Module 1, Day 2: Thinking Like a Sociologist

SOCI 201: Intro to Sociology Module 1, Day 2: Thinking Like a Sociologist Cheat Sheet

Key Sociological Concepts
  • Society: A large-scale human group characterized by:
    • Sharing a common geographic territory.
    • Sharing a common culture.
    • Viewing themselves as a unified and distinct entity.
  • Social Structures: Enduring and predictable patterns of social relations and institutions that constitute a society.
  • Social Institutions: Established and enduring patterns of social organization that fulfill basic social needs.
  • Statuses: The relative rank or position an individual holds within a social hierarchy.
  • Social Roles: A set of expected behaviors, responsibilities, actions, beliefs, and norms associated with each status.
  • Interactions: The processes and patterns through which two or more people relate to each other.
  • Negotiations: A specific type of interaction where individuals aim to make sense of one another.
  • Culture: The lens of values and beliefs through which individuals view reality.
  • Socialization: The process by which individuals learn their culture and social structures.
  • Agency: The ability to make free and independent choices that can alter one's path and the paths of others.
What It Means To “Think Like a Sociologist”
  • Understanding not only about the world but how we know what we know.
  • Approaching studies with significant caution and skepticism.
Main Theoretical Approaches of Sociological Analysis
Functionalism / Functional Theory
  • Approach: Primarily a
    macrosociological approach.
  • Core View: Views society as a set of interconnected and necessary parts that work together to maintain stability and efficiency.
  • Main Concern: To understand society, one must study its individual parts and how they contribute to the functioning of the whole.
  • Key Proponents:
    • Émile Durkheim (1858−19171858-1917):
      • Viewed society as a functioning organism.
      • Argued that people are naturally selfish, and social structures constrain this selfishness.
      • Effective societies create social solidarity and order through shared norms and values.