Introduction to Sociology

Sociology the systematic study of human society

Purpose of Sociology C. Wright Mills

“the sociological imagination” allows sociologists to place personal troubles of

individuals within a framework of larger social issues I.e. divorce

Sociological Perspective seeing the general in the particular (Peter

Berger, 1963) Possible to identify general patterns in the

behavior of particular people

People are split into different categories men vs. women rich vs. poor

The categories to which we belong shape our experiences

Lillian Rubin (1976) Marriage Study Higher income women expect their men to

be sensitive to others, to talk readily, and to share feelings

Lower income women look for men who do not drink to much, were not violent, and held steady jobs

Seeing Strange in the Familiar People do NOT decide what to do; society

shapes our thoughts and deeds Why do you choose a particular college?

“I wanted to stay close to home” “I got a basketball scholarship” “My girlfriend goes to school here” “I didn’t get into the school I wanted”

Doesn’t really tell you how and why people go to college

Personal Choice Emile Durkheim

Studied suicide figures in France and found: Protestants, wealthy, single, and men were more

likely to commit suicide Catholics, Jews, poor, and women were less likely to

commit suicide

Social Integration: categories of people with strong social ties vs. more individualistic

Living on the Margins Outsiders- not part of the dominant

group the greater the social marginality, the better

someone can use the sociological perspective

Need to be able to step back and observe

Crisis Great Depression

people realized general forces were at work in their particular lives

Not “Something is wrong with me; I can’t find a job” Rather “The economy has collapsed; there are no

jobs to be found”

If we can observe and learn about “the system” we can then make changes if necessary

Global Perspective

Global Perspective The study of the larger world and our

society’s place in it

Our place in society shapes our life experiences

The position of our society in the larger world system effects everyone in the U.S.

High-income Countries Nations with the highest overall standard of living Includes top 60 counties

U.S., Canada, Argentina, Western Europe, South Africa, Israel

Produce most of the world’s goods and services Own most of the wealth

*These people are better off simply because they were born in these countries

Middle-income Countries Nations with a standard of living about

average for the world as a whole Includes 76 countries

Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia

Receive 6-8 years of schooling Extreme social inequality (some very rich,

some very poor)

Low-income Countries Nations with a low standard of living in

which most people are poor

Most countries are located in Africa and a few in Asia

Some very rich Most lack safe housing, water, food, and

little chance to improve their lives

Comparisons to the U.S.• Where we live shapes the lives we lead• Societies throughout the world are

increasingly interconnected• Many social problems that we face in the

U.S. are far more serious elsewhere• Thinking globally helps us learn about

ourselves

Applying the Sociological Perspective

Sociological Perspective Seeing the general in the particular

Society shapes the lives of its members

Applying the Sociological Perspective Why it is useful:

Sociology guides many of the laws and policies that shape our lives

Making use of the sociological perspective leads to important personal growth and expanded awareness

Good preparation for work

Sociology and Public Policy Sociologists help shape public policy

Racial desegregation, school busing laws, divorce

Example Lenore Weitzman discovered women who leave

marriages lose income Many states have passed laws that have

increased women’s claim to martial property and enforced fathers’ job to support women raising their children

Benefits of Sociological Perspective1. Helps us assess the truth of commonly

held assumptions-Do we decide our own fate, if so we are likely to praise successful people as superior

-pg. 10: Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life

2. Helps us assess both the opportunities and constraints in our lives

-we play our cards but society deals us the hand

-helps us “size up” the world to better accomplish our goals

3. Empowers us to be active participants in our society

-if we do not understand how society operates, we are likely to accept the status quo

-pg. 7: C. Wright Mills

4. Helps us live in a diverse world-U.S. represents 5% of the world’s

population-95% live very differently-everyone sees their life as “right”,

“natural”, and “better”-helps us think more critically about all ways of life

Origins of Sociology

Science and Sociology French social thinker Auguste Comte

(1798-1857) first came up with the term sociology Described a new way of looking at society

Wanted to find out how society could be improved and how society actually operates

Comte Saw sociology as the product of a 3-stage

historical development

1. Theological- thinking guided by religion

2. Metaphysical- society as a natural, not supernatural system

3. Scientific- used a scientific approach to study sociology

Positivism Definition: a way of understanding based

on science Society operates according to its laws

(much like the laws of nature)

Sociological Theory

Structural-Functional Definition:

Framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability

Sociologists Emile Durkheim, Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer

Points to Social Structure any relatively stable pattern of social behavior

gives our lives shape (families, school, work, community)

Examines Social Functions the consequences of any social pattern for the

operation of society as a whole

all social structures keep society going similar to the way the human body operates

Robert K. Merton Manifest Functions:

recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern

Latent Functions: unrecognized and unintended consequences of

any social pattern

Social Dysfunction: any social pattern that may disrupt the

operation of society

Summary Main goal is to figure out “what makes

society tick”

critics say it ignores inequalities of social class, races, and gender

Social-Conflict Theory Definition:

a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change

investigate how social class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and age are linked to society’s unequal distribution of money, power, education, and social prestige

Focus on how social patterns benefit some while hurt others

Can be used to bring about societal change that reduces inequality

Feminism and the Gender-Conflict Approach Definition:

a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict between women and men

closely linked to feminism support of social equality for women and men

Helps make us aware of the ways life places men in positions of power over women at home, at work, in the media

also, shows importance of women to the development of society

Race-Conflict Approach Definition:

point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories

Points out contributions made by people of color to the development of sociology

Review of Social-Conflict Approaches Critics:

ignores shared values and interdependence cannot claim scientific objectivity paints society in broad strokes

Symbolic-Interaction Approach Definition:

framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals

Max Weber understand a setting from the point of view of the

people in it

Society amounts to people interacting Shows how individuals actually experience

society

Macro-level Orientation Definition:

a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole

Big picture Includes the structural-functional approach and

the social-conflict approach

Micro-level Orientation Definition:

a close-up focus on social interactions in specific situations

includes the symbolic-interaction approach

Applying the Approaches: The Sociology of Sports

The Functions of Sports A structural-functional approach directs our attention to

the ways in which sports help society operate Sports have functional and dysfunctional consequences

Sports and Conflict Social-conflict analysis points out that games

people play reflect their social standing. Sports have been oriented mostly toward

males. Big league sports excluded people of color for

decades. Sports in the United States are bound up with

inequalities based on gender, race, and economic power.

Figure 1.2 “Stacking” in Professional Football

Sports as Interaction Following the symbolic-interaction approach,

sports are less a system than an ongoing process. All three theoretical approaches—structural-

functional, social-conflict, and symbolic-interaction—provide different insights into sports. No one is more correct than the others.