Sociology Chapter 1

Where do you find community and society with strangers?

-Commuting or transit, destinations, shopping, performances, collective recreation areas, religious or spiritual institutions

Sociologists learn about society while studying one to one and group interactions.

Society a group of people who live in a defined geographic area who interact with one another, and who share a common culture.

Sociological imagination-an awareness of the relationship between a person’s behavior and experience and how the wider culture shapes persons beliefs and perception

Social facts- laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all the cultural rules of a society

People have been thinking about sociology before society

Positivism- (Conte) the scientific study of social patterns

Martineau - observed and analyzed social practices including economics, religion and government etc

Marx- believed society grew as a result of struggles of different social and political classes. Predicted that social change came through conflict.

a rejection of positivism.

Spencer- Rejected both Comte and Marx

-strongly favored market and societal forces to shape government and economy.

Durkheim- focused on sociological study of objective social facts

-such studies could determine the health of a society.

-studied social ties that led to social solidarity.

Herbert Mead- focused on the mind and self and indicated that our identity is developed through interactions with others.

Significant others: specific individuals that impacted a person’s life.

Generalized others: the organized and generalized attitude of a social group.

Weber- The protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism

-Verstehen (German) - Verstehen is a German term that translates to "understanding" in English. In the context of sociology, it refers to a method of interpreting and understanding social behavior by putting oneself in the position of others to comprehend their perspective, motives, and emotions.

The concept was introduced by sociologist Max Weber, who emphasized the importance of Verstehen as a tool for understanding the subjective meanings individuals attach to their actions. It contrasts with purely objective or external observations and is central to Weber's approach to studying social phenomena.

Qualitative Sociology - Qualitative Sociology is a branch of sociology that focuses on understanding social phenomena through non-numerical data, such as words, behaviors, images, and meanings.

It emphasizes in-depth exploration of social contexts, interactions, and the subjective experiences of individuals or groups. Qualitative sociologists use methods such as interviews, participant observation, case studies, and content analysis to gain a rich, detailed understanding of social life.

Rather than seeking to generalize findings statistically, qualitative sociology aims to interpret the underlying meanings, values, and cultural practices that shape human behavior and social structures. Examples include studying the lived experiences of marginalized groups or analyzing the symbolic meaning of rituals in a particular community.

Quantitative Sociology - Quantitative Sociology is a branch of sociology that focuses on the systematic collection and analysis of numerical data to understand patterns, relationships, and trends in social phenomena.

It uses statistical methods, surveys, experiments, and other quantitative tools to test hypotheses, measure variables, and make generalizations about society. Examples include analyzing census data, studying correlations between education and income, or using surveys to understand public opinion on social issues. Quantitative sociology emphasizes objectivity and seeks to uncover broad, generalizable insights into social behavior and structures.

Du Buis-developed and employed highly detailed empirical methods of research. This stood in contrast to previous methods. It had to repeated (experiments) to be proven.

• he provided backing against the biological basis of racist.

• helped with civil rights movement

paradigm- a model for your thinking

raw facts - these facts are simple description of empirical data - need perspective to make them useful

Sociology looks at society at all levels

macro- large-scale structure of society

micro- concerned more on the individual

(big & small are always connected)

social dysfunction- Social dysfunction refers to difficulties in a person's ability to engage effectively in social interactions and relationships. It involves impairments in behaviors, communication, or social skills that hinder the ability to form or maintain relationships, adapt to social norms, or participate meaningfully in social settings.

latent dysfunction- Latent dysfunction refers to unintended, unrecognized, or hidden consequences of an action, policy, or social structure that negatively affect individuals or society. Unlike manifest functions, which are intended and openly acknowledged, latent dysfunctions are unplanned and can undermine the original purpose of a system or behavior.

conflict theories- Conflict theories are a framework in sociology and social sciences that focus on the struggles between different social groups for power, resources, and influence. These theories emphasize the role of inequality, competition, and conflict in shaping societies, institutions, and relationships. Conflict theories often critique the status quo, highlighting how social structures perpetuate power imbalances.

3 Different Sociology Paradigms (find definition for these, and write in your own words to help remember it and find an image that correlates with these terms)

Structural functionalism -

conflict theory -

symbolic interactionism -

Class expectations

-try to get to class on time

-bell ringers are due at the beginning of class and cannot be made up if you arrive late

-responsible for reading and taking good notes on chapter

-homework due before the beginning of next class

-you will lose 10% if it is filed late

-if you miss another class, you will lose an additional 10%

-You can retest but you must complete test corrections and retest within 10 days of the original test

Chapter 3 sociology

Hunter Gather are societies that depend on hunting animals and gathering uncultivated plants the survival

pastoral societies:

horticultural societies:

agricultural societies:

Feudal societies:

Industrial societies

-Marked by rapid invention and methods

Emerged during and after industrial revolution in 1700s and 1800s

major changes in areas such as: steam power, manufacturing (reduced production time and volume), rise of urban centers (change in population distribution), change in wealth distribution, emergence of sociology

Postindustrial society

Information societies, postindustrial or digital societies, are based on the production of Information and services

Industrial societies are rooted in the production of material goods