Chapter One: Discovering Sociology Chapter Two: Doing Sociology.

Chapter One: Discovering SociologyChapter Two: Doing Sociology

The Sociological Perspective2

Chapter Chapter OverviewOverview

What is Sociology? The Origins of

Sociology First Sociologists Sexism in Early

Sociology

What is Sociology? The Origins of

Sociology First Sociologists Sexism in Early

Sociology

Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

The Sociological Perspective

What is Sociology?• The scientific study of human behavior,

groups, and society• Great tool for analyzing and understanding

social life or the world• Attempt to understand without judgment• Examine how social contexts influence

people’s lives• Examines the link between what people do and

the social setting that shapes behavior.– Small group social settings

– Large group social settings


• Sociologists study ones social location to understand human behavior

• Jobs, Social Class, Race, Occupation, Sex, Religion and other demographics

• Social Location can shape our ideas of who we are and what we should attain in life

4

What is Sociology?What is Sociology?


• Stresses the social contexts in which people

live

• Looks at how people are influenced by their

society and how social forces affect human

behavior

• “The Sociological Imagination”

5

The Sociological The Sociological PerspectivePerspective


Major social change in the 19th century (1800’s)

• The Industrial Revolution challenged traditional ideas about social life

• Intellectual climate– American and French American and French

RevolutionRevolution– The scientific method, which

was used in the physical sciences, led to the birth of Sociology

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Development of Sociology Development of Sociology


• Lived in France• 1st Sociologist to advocate

using positivism to studying social life– Sociology a new science

• Coined the term “Sociology” (the study of society)

• Advocate of social reform

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Auguste Comte: Auguste Comte: Founder of SociologyFounder of Sociology

1798-18571798-1857


• Lived in England• Disagreed with Comte that Sociology should

guide reform• Coined the term “Survival of the Fittest”• Societies are evolutionary

– Evolve from lower to higher forms• Civilians (higher forms)• Barbarians (lower forms)

– Over time societies improve and become advanced• Social Reform interferes with natural process of

selection • Social Philosopher

– Did not conduct scientific studiesDid not conduct scientific studies– Only developed ideas about societyOnly developed ideas about society

8

Herbert Spencer: Herbert Spencer: Social DarwinismSocial Darwinism

1820-1903


• Human history– Created by class conflict– Economics is central force for

social change• Class Conflict

– Proletariat vs. the Bourgeoisie• Marx’ predictions

– Social class revolution– Classless society

• Marxism is not the same as Communism

• “I am not a Communist” 9

Karl Marx:Karl Marx:Class ConflictClass Conflict

1818-18831818-1883


• Lived in Germany• Disagreed with Marx

– Economics is not the central force for social change

– Religion central for social change in society

• The Protestant Ethic is tied to the rise of capitalism

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Max Weber:Max Weber:ReligionReligion

1864-19201864-1920


Protestant Ethic and the Rise of Capitalism

• Compared Catholic religion with Protestant religion to prove this theory

• Catholic religion encourages followers to hold onto traditional ways of life and believe everyone will go to heaven

• Protestant religion encourages followers to embrace change

• Religion was a key factor to the rise of capitalism


• First to establish sociology as a separate academic discipline; a social science

• Explained that Sociological ideas could be tested and published

– Theory: Social forces shape human behavior

•Studied suicide rates in several European countries

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Emile Durkheim:Emile Durkheim:Social IntegrationSocial Integration

1858-19171858-1917


• Agricultural life• Smaller population• Close friendships and family

ties• Great social support and

social control• People followed rules of

social conduct• Lower suicide rates

• City life• Larger population• Individualistic: no time for social

interaction or new friendships• People work 12-16 hrs a day/ 6

to 7 days a week• Isolated among family and

friends• Higher suicide rates

Rural AreasRural Areas Urban AreasUrban Areas


Catholics and Protestants Married and unmarried Females and males SOCIAL FACTORS underlie suicide Social Integration

The degree to which people are tied to their social group

How closely linked people are to their social group (strong or weak bonds)

Catholics and Protestants Married and unmarried Females and males SOCIAL FACTORS underlie suicide Social Integration

The degree to which people are tied to their social group

How closely linked people are to their social group (strong or weak bonds)


Types of Suicide

• Egotistic– Low social integration/weak bonds– Individualistic

• Altruistic– High social integration/strong bonds– Willing to die to accomplish group’s goals

• Anomic Suicide– No integration– Can not pursue society’s goals


Attitudes of the Time1800s Sex Roles Rigidly DefinedHigher education reserved for men and the

wealthyWomen devoted themselves to the 4 C’s

• Church, cooking, children, and clothes

Harriet MartineauPublished Society in America Before

Durkheim and Weber Were BornKnown for translating Comte’s works from

French to English

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Sexism in Sexism in Early SociologyEarly Sociology

1802-18761802-1876

Harriet Martineau


Came from a background of privilegeSocial reformerShe worked tirelessly for social justiceCo-founded the Hull House in 1889Campaigned for laws against child laborLeader of women’s rights and peace movement of

World War ICo-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931

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1860-19351860-1935

Jane AddamsJane Addams


• 1st African American to earn a doctorate at

Harvard

• Grew up within a very racist society

• Every year between 1896 and 1914 he

published a book on race relations between

African Americans and Whites– Souls of Black Folk 1903

– Philadelphia Negro

• He became active in social reform after years of

collecting and interpreting data

• Founded the N.A.A.C.P 18

W.E.B. Du Bois and W.E.B. Du Bois and Race Relations Race Relations


• Theory-a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work

• Symbolic Interactionist• Functional Analysis• Conflict Theory

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Three Theoretical Three Theoretical PerspectivesPerspectives

Three Theoretical Three Theoretical PerspectivesPerspectives


• Each theoretical perspective looks at statistical data in a different light, i.e. marriage and divorce rates

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• Symbolic Interactionists believe that

individuals evaluate their own conduct by

comparing themselves with others

• Symbolic Interactionists study:– How people interpret symbols

– How people interact one on one

– How people behave according to how they define

themselves and others21

Symbolic Symbolic InteractionismInteractionism


• The Functional Analysis perspective views

society as a whole unit, made up of

interrelated parts that work together.• Functional Analysists study:

– The structure of society– How each part of society has certain functions

that must be fulfilled– What happens to society when dysfunctions

occurb22

Functional AnalysisFunctional Analysis


• Founded by Karl Marx• Groups competing for scarce resources• Groups competing for power and authority• Conflict can be positive as it can bring about

positive change

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The Sociological Perspective24


• Macro Level - Large Scale Patterns in Society– Functional Analysis and Conflict Theory are components of

Macroanalysis• Micro Level-Social interactions on a small scale

– Symbolic Interactionism is a component of MicroanalysisWhich level of analysis is best?

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Two Levels of Two Levels of Sociological AnalysisSociological Analysis

Chapter One: Discovering Sociology Chapter Two: Doing Sociology.

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Transcript of Chapter One: Discovering Sociology Chapter Two: Doing Sociology.