Introduction to Sociology: Perspectives, Theories, and Applications

Course Logistics

• Required Survey: Students are reminded to complete the required course survey (link available on Canvas). Results from this survey will be referenced throughout the semester.

• Sociology Student Organization Open House: The Eau Claire Sociology Club hosted an open house on September 12^{\text{th}} from 11:00\text{am} to 1:00\text{pm} in Hibbard 607. The event served as a semester kickoff, featuring pizza, games, and fun, aiming to build vibrant communities.

Defining Sociology

• Sociology (American Sociological Association Definition):

  • Sociology is the systematic study of social life, social change processes, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.

  • Sociologists primarily investigate the structure of various groups, organizations, and entire societies, as well as the intricate ways individuals interact within these diverse contexts.

  • Given that all human behavior possesses a social dimension, the scope of sociology is vast, encompassing subjects ranging from intimate family dynamics to the behavior of hostile mobs, from the operations of organized crime to the study of religious traditions, and from the deep-seated divisions of race, gender, and social class to the unifying shared beliefs of a common culture. (Source: 21^{\text{st}} Century Careers with an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology, 2014).

• What Do Sociologists Do? Sociologists engage in the study of:

  • Interactions among people, whether as individuals, within groups, or across societies.

  • How broader social forces exert an influence on the ways people interact with one another.

  • The mechanisms by which social interaction fundamentally creates and sustains society itself.

Careers in Sociology

• Activity: Exploring Career Paths:

  • Part One: Students were asked to brainstorm, in groups of 3 to 5, potential jobs available to individuals with a Sociology degree, aiming for at least 3 examples based on their initial understanding.

  • Part Two: Students then used electronic devices to research common occupations for sociologists, specifically looking for 3 examples from categories such as high-paying jobs, service jobs, health and medicine, business, government, education, criminal justice, and research.

• Online Resources for Sociology Careers:

  • Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/sociology-degree-jobs

  • Rutgers University Sociology Department: https://sociology.rutgers.edu/academics/undergraduate/careers-in-sociology

  • Healthcare Pathway: https://www.healthcarepathway.com/articles/sociology-degree-careers/

  • Appalachian State University Sociology Department: https://soc.appstate.edu/students/what-you-can-do-degree-sociology/career-options-sociology-degree

• Alumni Profile: Jess Wright:

  • Background: Jess Wright majored in sociology at UWEC from 2006-2011 and has over 12 years of successful experience in non-profit fundraising and learning and development within HR.

  • Career Path: Has worked at organizations like Girl Scouts River Valleys, American Lung Association, and largely with The ALS Association.

  • Job Titles Held: Events Specialist, Development Manager, Development Director, Director of Development Standards and Resources, and currently Director, Learning and Development. Also serves on the associate board of the National CMV Foundation.

  • Value of Sociology Degree: Jess emphasizes that sociology provides invaluable insights into social factors influencing work and organizational operations, which has been crucial in interactions with donors, staff, and constituents. The study of humans and interactions is directly applicable to roles in donor and staff relations.

Core Concepts in Sociology

• The Sociological Imagination (C.W. Mills, 1959):

  • This concept highlights that everyday social life—including our thoughts, actions, feelings, decisions, and interactions—is the complex result of an interplay between societal forces and personal characteristics.

  • To truly understand individuals or society, one must comprehend both, by considering the interpersonal, historical, cultural, organizational, and global environments that people inhabit.

  • Connecting "Personal Troubles" with "Social Issues":

    • Personal Trouble Example: "Why do couples get divorced?" - Answers often focus on individual reasons (growing apart, cheating, money arguments, child-rearing disagreements, abuse).

    • Social Issue Example: "Why has the divorce rate in America increased so much over the past 50+ years?" - This shifts the focus to broader societal factors:

      • Increased economic independence of women (more women working).

      • Changes in divorce laws (e.g., introduction of no-fault divorce).

      • Decreased social stigma and increased social acceptability of divorce.

      • Decline in religious observance or influence.

    • Divorce Rate Trend: A graph tracking the rate of divorce to marriage in the USA from 1950 to 2004 shows a significant increase, peaking around the late 1970s or early 1980s, and then fluctuating at a higher level than mid-20^{\text{th}} century rates. (Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstracts of the United States, 2004-2005; CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics Report, vol. 53, no. 21, June 28, 2005).

• Durkheim's Study of Suicide (Classic Example):

  • Emile Durkheim recognized and studied the profound impact of social forces on suicide rates, demonstrating that personal acts are connected to social structures.

  • Integration: Refers to the extent to which an individual is bound to a group or groups through social relationships with others.

  • Regulation: Refers to the expectations or demands placed on individuals as a consequence of their membership in a group.

Differentiating Sociology from Other Fields

• Contrasting Perspectives:

  • Biology: Primarily focuses on innate characteristics, such as genetics and biochemical explanations of behavior. It examines processes occurring within the individual.

  • Psychology: Concentrates on personal characteristics, particularly the functions and processes of the mind. It also examines processes within the individual.

  • Sociology: Distinctly focuses on human interaction within the larger societal context. It examines what transpires among people, groups, and societies.

• Applied Example: Alcohol Abuse in College Students:

  • Biology Researcher Questions: Might investigate genetic predispositions to addiction, physiological responses to alcohol, or neurochemical impacts.

  • Psychology Researcher Questions: Might explore individual personality traits, coping mechanisms, mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, depression) contributing to abuse, or individual cognitive biases regarding alcohol.

  • Sociology Researcher Questions: Might examine peer group influence, campus drinking culture, socio-economic factors, marketing strategies of alcohol companies, social norms around drinking, or institutional policies that enable or discourage alcohol abuse among college students.

