UCSP (LESSON 1)

Social Organization

How people are grouped into groups, institutions, and social structures.

Social Psychology

examines how people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors are influenced by other people and by the groups they belong to.

area where sociology and psychology overlap. it looks at things such as: group behavior, relationships, communication.

Human Ecology

Studies the relationship between people and their physical and social environments.

Examines how people live around their environment

Applied Sociology

Uses sociological knowledge to understand and address real-world social problems

Instead of studying society only for academic purposes, it uses research and sociological theories to help develop solutions.

Population Study

• focuses on the composition, distribution, and changes of population.

• it examines how populations changes over time

Social Change

refers to significant change in patterns, structures, behaviors, beliefs and relationships within society.

causes of social change: technology, industrialization, globalization

Social Science

a branch of science that studies human beings, society, culture, and social relationships using systematic processes and scientific methods.

Nisbet (1974) deals with human behavior in its social and cultural aspects.

Anthropology

studies human and culture

Sociology

studies society and social relationships

systematic study of human relationships, society and social interaction

examines how people behave as individuals and as members of groups

Political Science

studies government, politics and power

Economics

studies production, distribution, consumption

Psychology

studies human behavior and mental processes

Geography

studies people, places, and their relationship with the environment

socius

companion

logos

society

August Comte

Father of Sociology

• 1798-1857

• Cointed the term “Sociology” in 1838

• Studied how society develops and operates

• Introduced the concept of Positivism

Positivism

It is the idea that society can be observed scientifically through observable evidence.

Karl Marx

• Wrote the communist manifesto with Friedrich Engels

• He focused on the conflict and inequality within society

• Societies develop and change because different social classes compete and struggle over resources, wealth and especially the means of production

Means of Production

refer to the resources and systems used to promote goods and services such as factories, land, machines, capital and businesses. People in control of these resources have greater economic and social power.

Bourgeoisie

Owners of businesses and means of production

Proletariat

Workers who sell their labor to earn wages

Emile Durkheim

establishes Sociology as a professional independent academic discipline. Separated Sociology from Psychology

The Division of Labor in Society (1893)

examined how societies change as they become more complex

Simple Society

People perform similar tasks

Strong similarities among members

Industrial Society

People have specialized jobs

People become dependent on each other

Max Weber

major idea was rationalization

Rationalization

refers to the incoming use of reason, logic, calculation and efficiency in organizing and understanding society.