MS. CURREY

Introduction to Sociology

Goals:

1. Define Sociology2. Why are patterns important for

sociologists?3.What is an example of conformity?

Why do people conform?4. Define sociological imagination?5. What are the different sociological

perspectives? How do they view society?

Sociological Question:

Why do people commit suicide?

Write down 6 reasons why you think a person might seriously consider suicide.

(This fits in with 2 basic questions that are asked in sociology: 1. what do people do? 2. Why do people do what they do?)

List:

“Unhappiness Theory of Suicide”

This theory is NOT sociological. Not necessarily wrong but….

New way of looking at it:

Why is the rate of suicide higher in California than it is in Ohio?

CA: 3602 suicides in 2006OH: 1295 suicides in 2006Data taken from the 2007 official data from:http://www.suicidology.org/web/guest/stats-and-tools/statistics

List 3 reasons you think this is the case.

List

External Reasons: More sociological!

Sociology: helps us to understand what social structures are and how they affect our beliefs and behaviors. It also helps us to understand how individuals relate to one another

Dif from Psychology

Focuses on group but there are some characteristics shared between sociology and psychology.

Sociology also shares characteristics with anthro, econ, poli-sci, and history

Science

Uses Scientific method

Categories

NOT individuals.

Ex: young men, married women, teenagers….

Social Structure

The patterned interaction of people in social relationships.

Why do people conform? Group behavior vs Individual

Members of a group taught to value the group’s ways even if personal preference is dif. Ex: smoking

Something NEW is created when individuals come together. Groups are NOT just a sum of each individual part.

Sociological Imagination

The ability to see the link between society and the self. How society affects our lives can help us from being prisoners to social forces.

Make your OWN decisions!

The Sociological Perspective

Movie time!

Corresponding book reading

Optional! Pp 3-13

Review:

1. Define Sociology2. Why are patterns important for

sociologists?3.What is an example of conformity?

Why do people conform?4. Define sociological imagination?5. What are the different sociological

perspectives? How do they view society?

HW

Read pp 14-22 in your book and answer following:

1. What was Karl Marx’s life guided by?2. According to Max Weber, what must

sociologists discover to understand human actions?

4. How do verstehen and rationalization help us to function in society?

5. What is the irony of the work of Jane Addams?

6. What were the contributions of WEB Dubois?

Perspectives of Sociology

Goals:1. What are the 3 main perspectives of

sociology and how do they explain the way society works?

2. How would each perspective explain the following incident:

- a group of teenagers robs a bank to get money. They justify the behavior by saying that they need to money to pay for college which is a good thing.

Theoretical Perspectives

3 major perspectives:Functionalism: views society as an

integrated whole. Contributions made by each part of society.

Conflict Theory: Looks at class, race, and gender struggles. Role of conflict, competition and constraint w/in a society.

Symbolic Interactionism: How group members use shared symbols as they interact.

Functionalism

Assumes societies tend to return to a state of stability.

Ex: Student protestors of 60s are now absorbed into middle class!

Function

Contribution made by some part of a society.

Manifest/Latent functions: intended and recognized/unintended and unrecognized

Ex: School is for learning/school results in making close friends

Dysfunction

Elements that have negative consequences:

Bureaucracy: inefficient, impersonal. Ex: DMV

Conflict Perspective

Emphasizes conflict, competition, change and constraint w/in a society.

REVERSE of functionalism.

Social living is a contest. Who gets what?

Symbolic Interactionism

Focuses on the interaction among people based on mutually understood symbols.

On the actual interaction among people.

Perspectives of Sociology

Goals:1. What are the 3 main perspectives of

sociology and how do they explain the way society works?

2. How would each perspective explain the following incident:

- a group of teenagers robs a bank to get money. They justify the behavior by saying that they need to money to pay for college which is a good thing.

Chart of Theoretical Perspectives: P27

HW: Read pp23-31 to review and answer #1-4.

Observe people for 15 minutes and record what you see people do. Choose ONE perspective to focus on and write about how you would explain their behavior according to that perspective.

Write down any questions you may have about the situation?

Institutions in your life

Think about the 2 institutions that are a part of your current life experience: School and family.

1. Choose one institution and identify some of the rules that are a part of that institution (focus on specific rules like curfew or tardy policy)

2. Are the rules applied equally? Is EVERYONE expected to follow them?

3. Do some people in this institution follow dif rules? If so, why?

4. What function are rules supposed to have? 5. Once you record the rules think about whether YOU

follow the rules. Do you ever resist the rules? How?