Chapter 1Chapter 1Chapter 1Chapter 1

The Sociological PerspectiveThe Sociological Perspective

What is Sociology?• The 24 hour Activity:• - Do you consider yourself an individual?• 1. Estimate the Number of Hours engaging in all life aspects-eg.

Sleeping, at school, work, family time, socializing, homework, alone, chores, family time, boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

• 2. Estimate the amount of control you have over your activities• 3. Estimate which are set by forces other than yourself• Which activities are by personal choice and which are outside

influences?• If you could, what changes would you make• Are you an individual or “social animal”?

What is Sociology?• Draw Pie graphs of the amount of control you

have over your day!!!• Draw a pie graph of the way you would

change your day!!!

What is Sociology?• Social relationships upon people’s

attitudes • Social behavior and human groups • 3 key sets of ideas are necessary to

exist as a Sociologist• 1. Freedom of thought-still banned

in totalitarian societies, in the U.S it is troublemaking subject. Obstacle of the 18th Century church

• 2. An Awareness of crisis-crisis-until the general feeling there is something wrong-little thought given to the subject

• 3. Belief that something can be done-is society too complex to understand-eg. A person fixing a car

What is Sociology?• Great awareness of the extent of

social change.• Political turmoil• Karl Marx (1818-1883)-Conflict

Theorist• <Max Weber (1864-1920)-

Functionalist (Homepage)• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)-

Functionalist (Homepage)• others: Interactionalist

Perspective

• What are your sources of information?

Bias in the newspaper• Read a newspaper article

and jot down the following-

• Who?, What?, Where?, When, Why? Of the Article.

• Find the Bias in the Article

Sociological Perspective

• To see through outside appearances of peoples and actions

• 1. Through-underlying and recurring patterns

• 2. Through influences on social behavior-<eg. Rock Star

• 3. Provide explanations for such patterns

Sociological Imagination

• <C. Wright Mills (1959)-creative thinking

• an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society

• need to view one’s own society as an outsider

• eg.-American cities during the night time hours as compared to the social life of the old west

Sociological Imagination

• 1. Population tends to be sparse and homogeneous

• 2. Solitude with fewer restraints• 3. More lawlessness and

violence• 4. Interest groups• you are also more apt to help

• Birthday Card Experiment:• 81%-to mothers “Love”• 44%-to fathers• 62%-to sisters • 0%- to brothers

Sociology and the Social Sciences

• Science-body of knowledge obtained by methods based upon systematic study of phenomena in order to enhance understanding

• Natural Sciences-study of physical features of nature-Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geography

• Social Sciences-study of various aspects of human society

Sociology and Common Sense

• What fraction of first marriages last until their 20th anniversary?

• 3/4• Do people panic when

a natural disaster occurs?

• No• Common Senses is not

accepted as fact

Sociological Theory• <Durkheim’s Suicide

Theory:• Why do people kill

themselves?• 1900-inherited trait• sun spots• Sociology is not interested

in why an individual commits suicide-just people in general

• Links to other information on Durkheim

Emilie Durkheim’s Suicide Theory-

Egotistic Suicide • occurs in societies that stress the importance of the

individual as opposed to the group• at time of Durkheim-Protestant base more than

Catholics• rate of suicide in Bavaria-lowest rate of suicide in

Germany, highest rate of Catholics• the tighter the social bonds that hold the individual in

society, the lower the incidence of suicide• single people have a higher rate than married people

Altruistic Suicide• The responsibility of the

individual to the society• Custom of Suti-(no longer

practiced)-an Indian Hindu wife was expected to burn herself to death on the funeral pyre of her husband

• captain of the ship-when sinking supposed to go down with the ship

• there is a deep sense of moral obligation-spy,< kamikaze

Anomic Suicide• Suicide rates rose in economic

depression• Suicide rates also rose in times of

tremendous prosperity• answer for this is in anomie-society

falls into a state of lawlessness with every person looking at his or her own interests, regardless of the social consequences

• periods of sudden change-guidelines to action provided by the stable, ordered society disappear, leaving the individual vulnerable and unsure

• others-industrial conflict and divorce

Other suicide and Conclusion

• Fatalistic Suicide-The powerlessness that people feel when their lives are regulated

• Conclusion-understanding of suicide has to start with a social structure

Discussion of Suicide• What problems do you have with

Durkheim’s evaluation of Suicide?

Origins of Sociology• Analysis-• Macrosociology-large scale• Microsociology-small groups• What would be the form used in

Durkheim’s Suicide Theory?

