Sociology Key Concepts, Pioneers, and Theoretical Perspectives

Sociology

The scientific study of society and human behavior.

Society

Refers to people who share a culture and a territory.

Social Location

The group memberships people hold based on their location in history and society (e.g., gender, race, class).

The Sociological Imagination

A perspective coined by C. Wright Mills that involves understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context.

Personal Troubles

Private problems in an individual's life.

Public Issues

Problems that affect large numbers of people and shape the context of individual troubles.

Auguste Comte

Known as the 'Father of Sociology'; coined the term 'Sociology'; suggested applying the scientific method to the social world (positivism).

Herbert Spencer

Disagreed with social reform; coined 'Survival of the Fittest'; believed the most capable members of society survive, creating a more advanced society.

Karl Marx

Believed class conflict is the engine of human history; identified two classes: the Bourgeoisie (owners) and the Proletariat (exploited workers).

Emile Durkheim

Established sociology as an academic discipline; researched suicide and found that social integration significantly affects suicide rates.

Max Weber

Identified three dimensions of society: political, economic, and cultural; argued religion was the central force in social change.

W.E.B. Du Bois

The first African American to earn a Harvard doctorate; co-founder of the NAACP; coined 'double consciousness' to describe the division of identity into multiple social realities.

Basic Sociology

Research to make discoveries about human groups, not to make changes.

Applied Sociology

The use of sociology to solve specific problems.

Public Sociology

Using the sociological perspective to guide politicians and policy makers for the public good.

Symbolic Interactionism

Focuses on how people use symbols to develop views of the world and communicate.

Functional Analysis

Focuses on society as a system of stable, interrelated parts that work together to maintain equilibrium.

Conflict Theory

Focuses on society as composed of groups competing for scarce resources and power.

Research Model

An 8-step process that includes selecting a topic, defining the problem, reviewing literature, formulating a hypothesis, choosing a method, collecting data, analyzing results, and sharing results.

Surveys

Collecting data via questions from a sample of a target population.

Participant Observation

The researcher participates in a setting while observing it.

Case Studies

Focusing on a single event, situation, or individual.

Secondary Analysis

Analyzing data collected by others.

Experiments

Used to determine cause and effect using experimental and control groups.

Ethics

Researchers must be committed to honesty, truth, and protecting subjects from harm.

Interviewer Bias

Occurs when participants change answers based on the researcher's gender.