UNIT 1: Intro to Sociology

Sociology

Scientific and systematic study of groups, group interactions, societies, and social interactions.

Micro-level

Study small groups and interactions.

Macro-level

Analyze trends among and between large groups and societies.

Culture

Groups shared practices, values, and beliefs.

Social imagination

Awareness of the relationship between an individual's behavior and cultural influences, as described by C. Wright Mills.

Cultural patterns

Pressures that encourage selection of one choice over another.

Social facts

Laws, morals, values, and other societal rules that govern life.

Figuration

Process of analyzing the behavior of individuals and the society that shapes that behavior.

• explained by Norbert Elias

• ex: religion exists as a social institution

Quantitative sociology

Uses statistical methods to uncover patterns in human behavior.

Qualitative sociology

Seeks to understand human behavior through in-depth interviews and analysis.

Hypothesis

Testable proposition to explain aspects of social interactions.

Social Solidarity

Social ties within a group.

Paradigms

Theories that provide broad perspectives explaining various aspects of social life.

Functionalism

Views society as a structure with interrelated parts that meet the biological and social needs of individuals.

Social institutions

Patterns of beliefs or behaviors focused on meeting social needs.

Manifest function

Sought or anticipated consequences of social processes.

Latent function

Unanticipated consequences of social processes.

Dysfunctions

Undesirable consequences for the operation of society.

Conflict theory

Views society as competition for limited resources.

Critical theory

Holistic theory addressing structural issues causing inequality.

Symbolic interactionism

Micro-level theory focused on relationships among individuals within society.

Communication

Exchange of meaning through language and symbols.

Dramaturgical analysis

Focus on important symbols in society.

Constructivism

Reality is constructed through social interactions.

Povertism

Comte's scientific study of social patterns.

Emile Durkheim

Established sociology as an academic discipline and believed in studying objective social facts.

George Simmel

Anti-positivist who focused on social conflict and individual identity.

Karl Marx

Rejected positivism and argued that social class struggles drive societal change.

Max Weber

Believed in the influence of culture on human behavior and coined the term verstehen.

W.E.B. DuBois

Pioneered the use of empirical methodology and studied the African American community.

Social Change

Transformation in societal structures and cultural patterns over time.

Social Cohesion

Ability of a society to work together, often affected by its homogeneity.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocated for women's rights and equality within society.

Social reform

Efforts to improve societal conditions and address inequalities.

Cultural relativity

Understanding cultures on their own terms without judging them.

Naturalism

Philosophical basis believing everything arises from natural properties and causes.

Social Conflict

Disagreements and struggles for power in society.

Institutionalization

Process by which certain practices become widely accepted as societal norms.

Cultural Lag

Delay in cultural adjustments to changes in societal conditions.

Economic Inequality

Disparity in the distribution of wealth and resources.

Ma Tuan-Lin

described the social dynamics underlying and generating historical development in the 13th century

Ibn Khaldun

proposed the theory of the social conflict and social cohesion in the 14th century

Copernicus, Galileo, Leonardo, Newton, and Linnaeus

contradicted the catholic church; introducing new knowledge and information into our society (16th century)

Locke, Voltaire, Kant, and Hobbes

wrote social passages hoping to encourage social reform (Enlightenment)

Auguste Comte

believed social scientists could study society using the same scientific methods as natural sciences

Martineau

an early analyst of social practices like economics, class, religion, suicide, and womens rights

• Thought capitalism went against the foundations of the US

Herbert Spencer

rejected positivism and supported Marx’s communist theory

• He favored a government that allowed market forces to control capitalism

George Herbert Mead

Focused on the ways in which the mind and self were developed as a result of social processes. Agreed with 'looking-glass' theory; felt that positive or negative reflection depended on who the 'other' was. Significant others had the greatest impact on the attitude of individuals.

Robert E. Park

Founder of social ecology; focused on how individuals live within their environment. Studied ethnic minorities and revealed that social chaos is prevalent in inner cities due to their environment, not the people themselves.