• Origins:• <Auguste Comte-(1798-1857)-

founder of Sociology-Names it in Cours de Philosphie Positive

• not much else of substance-lays the groundwork for scientific rather than philosophical study

Origins of Sociology• <Herbert Spencer-(1820-

1903)-little influence now-similarities between organisms and a society

• each part of society is related

• concept of evolution to the development of societies-survival of the fittest

• Max Weber-(1864-1920)defined Sociology as the ‘comprehensive science of human action’

Max Weber• Marx and Durkheim stress

the structure of society• Weber stresses the

interrelated set of actions• eg.-family as structure-

mother, father, children (physical and legal)-Marx and Durkheim-

• Weber-<family as a set of actions-living together, sharing certain activities and the changes in the typical form of social actions

Max Weber• Four types of actions:• 1. Affective-spontaneous and

emotional• 2. Traditional-that which we do

that always has been done• 3. Wertrational-rational action

toward a goal• 4. Zweckrational-purposeful

action to obtain a goal• need to understand the

individual’s perspective-why he/she acted a certain way

• Verstehen-action in the eyes of the individual

Max Weber• Ideal Type-gives clarity

to the concept• 1. Find elements that

are usually present to a concept

• 2. Stating them• 3. Measuring the object

to the model• eg.-<teenagers, beauty

Karl Marx (1818-1883)• Most influential• 19th century period of political,

social and economic turmoil• looked to the future with hope• people come together to produce

the necessities of life• the future is Communist Society• based argument on economic

production• Economic differences between

various groups in society• one group monopolized control of

the economic resources• Links page for Karl Marx

Karl Marx• Thus gained control over

other groups and are able to impose their values on the whole society

• THOSE WHO HAVE THE GOLD MAKE THE RULES! Evan Lane (2001)

• the history of society and changes in economic structure in each period of dominance equal an epoch

• <Marx and followers• Marx Quotes and other Marx

stuff

Karl Marx• The Communist Manifesto:• Dialectic process-series of clashes

between conflicting ideas and forces

• analysis of society as a whole• radically opposed to functionalism• all societies are controlled by those

who own the industrial and commercial enterprises

• groups use power to create a society to their advantage

• Marxists-clarify the relationship between the structure of society and the interests of the wealthy

• eg. American Society

20th Century Sociologists

• <Charles Horton Cooley-(1864-1929)-look first at smaller units-intimate, face-to-face groups like families, gangs, friendship networks

• Robert Merton-bring macro and micro together-Sociologists should avoid extremes-Middle Range Theory

• Deviant Behavior-Middle Range Theory-some may not share the socially agreed upon goal of material goods or accepted means of achieving this goal

• eg- “innovators”-accept goal of pursuing material wealth in the US but do it illegally

Perspectives of Sociology

• Functionalism-• early works of Emilie Durkheim• analogy between society and

physical organism• anatomy student-studies the

body’s functions-heart function-force blood to circulate

• analysis-could be used on society-

• Identify the institutions of society-eg. Religion, economics, education etc.

Functionalism• <Talcott Parsons-(1902-

1979)• versions dominate

society from 1930-1960• society has certain

needs (organisms)• if not fulfilled-then the

society will collapse-eg. Education system

• Functionalist Website

Functionalism• <Robert Merton-• Manifest Function-open, stated,

conscious function• -intended recognized consequences of

an aspect of society• eg.-University role of certifying

academic competence and excellence• Latent Function-unconscious or covert

functions• reflect hidden purpose of an

institution• eg. Meeting ground for people seeking

marital partners• dysfunction-element of process of

society that may actually disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability-not always negative

Conflict Theorists• Marxism and the Dialectic Materialism-or “Historical

Materialism”• analysis of society as a whole• radically opposed to Functionalism• all societies are controlled-own the industrial and

commercial enterprises• groups use power to create a society to their

advantage• beliefs and economic systems reflect their values• Conflict Theorist website

Conflict Theorists• Clarify the relationship between the structure

of society and the interest of society-eg. Social class division

• children inherit jobs• there are the rich and the rest of society• Link to class statistics

Interactionalism• Viewpoint of the individual• rejects any attempt to construct

an overall theory of society• relative routine, face-to-face

interaction• <George Herbert Meade-mutual

expectations and then act on these expectations

• eg.-form a social ‘type’-then act on the basis of this definition

• police officer v. parent• adjust to nonconformity• once labeled -smart stupid or

criminal-interpret future actions