Sociology Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Seeing and Acting Through the Lens of Sociology

Overview

• Learning Objectives:

  • LO1: Things Are Not What They Seem

  • LO2: What Is Sociology?

  • LO3: Comparing Sociology and Other Disciplines

  • LO4: Building Your Sociological Imagination: Your Sociological Toolkit

  • LO5: Sociological Theorizing

  • LO6: Core Sociological Theoretical Perspectives

  • LO7: Critical Thinking

LO1: Things Are Not What They Seem

• Explore the technologies, social forces, and people integral to online shopping.

• Key Concepts:

  • Strange in the Familiar: Recognize how common practices have deeper social implications.

  • General in the Particular: Identify societal patterns reflected in individual behaviors.

  • Social Patterns: Examine evident patterns within society.

• Micro and Macro Levels:

  • Macro Level: Analyze societal forces.

  • Micro Level: Study individual actions and choices.

• Influences on Personal Choices:

  • Family and friends impact individual life chances and decisions.

  • Examine societal norms that question motivations for being a student.

LO2: What Is Sociology?

• Definition: Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior and societal patterns, objectively analyzing how they shape human interactions.

• C. Wright Mills (1916 - 1962): Emphasized the connection between history and biography in understanding society.

LO3: Comparing Sociology and Other Disciplines

• Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406): Focused on social solidarity and the dynamics of exploitation within societies.

• French Revolution and Enlightenment: Advocated reason, equality, and progress as foundational sociological principles.

• Auguste Comte (1798-1857): Promoted the application of scientific methods to understand social statics and social dynamics.

• Essential Insight: Sociology studies the meaningful connections between individuals, positing that "society is greater than the sum of its parts."

LO4: Your Sociological Toolkit

• Key Components:

  • Empirical Research: Collecting reliable knowledge through structured observation and verification.

  • Sociological Methods: Employ various analytical methods to comprehend societal behavior.

  • Theorizing: Develop theories to explain social phenomena.

  • Critical Thinking: Apply critical evaluation of societal norms and structures.

LO5: Sociological Theorizing

• Definition: A theory is a set of propositions designed to explain facts or phenomena.

• Approaches to Sociological Theory:

  • Positivist Approach (Emile Durkheim): Links science to society, focusing on laws and statistical modeling.

  • Interpretative Approach (Max Weber): Emphasizes understanding social context (verstehen).

  • Critical Approach (Karl Marx): Focuses on power struggles and the quest for emancipation and freedom.

LO6: Core Sociological Theoretical Perspectives

• Theoretical Perspectives:

  • Symbolic Interactionist: Examines individual interactions and meanings.

  • Functionalist: Society as a living organism with roles and norms that promote stability.

  • Conflict Perspective: Views life through the lens of inequality and power struggles.

  • Postmodern, Feminist Perspectives: Highlights diverse experiences and challenges patriarchal norms.

Functionalist Perspective

• Analogy: Society is like a tower of interconnected blocks maintaining balance.

• Foundational Assumptions:

  • Society operates through shared norms and values.

  • Stability occurs when individuals fulfill their societal roles.

• Durkheim's Contributions:

  • Introduced concepts like social facts and anomie (normlessness).

• Parsons' Social Institutions:

  • Traditional: Family, education, economy, politics, religion.

  • Newer: Science, technology, medicine, mass media, military, sport.

• Robert Merton's Concepts:

  • Differentiated between manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions.

Conflict Perspective

• Key Focus: Examines power dynamics in relationships, specifically between capital and labor.

• Core Assumptions:

  • Society is characterized by inherent social inequality.

  • Continuous struggle shapes social arrangements in favor of some at the expense of others.

• Key Ideas:

  • Modes of production influence class struggles and feelings of alienation.

  • Call to action: "Workers of the world unite!"

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Core Assumptions:

  • Behaviors are learned through socialization.

  • Society is crafted through individual interactions and shared meanings.

  • Concepts of “significant others” and “generalized other” are vital in understanding identity formation.

Feminist Perspective

• Fundamental Assumptions:

  • Men and women should be viewed as equals.

  • Gender is a critical category for exploring social inequalities.

• Martineau's Contributions:

  • Integrated moral critiques within sociological analysis, using science to challenge inequalities.

• Contemporary Feminist Theories:

  • Now vale multiple accounts of experience, addressing patriarchy, androcentrism, and gendered experiences.

Postmodern Perspective

• Core Assumptions:

  • Truth and knowledge are socially constructed post-WW2.

  • Shift from a focus on material production to the creation of ideas and cultural images.

• Two Forms of Postmodernism:

  • Skeptical Postmodernism: Society experiences chaos and meaningless due to rapid social changes.

  • Affirmative Postmodernism: Questions overarching theories as inadequate to explain contemporary society.

LO7: Critical Thinking

• Skill Levels:

  • Lower-order: Summarizing and recalling information.

  • Higher-order: Evaluating, responding, and conceptualizing insights.