Benefits of the Sociological Perspective

• Finding "Truth": It allows us to uncover factual explanations rather than relying on common sense, which is often based on beliefs, values, and intuition.

• Seeing Social Forces: It helps us recognize the profound effects of social forces (both opportunities and constraints) on our personal lives and choices.

• Empowering Social Change: It equips us with the knowledge and understanding necessary to initiate and implement effective social change.

• Preparing for Diversity: It better prepares us to navigate and thrive in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

Sociological Theories (Perspectives)

• What is Theory? The concept of theory was introduced through an analogy (no specific content provided for the analogy itself, but it served to explain what a theory is).

• Applying Political Philosophies (Analogy for Theory):

  • Libertarians: Would propose no taxes, advocating for a "government hands off" approach.

  • Republicans: Would propose limited taxes, believing government should only provide services individuals cannot on their own.

  • Democrats: Would propose higher taxes, believing government ensures basic needs are met for all.

  • Socialists: Would propose heavy taxation on the wealthy and no taxes for the poor, advocating for government responsibility in wealth redistribution.

• Foundations of Sociological Theory: Notes that traditional foundational theorists were primarily "dead white guys," though acknowledging a critique of this dominant narrative.

Three Key Sociological Perspectives

1. Symbolic Interactionism

• Nature of Society: Society is characterized by ongoing interaction, primarily based on symbolic communication. It is actively constructed through the day-to-day interactions among individuals.

• Major Theorists: George Herbert Mead, Erving Goffman, Charles Horton Cooley.

• Level of Analysis: Micro-level (focus on individual interactions and small groups).

• Assumptions:

  • Reality is fundamentally a social construction.

  • Central to this is the Thomas Theorem: "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences" (i.e., belief equals reality).

  • The meaning attributed to any given situation is heavily influenced by past experience; consequently, change arises when individuals "improvise" upon established scripts or understandings.

• Key Questions: How do individuals attribute meaning to… (a situation, an object, a symbol)?

• Weaknesses: It often finds it challenging to connect to larger institutions and broader social forces.

2. Social Conflict Theory

• Nature of Society: Society is viewed as a system defined by social inequality, which inherently tends to benefit certain categories of people more than others.

• Major Theorists: Karl Marx, Max Weber, W.E.B. Du Bois, C. Wright Mills.

• Level of Analysis: Macro-level (focus on large-scale societal structures and institutions).

• Assumptions:

  • Societies are fundamentally competitive arenas where groups vie for resources and power.

  • Change is inevitable and a constant feature of society. A primary goal of studying society from this perspective is to facilitate change.

  • Groups holding power actively strive to maintain the status quo and their advantageous position.

• Key Questions: How is society divided? Who benefits from existing social arrangements? How is the status quo challenged or resisted?

• Weaknesses: It sometimes lacks a robust explanation for instances of social harmony and cohesion within society.

3. Structural Functionalism

• Nature of Society: Society is conceptualized as being analogous to an organism, with interdependent parts working together to maintain stability (i.e., an integrated system). Society is seen as a reality sui generis (a reality that is more than the sum of its individual parts).

• Major Theorists: Emile Durkheim, August Comte, Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton.

• Level of Analysis: Macro-level (focus on large-scale societal structures and functions).

• Assumptions:

  • All components of society serve either a manifest (intended and obvious) or a latent (unintended and often hidden) function.

  • Parts of society that are genuinely dysfunctional or detrimental to the system's stability will gradually cease to exist.

• Key Questions: What are the functions of…? How does it contribute to the maintenance of society?

• Weaknesses:

  • It can be tautological (circular reasoning, where a part exists because it's functional, and it's functional because it exists).

  • It often does not adequately address power differentials, social inequality, or mechanisms of social change.

Pioneers in Sociology (Beyond "Dead White Guys")

• Early White Women Sociologists:

  • Harriet Martineau (1802 – 1876): Introduced systematic methodology to sociology and was central to the discipline's development.

  • Jane Addams (1860 – 1935): Considered herself a sociologist, founded a major research institute (Hull-House), and published extensively (eight books, nearly 200 articles) on the theoretical underpinnings of social ills.

  • Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860 – 1935): Authored The Yellow Wallpaper and Women and Economics, contributed to social theory, and advocated for middle-class white women's entry into the paid labor market.

  • Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797): Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women, considered one of the earliest theoretical treatments of women’s inequality.

• Early Sociologists of Color:

  • W.E.B. Du Bois (1868 – 1963): First African American to earn a PhD from Harvard, co-founder of the NAACP, author of The Souls of Black Folk, and whose work provided a framework for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

  • E. Franklin Frazier (1894 – 1962): Wrote extensively on the impact of slavery and Jim Crow laws on Black families and their ability to succeed in the U.S. Elected the first Black president of the American Sociological Association in 1948.

  • Ida B. Wells (1862 – 1931): Renowned for her work on lynching, exposing how accusations of sexual assault by Black men against white women were exaggerated to justify the lynching of Black men and suppress white dissent.

  • Anna Julia Cooper (1858 – 1964): Advocated for the full inclusion of Black men and women in all areas of society and for the inclusion of Black women's perspectives in scholarly work on women.

Application of Theories

• Explaining Crime (Think, Pair, Share Activity): Students were prompted to consider how each sociological theory (Symbolic Interactionism, Social Conflict, Structural Functionalism) could be applied to issues related to crime, identify issues of greatest concern for each theory, and formulate relevant research questions.

Class Survey Results: Voting Preferences

A survey of 276 students (104 Cis Males and 172 Cis Females) was conducted regarding their voting preferences.

Percentage of Students Voting for Each Candidate by Gender: