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WELCOME TO SOCIOLOGY WEEK 1

WELCOME TO SOCIOLOGY WEEK 1. Lecture Tutorial reading Forums Critical Thinking Questions Weekly Graded Quiz Participation Assignment All graded assignments, including quizzes, will be due before the start of the next week’s lecture. THIS WEEK WE’LL BE DISCUSSING.

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WELCOME TO SOCIOLOGY WEEK 1

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  1. WELCOME TO SOCIOLOGYWEEK 1 • Lecture • Tutorial reading • Forums • Critical Thinking Questions • Weekly Graded Quiz • Participation Assignment All graded assignments, including quizzes, will be due before the start of the next week’s lecture.

  2. THIS WEEK WE’LL BE DISCUSSING • Tutorial reading: Units 1 & 2 • The Sociological Perspective • Approximately 15% of the final exam.

  3. Sociology: An Introduction Unit 1 Revised 2016 Amy M. Layman, MA

  4. UNIT 1 – Sociology: An Introduction The origins and development of the discipline of sociology • Science • The logical, systematic methods by which knowledge is acquired as well as the actual body of knowledge produced by these methods • Natural sciences: • Social sciences: • Sociology is a perspective or way of thinking that systematically addresses the impact of social forces on human behavior. • Sociology deals with people- subjects who have self-awareness and make choices about their behavior. • Sociology deals with more difficulties with generalizations, explanations and predictions than natural sciences, although both sciences use the scientific method to explain occurrences. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  5. Social Sciences • Social sciences are the related group of disciplines that study various aspects of human behavior: • Anthropology • Branches of anthropology include: • Economics – • Psychology • Social Psychology Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  6. Social Sciences • Political Science • History • Prehistory • Social History • Great Man Theory. • Sociology • Humanistic Approach • Scientific Approach Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  7. The Development of Sociology • Enlightenment • Industrial Revolution • America Revolution • French Revolution • Colonization Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  8. Early Sociologists: Andre Michel Guerry • He was the first individual who used statistical techniques to related population trends to each other • He pointed out two major trends with French society: 1. the rates of suicide, theft, illegitimate birth etc., tended to stay stable from year to year in any given city 2. while an individual city remained stable, there was significant variation from city to city Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  9. Early Sociologists: Auguste Comte • Considered the “founder of sociology” • Coined the term “sociology” • First to believe that the methods of science should be applied to the study of societies • Proposed two specific problem areas: • “Social statistics”: • “Social dynamics”: • Believed that societies develop based on a three-stage theory: • Theological Stage: • Metaphysical Stage: • Scientific Stage: Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  10. Early Sociologists: Jeremy Bentham • Focused on social reform law • He believed that the government was just a metaphor for social control and reason • Visible Hand Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  11. Thomas Hobbes • He asked and important social question: How can people live together and still escape the fear of civil conflict? • Social Contract Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  12. Early Sociologists: Herbert Spencer • Analogy: Believed societies are like organisms, or self-regulating • Social Darwinism: • Believed that government should stay out of social affairs, as it would disrupt the natural balance • Modern functionalist theory Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  13. Early Sociologists: Harriet Martineau • She was an abolitionist, feminist and sociologist (before the terms had been invented). More importantly she was one of the first women journalists. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  14. Early Sociologists: Karl Marx • Inspired the Socialist and Communist movements • Class conflict • Bourgeoisie • Proletariat • Believed the economy fundamentally influences other areas of society Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  15. Early Sociologists: Emile Durkheim • Believed that societies are held together by members’ shared values and religious and ritual beliefs • Which function does a specific element have for the social system? • 4 Types of Suicides: • Egotistic • Altruistic • Fatalistic • Anomic Mechanical solidarity – societies are held together by similarities between individuals. Organic solidarity – societies united more by independent nature of individuals. Anomie:the loss of purpose and direction people experience during periods of extreme social change (coined by Durkheim) Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  16. Early Sociologists: Max Weber • Not all social change was linked with economics (Marx); religion and value-freedom, or absence of personal values in professional work • Verstehen: Social behavior can only be understood when the meanings of people’s actions are known (literally translates from German to understanding) Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  17. Modern Sociological Development • Most development in this century has taken place in the U.S. • 1842 the University of Chicago offered the first doctoral degree in Sociology Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  18. Modern Sociology: Lester Ward (1841-1913) • Father of American sociology • Dynamic Sociology (1883) • The American Sociological Society Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  19. Modern Sociological Development:William Graham Sumner (1840-1910) • Laissez-faire policy. • In his best-known publication, Folkways (1906), Sumner added the terms “folkways” and “mores” to the terminology of American sociologists. