Sociological InquiryFamilies do not exist or evolve in isolationRather, they react to and have an influence on the
social world around themThe sociological perspective on families
emphasizes the rules, roles, and relationships that are created an maintained by the larger society
How do sociologists examine family life?Theoretical perspectivesMethods of social analysis
Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families
The Sociological ApproachSociology focuses on the family from the
outside in rather than the inside outSociology looks “behind the scenes” to
explain patterns of behaviorSociology looks for general processes that
produce an individual experienceFor example how does the U.S. society
influence the job we choose or the type of family in which we live?
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The Sociological Approach Levels of AnalysisThe macro level comprises:
Society – a population of people that is organized in a cooperative manner to carry out the major functions of life
Culture – All modes of thought, behavior, and production that are communicated to members of a society through all forms of communication
How would you describe the culture of the U.S.?
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The Sociological Approach Levels of Analysis
The macro level comprises: Analysis at the macro level focuses on
large-scale social institutionssocial structurescomparisons between entire societies
How does one society differ from another?
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For example: How are families different in Japan compared to the U.S. ??
The divorce rate in the U.S. is 50%The rate in Japan is 27%
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The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
The micro level includes interactions among individuals, small groups, and families
The micro level focuses on our individual actions, thoughts, and choices
Think of this as the smaller picture
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The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level
Social institutions A social institution is a major sphere of
social life with rules and roles that define a social unit of importance to society
A social institution is a visible structure that people can recognize and understand
Families are a social institution
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The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level
The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level Family sociologists examine how these social institutions
interact and how they influence behaviors, attitudes, and opportunities in families
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Economy
Families
GovernmentEducation
Religion Healthcare
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Social Science ResearchHow do we know what we know?
Most of us understand the world around us through our personal experience -- the people and situations we have been in or have seen
This personal experience leads to your conclusions about the world
While there is nothing wrong with these ways of knowing -- social scientists are skeptical about relying ONLY on these sources because:
An individual’s experience of those around them is not representative of the broader society
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Social Science ResearchHow do we know what we know?
Social scientists use a systematic and more scientific mode of investigation
Social scientists rely on:Observations of the social world based on
representative samplesExample: If we wanted to study why people in
the U.S. get married, we should not just survey college students
We avoid the error of overgeneralization: i.e. using what we know about a small group of people to conclude something about all people
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Sociological TheoriesSocial science theories explain or help us
make sense of patterns in social life
Theories shape and direct research – they point us in a direction
That direction influences what we look for, what we find, and how we explain it
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Sociological TheoriesTheories about families and relationships are
made up a set of statements that explain why certain relationships occur
For example: The age at first marriage has increased because more women are graduating from college and starting careers before marrying
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Macrolevel theories
Macrolevel theories focus on: a whole society or a large part of it the BIG PICTURE
Example:How has the decline in real male wages
influenced husbands’ and wives’ involvement in the paid labor forceResearch might examine cost of living and
employment rates by gender and compare data from 1960 to 2000
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Sociological TheoriesTheories used to explain relationships at
a more personal level are micro level theoriesExamples:
A researcher wants to know how often husbands and wives argue on a weekly basisThey might observe a husbands and wife
in their home – or tape their conversations over the week
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Major Sociological TheoriesStructural FunctionalismOperates at the macro levelStructural functionalists view society as a
social system with interacting partsThe functionalist perspective views society
as a vast organism whose parts are interdependent or interrelated
Think about how social institutions interact: families and the economic system
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Major Sociological TheoriesStructural FunctionalismOperates at the macro levelStructural-Functionalists focus on how social
institutions like families meet the basic needs or functions of a society.
The family as a social institution is analyzed from two perspectives:1) How does the family contribute to the maintenance of the larger social system ?2) And, in what ways does society and other social institutions (like education or economic system) affect families?
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Major Sociological TheoriesExchange TheoryOperates at the micro levelSimilar to economic theories that view
humans as rational beings who make decisions about the exchange of goods and services
In doing so, they weigh the costs and benefits of exchanges
Emphasis is on efficiency
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Major Sociological TheoriesExchange TheoryOperates at the micro levelIn relationships, for example, people have some
resource that is valued by the other personThis is when exchange can take placeIn relationships -- what do women hold of value?How about men?
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Major Sociological TheoriesGender (Feminist) Theory
Operates at both macro and micro levelCentral concept is gender—the social
and cultural characteristics that distinguish women and men in society.
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Major Sociological TheoriesGender (Feminist) Theory
Oriented toward power in relationships. Feminist theory argues that differences
between men and women are socially constructed to maintain power of men over women.
Emphasizes culture, rather than biology.
SummarySociologists seek to understand how macro-level
forces, norms and social institutions influence interaction, choices, and behavior at the micro-level
For example, how has the downturn in the economy influenced the choices you and your family have made
W use theories to point us in a direction to study families
These theories shape what we study and how we explain our findings
Theories can focus on the macro-level (the big picture) or the micro level (the smaller picture).
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