Sociology: The Sociological Perspective

The systematic study of human society

Sociology

Refers to people who live in a defined territory and share a culture

Society

A view that looks at behavior of groups, not individuals

Sociological perspective

The study of the larger world and our society's place in it

Global perspective

The logical extension of the sociological perspective.

Global awareness

What are the three broad categories that the world's 195 nations can be divided into in reference to their level of economic development?

High-income countries, middle-income countries, and low-income countries

The nations with the highest overall standards of living

High-Income Countries

Sociology is based on a special point of view called the _______, which can be described as seeing general patterns in the lives of particular people.

Sociological perspective

Taking a(n) __________ perspective involves studying the larger world and our society's place in it.

global

The _______ helps us assess the truth of common sense, helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives, empowers us to be active participants in our society, and helps us live in a diverse world.

Sociological perspective

This French social thinker coined the term sociology in 1838 to describe a new way of looking at society.

Auguste Comte

Describes people who took the religious view that society expressed God's will

Theological Stage

Describes people who saw society as a natural rather than a supernatural system

Metaphysical Stage

Describes people who view the world and events as explained by scientific principles

Scientific Stage

A scientific approach to knowledge based on "positive" facts as opposed to mere speculation

Positivism

A statement of how and why specific facts are related

Theory

What lists of historical events and tends correctly identifies three factors that led to the initial development of the discipline of sociology in Europe and, and soon after, in the United States?

The new industrial economy, the growth of cities, and political change

A basic image of society that guides theory and research

Theoretical approach

Name the three major theoretical approaches

Structural, Social-conflict, and symbolic-interaction approach

A framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability

structural-functional approach

Social Structure

Any relatively stable pattern of social behavior

The consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society as a whole

Social functions

The recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern

manifest functions

The unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern

latent functions

A framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change

social-conflict approach

Support of social equality for women and men, in opposition to patriarchy and sexism

Feminism

race-conflict theory

The study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories

A framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals

Symbolic-Interaction Approach

A broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole

macro-level orientation

A close-up focus on social interaction in specific situations

micro-level orientation

Describes social life as if people are actors on a stage playing various roles

dramaturgical analysis

The idea that interaction is guided by what each person stands to gain and lose from others

social-exchange analysis

A generalized belief about a group of people

stereotype

The study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between women and men

gender-conflict theory

The study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories

race-conflict theory

A sociologist following the __________ theoretical approach would be likely to ask the following questions: What are the major parts of society? How are these parts linked? What does each part do to help society work?

structural-functional

Which theoretical approach in sociology would most likely lead to an analysis of sports that shows that the games people play reflect their social standing?

social-conflict approach

Following which theoretical approach would we understand sports not as a societal system but as an ongoing process of face-to-face interaction?

symbolic-interaction approach

If you were to study sports guided by the ______theoretical approach, you might note that people of color are about fifteen times more likely to be players on the field than to be team owners.

social-conflict