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  20. Modern Sociological Development:George Simmel (1858-1918) • Interactions of the individuals at the small group level. • He gave particular consideration to the problem of authority and obedience. • According to Simmel, individuals are free spirits, but are consumed by the socialization of societies’ rules. He labeled this conflict between the individual and society dialectical tension. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  21. Modern Sociological Development:W.E.B DuBois (1868-1963) • African-American society in Philadelphia. • “Cure” for prejudice and discrimination. • The Philadelphia Negro. • This was the first instance such a scientific approach to studying social phenomenon was undertaken • Father of Social Science. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  22. Modern Sociological Development: Ida Wells-Barnett (1862-1931) • Noted early feminist who brought the feminist movement into the African-American community. • Her predominate contribution to sociology was the concept that societies cannot be judged on their claimed principles. • Instead, they must be judged based on whether their stated values match with the actions of the society. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  23. Modern Sociological Development:Jane Addams (1860-1935) • Confronted racism in the Chicago public school system. • Hull House in 1889 Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  24. Modern Sociological Development:George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) • The majority of his theories revolve around symbolic interaction, or the idea that all human interactions come back to the interpretation of symbols, According to Mead, gestures, facial expressions, written and spoken language, and even society itself is just a symbol used to represent ourselves. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  25. Modern Sociological Development:Robert Park (1864-1944) • An advisor to Booker T. Washington at the U.S.’s first all-black college, the Tuskegee Institute. • Human Ecology Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  26. Modern Sociological Development:Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) • Merton contributed to many areas of society, from class ratings to deviance, and each of his theories will be discussed in the appropriate area of this text. • Idea of functional analysis • “Middle-Range” theories • Social Psychology. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  27. Modern Sociological Development:Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) • His grand theory in Structure of Social Action (1937) • Set of concepts of the determinants of human deeds. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  28. Modern Sociological Development:C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) • Oligarchy • The Power Elite, written in 1956 • White Collar published in 1951 • The Sociological imagination Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  29. Modern Sociological Development:Peter Berger (1929--) • Debunking, 1969 • We must look beyond the “obvious” potential causes for behaviors and societal changes, and look for the true meaning. Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  30. Modern Sociological Development:Paul Lazarsfeld (1901-1976) • Spent the majority of his professional career studying individual decision-making processes and the influence of mass media on decisions. • Funding his research through military and commercial grants Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  31. Sociological Objectivity vs. Subjectivity • People tend to view the world subjectively: • Objective: • Bias? • The way to overcome this is to present findings or interpretations to the sociological community for criticism in order to not distort any facts Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  32. Theoretical Considerations • Most sociological theories are guided by a major theoretical perspective: a broad assumption about society and social behavior that provides a point of view for the study of specific problems. • There are three general perspectives: • Functionalist: social order and stability • Conflict theory: social change • Interactionist: everyday experiences Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  33. The Functionalist View • Originated from the work of Spencer and Durkheim • Focuses on the way various parts function to maintain the stability of society as a whole (remember Spencer’s comparison with an organism: structure, interrelated parts, religion) • Is a macro view: • Parsons and Merton also have refined this view • Society has a tendency to be in equilibrium • Social change is viewed as disruptive (unless gradual) • Change to one part provokes another element of the social system to change (rapid change cannot be balanced) Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  34. What function does each element have? • Looking at the consequences (Merton): • Manifest function: • Latent function: • Ex. Schools • Not all functions have positive consequences: • Dysfunction: Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  35. Criticisms of Functionalist Perspective • David Hume Wrong: • The over-socialized conception of man Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  36. The Conflict View • Originating from Marx • The focus of this view is on the social processes of tension, competition and change • Modern day conflict theory is more focused on how conflict among many groups and interests is inevitable • C. Wright Mills • Is also a macro view: Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  37. Conflict Theories, continued • Societies are in a constant state of change, yet conflict is a permanent feature • Conflict is not always negative • Conflicts can result in resolution of social problems • Keep social progress, and avoids stagnation Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

  38. The Interactionist (A.K.A Interpretative) View • Originated from Weber, and later Mead, where the study of a society is done at an individual level • Focuses on the way people act and respond to one another • Everyday social interaction • The interactionist does not consider the larger structures, such as the state, the economy or social classes. • A micro theory: Revised January 2016 by Amy M. Layman, MA

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