8/10/2019 Macionis

1/14

Sociology: Chapter 1

Perspective, Theory, and Method

8/10/2019 Macionis

2/14

The Sociological Perspective

Sociologyis the systematicstudy of human society.

The sociological perspectivehelps us to see the generalin the particular (PeterBerger 1963.

!t encourages us to reali"ethat society guides ourthoughts and deeds.

#ociology also encouragesus to see individuality in thesocial conte$t.

The sociological perspectivereveals the po%er of societyto shape individual lives

&. 'right Mills called thisP)* the sociologicalimagination+

8/10/2019 Macionis

3/14

Benefits of the Sociological

Perspective The sociological

perspective helps usassess the truth of

common sense.+

The sociological

perspective helps usassess -othopportunities andconstraints in our lives.

The sociological

perspective empo%ers

us to -e active

participants in our

society.

The sociological

perspective helps us to

live in a diverse %orld.

8/10/2019 Macionis

4/14

The Origins of Sociology

Three maor social changes duringthe seventeenth and eighteenthcenturies (/urope are important to

the development of sociology.(1 The rise of a factory0-ased

industrial economy.

( The emergence of great cities in

/urope.(3 Political changes.

8/10/2019 Macionis

5/14

The Origins of Sociology

2uguste &omte -elieved that the maor goal ofsociology %as to understand society as it actuallyoperates.

&omte sa% sociology as theproductof a three0stage historical development

(1 The theological stage (od 4#ociety.

( The metaphysical stage (5umans 4#ociety.

(3 The scientific stage (#cience 4#ociety.

8/10/2019 Macionis

6/14

Sociological Theory

2theoryis a statement of how and whyspecific facts

are related.

The goal of sociological theory is to e$plain social

-ehavior in the real %orld.

/$ample ur7heim had a theory categories ofpeople %ith lo% social integration (men, Protestants,

the %ealthy, and the unmarried are at higher ris7 of

suicide.

8/10/2019 Macionis

7/14

Sociologists use 3 theoretical

approaches: #tructural08unctional 2pproach

#ocial0&onflict 2pproach

#ym-olic !nteraction 2pproach

8/10/2019 Macionis

8/14

The StructuralFunctional ApproachComte !ur"heim Spencer

The structural-functional paradigmsees society as a comple$system %hose parts work together.

!t asserts that our lives are guided -y social structures (any relativelysta-le pattern of social -ehavior).

/ach social structure has social functions (the conseuences of asocial pattern for the operation of society as a %hole).

Manifest Functions: recogni"ed ; intended conseuences of anysocial pattern

Latent Functions: the unrecogni"ed ; unintended conseuences ofany social pattern

Social Dysfunctions: any social pattern that may disrupt the operationof society

8/10/2019 Macionis

9/14

The SocialConflict Approach#arl $ar%

The social-conflict paradigmsees society as an arena ofineuality that generates conflict and change.

ender0&onflict 2pproach

Macro ?evelPerspective

Both have their %ea7nesses

Popularity #ocial0&onflict

8/10/2019 Macionis

10/14

The Sym&olic'nteraction Approach$a% (e&er ) *eorge +er&ert $ea,

The symbolic-interaction paradigmsees societyas the product of the everyday interactionsofindividuals.

#tudies ho% people, in everyday interaction,construct reality

!t focuses on patterns of social interaction in specific

settings.

#ym-olic0interactionism has a micro-levelperspective.

8/10/2019 Macionis

11/14

-esearch: !oing Sociology

Positive Sociology0uses the logic of science to

understand ho% varia-les are related@ tries to

esta-lish cause ; effect@ demands o-ectivity

Interpretive Sociology0focuses on the meanings thatpeople attachto -ehavior@ people construct reality in

their everyday lives@ 'e-erAs Verstehenis learning

ho% people understand their %orld

Critical Sociology0uses research to -ring a-out social

change@ focuses on ineuality@ reects principle of

o-ectivity claiming all research is political

8/10/2019 Macionis

12/14

The $etho,s of Sociological -esearch

Part 1

The Experiment:

investigates cause and

effect under highly

controlled conditions.

The e$periment is used

to test a hypothesis:

an unverified statement

of a relationship-et%een varia-les.

2 Survey: su-ects

respond to a series of

uestions in an

intervie%.

0The most %idely used

of all research methods.

0They yield descriptive

findings.

8/10/2019 Macionis

13/14

The $etho,s of Sociological -esearch

Part .

!nvestigation ta7es placein the field, %here people

carry on in their everyday

lives.

Participant observation

: investigators

systematically o-serve

people %hile oining their

routine activities.

ot all researchreuires investigators tocollect their o%n data.

Secondary analysis:a researcher uses datacollected -y others.

The most %idely usedstatistics are gathered-y governmentagencies.

8/10/2019 Macionis

14/14

Ten Steps in Sociological

'nvestigation(1 'hat is your topicC

( 'hat have others

already learnedC(3 'hat, e$actly, are your

uestionsC

(D 'hat %ill you need to

carry out researchC(E 2re there ethical

concernsC

(6 'hat method %ill youuseC

(F 5o% %ill you record the

dataC(G 'hat do the data tell youC

(9 'hat are yourconclusionsC

(1H 5o% can you share %hat

youAve learnedC