: baseball, football, basketball), skewed by gender towards males & race, BIG $$$ in sports. Race, economics, culture play a role in who plays what sport. • Symbolic interaction paradigm: Athletes must interact witheach other, understand complex rules, positions, & skills. Face to face. Spontaneous, unpredictable; differing attitudes, “realities”

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