Mrs. Hansen

Sociology

Section 1: Examining Social Life Sociology:

The study of human society and social behavior, focusing on social interaction

Why study it?Having a sociological perspective means

you can gain perspective on yourself and the world you live in!

Sociology tells you that all people are social beings and that behavior is learned from those around you.

It gives you the ability to see the world from another’s point of view

Balance○ You will know how to be a member of a group

and also an individualSociological Imagination

Where does sociology fit with the social sciences?Anthropology= study of past/ less advanced

societiesPsychology= study of the behavior and

thinking of organismsSocial Psychology= study of how the social

environment effects an individual’s behaviorEconomics= study of the choices made to

meet their needs and wantsPolitical Science=the study of the

organization and operation of governmentsHistory= the study of past events

Section 2: Sociology then & now Sociology developed in the 1800s

because of many social changes that were occurringMoving to citiesSociety’s influence on the individual Questioning the explanations of life

Influential early sociologistsAuguste Comte: French, “founder of

sociology”○ Applied the methods of physical science to

sociology○ Focused on social order and social change

Society is held together by processes called social static and change occurs because of Social dynamics

Herbert Spencer: English○ Strongly influenced by Charles Darwin○ Adopted a biological model of society

Society is made up of individual parts that work together to maintain the system over time

○ Used the Theory of evolution to explain the nature of societySocial change and unrest are necessary to reach

stability and perfection

○ He thought social problems would eventually correct themselves

Karl Marx: Prussian (present day Germany)○ Believed that the structure of society is

influenced by the organization of its economy○ Divided society into 2 classes

Bourgeoisie = CapitalistsProletariat = Workers

○ Imbalance of power would lead to conflict between the capitalists and workers

○ Primary cause of social change is conflict“Conflict Theory”

Emile Durkheim: French○ 1st to systematically apply the methods of

science to the study of society○ Concerned about social order

Saw society as a set of independent parts; however, saw these independent parts in terms of the function they served

○ Very interested in the function of religion to maintain social orderShared beliefs and values held society together

○ Believed that sociologists should only study the features of society that are observable

○ Published the 1st true sociological study about suicide in 1897

Max Weber: Prussian○ Interested in separate groups within society

Focused more on the effects of groups on the individual

○ Believed sociologist should go beyond studying the observable features of society and look at the feelings and thoughts of individuals

○ Principle of Verstehen○ Used the concept of ideal type to break down

the characteristics of the features of society

Current Perspectives

Theoretical perspectives outline specific ideas about the nature of social life○ Functionalist: people who follow this

perspective view society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social systemPeople agree on what is best for society and work

together to achieve itFunctionalists look at the elements of society and

label them either dysfunctional or functional They can also be manifest or latent function

○ Conflict perspective: Focus is on the forces that promote competition and changeThey do not just focus on violent conflict but also on

the competition between groups in societyCompetition over resources are the root of social

conflict

○ Interactionist perspective: how individuals interact with each other in societyThey want to see the interaction of people in

everyday lifeThey look at the role of symbols and how they effect

daily life This theory is used to understand things like: child

development, relationships within groups, and mate selection