INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGYI CAN DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAIN CONCEPTS AND THEORIES WITHIN APS – FOUNDATIONS

The Sociological Perspective

Defining Sociology

Social science discipline that examines development and structure of human society (institutions)

Sociology theorizes social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior

Sociologists investigate structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how individuals are impacted

Main Concepts in Sociology

Societal Roles and Status

Everyone plays certain roles within society – Social Scientists refer to this as status

Roles can be ascribed (born into) Roles can also be achieved Status is used to describe our position

within an institution (e.g.) cashier within a drive-through

restaurant

Hierarchy

Hierarchy - ranking system used in any particular environment based on authority of power

Within a hierarchy, role players expected to behave in certain ways (norms)

Many different roles in society are played simultaneously (e.g.) parent at breakfast becomes an

employee within the workplace

Values and Rules

Values – particular set of expectations assigned to each role that role players are expected to accept and internalize

Rules – developed by cultures based on their system of values

What are Norms?

Norms are behaviours that govern social action and which the majority of the members of society regards as proper, right and expected.

Norms lead to the standardization of behaviour within any given society

Norms are an important form of social control

Norms

There are four types of norms: Mores Folkways Taboos Laws

What are Mores?

Mores are norms that society considers vital for its survival; what is right and wrong, moral and immoral

Strongly sanctioned by society. E.g. Society insists on respect for human

life. Therefore murder is harshly punished.

What are Folkways?

Folkways are norms governing behaviour which the society considers acceptable but does not insist upon. E.g. Using a spoon instead of a knife and

fork at table; picking one’s nose in public

Folkways are relatively weak norms

What are Taboos?

Taboos are behaviours that society finds revolting. E.g. Incest Others ???

What are Laws?

Laws are norms that society considers sufficiently valuable that they are codified/formalized through the legislative process with specific formal sanctions/penalties to be imposed on those who break them. E.g. Family, religion, education, economy,

political subsystem, legal subsystem, mass media.

What are Social Institutions? Talcott Parsons: Social Institutions are

‘normative patterns which define what are felt to be proper, legitimate or expected modes of action of social relationships’

Deviance and Rehabilitation

Deviance – behaviour that is different from the societal norm, considered “deviant” because society does not accept it

Deviance can range from odd behaviour to acts that harm society

Sociology has a strong link with the criminal justice system

Canada’s criminal justice system is based on rehabilitation, or trying to re-educate and re-socialize inmates so that they can grow to accept society’s values and norms

Rehabilitation

Sociology has formed a strong link with the justice system

A fundamental component of modern imprisonment is rehabilitation, or trying to re-educate and re-socialize inmates so that they can grow to accept society’s values and norms

Stanford Prison Study

Sociology and Zimbardo Prison Study Explain how the Zimbardo Prison Study

helps us to explain the major concepts in Sociology – roles, status, role expectation, hierarchy, deviance, norms. Make sure to include all of these key terms in your explanation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pqG0

Structural FunctionalismMarxism (Conflict Theory)Symbolic Interactionism

FeminismInclusionism

Sociological Schools of Thought

Symbolic Interactionism – Max Weber

Developed by Max Weber German late 1800s, early

1900s work

Began as a Conflict theorist; shifted his ideas, methods of social science

Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionists believe humans have complex brains and little instinctive behaviour interpretation of daily stimuli occurs through the attachment of personalized meanings (e.g.) One person might pursue fame and fortune

while a sibling might dedicate their life to charitable work

Focus on how individuals process and interpret society beyond its institutions to form values

As a result, Symbolic Interactionists focus research on the human mind rather than social structures

Symbolic Interactionism

People’s actions are based on understandings of meanings of the particular situation– the “definition of the situation.”

It is essentially how we as individuals process and interpret what we observe in society, not society’s institutions, that form the core of our value system.

People act toward things on the basis of the

meanings that things have for them (interpret

symbols based on meanings)

These meanings

arise out of social

interaction

Social action

results from a fitting

together of individual lines of action.

Symbolic Interaction

Symbolic Interactionism – George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)

See sociology as the study of one’s own and others’ beliefs, motives, values

Interactionists study the meanings people give to their society How do we experience,

interpret reality? Reality is defined by

context, experience, through social interactions and rituals

Symbolic Interactionism – Herbert Blumer

Importance of language: the symbols used to communicate with each other Verbal and non-verbal

cues

Believe society is a product of face-to-face interaction between people using symbols (meaningful things that

represent something else– words, gestures and signs).

Symbolic Interactionism – Charles Cooley (1864-1929)

Key idea of the “looking-glass self”

People develop self-image from the way they think others see them

“Self-fulfilling prophecy”: seek experiences that reinforce our self-image Study: researchers calls

people for donations; tells one group they are generous, thanks for past generosity; gave more than those not told they are generous.

Conflict Theory/Neo-Marxism

Developed by Karl Marx, mid 1800s; German

Basis of the theory founded in the political/economic theory of communism

Conflict Theory/ Neo-Marxism

Focus on process of economic power leading to political power as a key to understanding society

Struggle for economic power means that society is not static but ever-changing

Economic system creates a rich class of owners and a poor class of workers - Social ills stem from the economic inequalities between the two classes.

Social institutions (churches, schools, prisons etc.) created to represent the division between the powerful and powerless

Conflict Theory

Max Weber also inspired sociologists who follow Conflict Theory.

He argued that conflict arises as much over values, status, and a sense of personal honour as economic status.

“Haves”

“Have Nots”

CONFLICT

Feminist Theory

Feminist Theorists focus on sex and gender issues – extension of Conflict Theory

Believe that women have traditionally been disadvantaged in society because men have discriminated against them

Since men have traditionally made the decisions in within society, they tend to favour men Liberal feminism emphasizes better-paid and prestigious jobs

to women and the elimination of laws discriminating against social rights of women

Marxian feminists believe women’s unpaid / undervalued domestic work has influenced lower wages to male workers

Radical feminists believe child bearing has led to systematic oppression by men

Socialist feminists try to separate issues of oppression that stem from male domination through capitalism

Structural Functionalism

Founded by Emile Durkheim Born in France, 1858 - 1917

Set out to counter Marx’s view of society

Structural-Functionalism

Belief that each society should provide its members with the fundamental requirements for functioning fulfilling material needs socializing and educating youth regulating reproduction (usually marriage)

Argue that societies remain stable by its members sharing values and agree on ways that its institutions operate. Change is slow, then society stable.

When change occurs in one part, there is change in another. During times rapid change, the danger is that sometimes institutions fail to fulfill their function.

SOCIETY

Durkheim and Deviance

“We must not say that an action shocks the common conscience because it is criminal, but rather that it is criminal because it shocks the common conscience. We do not reprove (denounce) it because it is a crime, but it is a crime because we reprove it” Emile Durkheim

What do you think of Durkheim’s quote? Is it compatible with a Christian worldview?

Inclusionism

Focus on possibility of conflict between ethnic and religious groups as well as between economic classes

Before WWII, most sociologists held an assimilationist views on cultural relations; believing the majority would eventually absorb the minority (melting pot)

Late 1960’s, changing immigration policies established new views with large numbers of immigrants arriving in Canada

Responsibility of sociologists to recognize cultural diversity while rejecting the urge to view society through perspective of the majority