Sociology

What is Sociology?

The social science discipline that looks at the development and structure of human society (institutions) and how it works

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. (American Sociological Association)

Sociology Subject Matter:

Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts.

All human behavior is social so the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. (ASA)

The Roles we PlayWe all play certain roles in our

society – Social Scientists refer to this as status

Status is the term used to describe our position within an institution

eg. Aldershot School– There are many positions at Aldershot ranging from teacher, vice-principal, guidance counselor, principal, student and superintendent – Can you put them in order as far as a (generally accepted) hierarchy is concerned?

HierarchyHierarchy is the ranking system used in any

particular environment based on authority or power

Each position or role requires a certain type of expertise which is valued by society

In order to distinguish between these roles people are expected to dress and act in a certain way

On any given day we can play many different roles in society – eg. A parent can drive their kids to school and then go to work as a flight attendant, volunteer in the community and play in a rec league for soccer

Rules, Norms and Values

Values – Society carries with it a system of values. A particular set of values are assigned to each role. The practitioners of these roles are expected to accept and internalize these values.

Norms – These are rules set out for a particular role that are considered standard behaviour (eg. Catholic Priests are expected to be celibate)

Rules – These are developed by cultures based on their system of values

DevianceDeviance – Any behaviour that is

different from the societal norm. It is deviant because we, as a society, do not accept it

Deviance can range from simple eccentricities to behaviour that harms society or is considered disreputable

“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

RehabilitationSociology has formed a

strong link with the justice system

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

Kingston Penitentiary

Schools of Thought in Sociology

Sociologists have debated among themselves about the real nature of society

As societies change and become more diverse sociologists need to consider cultural diversity when considering sociological issues

Structural-Functionalism

According to Structural-Functionalism, each society should provide its members with the fundamental requirements for functioning

A system must have a way of fulfilling material needs, a system for socializing and educating the young, a way of regulating human reproduction (usually marriage)

Structural-Functionalists believe their role is to try to explain the role of society’s systems in enabling human society to function

Structural-Functionalists do not concern themselves with change but instead with how society works to meet their needs

Neo-Marxism

Based on ideas originally proposed by Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Marx believed that economic power led to political power. This is the key to understanding societies

The struggle for economic power means that society is not static but ever-changing – social change is the result of a change made to the economic system

Therefore, if we want to understand society, we must understand the economic system in place

Neo-Marxists believe the economic system creates a rich class of owners and a poor class of workers (neo=new)

They also believe that social institutions (churches, schools, prisons etc.) have been created to perpetuate the division between the powerful and the powerless

Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionists believe humans have complex brains and little instinctive behaviour

This means they can interpret for themselves the stimuli they receive in their daily life and attach their own meanings to them

Eg. One person might pursue fame and fortune while a sibling might dedicate his or her life to charitable work in a developing country

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

For this reason, Symbolic Interactionists focus their research on the human mind rather than on structures in society

Feminist Theory (Durkheim)Feminist Theorists focus on sex and gender

issues, believing that women have traditionally been disadvantaged in society because men have discriminated against them

They believe that men have made the decisions in society and that they tend to favour men.

Liberal FeminismLiberal (or “Bourgeois”) Feminism,

in which the claim of women for equal rights is seen in the context of a general opposition to various forms of oppression and discrimination, independently of other political convictions. Liberal feminism tends to emphasize social policy to open up professional, better-paid and prestigious jobs to women and the elimination of laws discriminating against the political, property and social rights of women (encyclopedia of Marxism)

Marxian FeminismMarxian Feminists believe that women’s unpaid and

undervalued domestic work has made it possible for industrial owners to pay lower wages to male workers.

They also believe that the continuation of lower paid jobs has enabled the dominant class (the capitalists) to retains their control

Radical Feminism

Radical Feminists believe that their natural child bearing role has led to a systematic oppression by men

They believe they live in a patriarchal society in which men dominate most of the institutions and are so entrenched that women cannot break in to these fields

Socialist Feminism

Socialist Feminists try to separate issues of oppression that are the result of the patriarchy which is a result of capitalism

Microsociology:

The study of social encounters, roles, and interaction of individuals and small groups in society

Emphasizes how change occurs in an individual’s life depending on the social and environmental stimuli that surround the person

Example: Adolescent Peer Pressure……

Engaging in a behavior because:

“everyone else is doing it”

Cognitive Consistency vs Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive Consistency is the tendency to seek out stimuli that are consistent with your thoughts, attitudes and behaviors

Also limits exposure to other behaviors that are inconsistent (dissonant) with your values/beliefs

The desire for cognitive consistency is so pronounced that an individual will constantly change their actions to avoid conflict with the group

Cognitive Consistency vs Cognitive Dissonance

Feeling of discomfort or unease with the predominant group action or attitude is cognitive dissonance

When experiencing cognitive dissonance an individual must change their behavior to make it consistent with their attitude or change their attitude.

The desire to return to cognitive consistency forces us to resolve the conflict

Brainstorm:

Periods in history that would have been influenced by individuals drive to attain cognitive consistency

Macrosociology

Sociological approach in which groups, social systems, and social structures are analyzed on a large scale

What are the wide-sweeping changes that influence and entire society

Are those elements of change positive or negative over a long time period?

When the majority of a population is engaged in and pursuing change in a specific social area it is possible to see a transformation in their collective ideal and beliefs

Social Paradigm Shift

When a new set of ideals, beliefs, and values becomes strong enough to affect and change the way individuals see and perceive reality, it is know as a social paradigm shift.

Paradigm shifts occur when unique circumstances present themselves and permeate a group in such a profound way that it causes the group to re-evaluate its current course and envision an alternate way of doing things

Consider the “Arab Spring”

Paradigm Paralysis

Sometimes change is met with resistance by the dominant group

In this case paradigm paralysis occurs where there is a refusal or inability to see beyond the current system of thought

Psychologists refer to this as “confirmation bias”

Confirmation Bias is the tendency among people to favour information that confirms their beliefs and preconceptions about an issue regardless of whether the information is accurate or valid

Confirmation Bias Test

:-) = yes your sequence fits my rule:-( = no your sequence does not fit my rule

Confirmation Bias Test

Who had a table that looked like this??

Seems convincing but you are incorrect…….

Why were you so sure of a wrong hypothesis?

Confirmation Bias Test

You wanted to run studies where the result would demonstrate that you're right rather than risk running a study they expect will be wrong. But if you did run studies you think might show you that you're wrong you might eventually find out the true answer!

Factors Influencing Change

Physical Environment

Eg. soil erosion and drought can have devastating consequences to agriculture and affect the ability of a society to produce sufficient food

Population Changes

Eg. Immigrants create diverse cities and challenge the social system to expand to meet the unique needs of its new members

Factors Influencing Change

Proximity

Eg. Change is more likely to occur where intercultural contact is high. Sharing of ideas and technology….

Social Environment, Culture, and Social Values

Eg. Collectivist vs individualist societies

Technology

Eg. Development of technology in society has wide-reaching implications on a culture’s social institutions, customs and values. Has been suggested as the most important driver of social change (William Feilding OgBurn)

Will Technology Save us All???

Lets see what Ted has to say……..

Peter Diamandis: Abundance is Our Future

Paul Gilding: The Earth is Full

Time for an informal Debate:

Teams have 10 min to prepare arguments

2 min intro, rebuttle, concluding statement

Theories of Change

Evolutionary Theory of Change

Societies evolve from a simple beginning to become more complex over time (some call it “progress”)

Cyclical Theory of Change

Operates like the seasons, each season reaches a pinnacle only to give way to the next season, eventually returning to the original state

Pitirim A. Sorokin (1889–1968) classified societies according to their 'cultural mentality', which can be ideational (reality is spiritual), sensate (reality is material), or idealistic (a synthesis of the two). He theorized that a soceity moves from one state into another overtime

Theories of Change

Challenge and Response Theory of Change

Societies initially faces challenges imposed by the physical environment and other external forces aimed at its destruction. The ability of a society to respond to these threats dictates its success.

Functionalist Theory of Change

How society maintains stability and social order in the face of so many competing forces that drive change. Society is affected by its institutions

Theories of Change

Conflict Theory of Change (Marx)

All society is subject to constant change

Change brings disorganization and conflict, which leads to constant conflict

Conflict often comes between different classes in society (Dahrendorf)

There is always a “command” class and an “obey” class

This may be drawn on racial, socioeconomic or political boundaries

Comparison of the DisciplinesDiscipline Main Focus Methods Listed

Anthropology The development of the human species and human cultures throughout the world

Living with the cultural group for extended periods; observing rituals and group behaviours

Psychology Individual behaviour, to discover the underlying triggers or causes of human behaviour

Studying people's feelings, thoughts, and personality development through interviews to determine past influential experiences; conducting animal experiments, believing these will lead to a greater understanding of the human mind

Sociology How people act in group situations; the development and structure of human society and how it works

Conducting statistical analysis and observation