Chapter 1: Sociological Perspective Society is marked by change & stability Sociology: Study of human behavior in society, all human

uman behavior occurs in a societal context o Sociology is empirical: based on observations Sociological Perspective: the ability to see the societal patterns that influence individual and group life C. Wright Millso The sociological imagination: Ability to see the societal patterns that influence the individual as well as a group of individuals o i.e. Looking in mirror- origin of behaviors exist beyond personal live Social Structure: organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together constitute a society Troubles: privately felt problems that spring from evens of feelings in a persons life Issues: affect large #s of people and have their origins in the institutional arrangements & history of a society o Issues shape context within which troubles to arise o Sociologists employ social perspective to understand how issues are shaped by social institutions (i.e. unemployment: trouble- loss of identity, depression; Issue: who is most likely to be unemployed, how does it affect community? )

Debunking Sociology Peter Berger calls questioning ideas we take for granted- debunking: looking behind facades of everyday life or unmasking behind the scene patterns (I.e. school= primary way of learning, debunked: girls receive less attention or Chinese women shrinking feet)

Establishing a Critical Distance Being able to detach from situation at hand & view thing from a critical mind Georg Simmel: interested in role of strangers, which have both inside/outside role in social groups o being a part of the group without the same assumptions, just enough to understand group experience

The Significance of Diversity People shaped by context around them; with so much diversity people will share SOME experiences, not all. o Experiences not held in common: Language, religion, & family/community traditions o Studying group differences in societys opportunities, shaping social institutions by diff. social factors, formation of group or individual identity, & process of change Patterns of social change and structure are increasingly patterned by diverse group experience o Diversity also encompasses global perspective; understanding of international connections across national borders & impact of each on life

Society in Global Perspective No society can be understood apart from global context that influences development from all societies o I.e. social & economical societies of other nations are intertwined Global persp. Is necessary to understand ours & others change o Events in one society may be linked to events on other side of globe o I.e. woman working hiring Latina woman & unemployed guy in Peoria

The development of the Social Theory 18th & 19th century= Enlightenment (age of reason): faith in the ability of human reason to solve societys problems o Natural laws & processes in society to be discovered & used for general good

People 1. Auguste Comte: French philosopher coined term sociology a. Believed sociology could discover the laws of human social behavior & help solve societys problems i. Approach called-Positivism: where scientific observation & description is considered the highest form of knowledge (opposed to religion or poetic inspiration) 2. Alexis de Tocquerville: Believed democratic values and the belief in human equality positively influenced American social institutions & transformed relationships a. Tyranny of kingsTyranny of Majority b. Emphasis of individualism, Americans had little independence of the mind 3. Emile Durkheim (Jew): People in public where glued together by a belief system & rituals sustain moral cohesion i. public rituals= public solidarity or bond b. Believed Society: i. is entity larger than itself; sui generis ii. is to be studied separately from the sum of individuals composed of it iii. is external to individuals, existence is internalized in the mind Social facts: indicate social patterns that are external to people (i.e. suicide ext. between norms/anomie) o Customs & social values: external, psychological drives: internal 4. Karl Marx: explained how capitalism shaped society & argued it is economical system based on pursuit of profit a. Exploitation of working class, unfair= workers get less then they give b. Believed economic organization of society is most important influence on how humans think 5. Max Weber: Believed society has multidimensional areas: political, economic, & cultural a. No value free sociology b. Verstehen: understanding social behavior from point of view of those engaged in it, develop subjective understanding c. Contribution-Social Action: behavior to which people give meaning (bumper sticker) Sociology in America 6. Organic metaphor: society as an organism, a system of interrelated functions and parts that work together to create a whole; constantly evolving like an organism Charles Darwin: termed evolution: new species are created by survival of fittest a. Social Darwinism: survival of fittest= social evolution i. Arrangements in society are nature and inevitable Chicago School- believed society shaped mind and identity Robert Park: interested in how different racial groups interacted with each other, boundaries maintained (rich & poor in middle, poor surrounding outside) Jane Addams: systematic research designed to improved slum dwellers, immigrants Ida B. Wells Barnett: wrote essays on A.Americans, crusader of lynching, & womens rights W.E.B. du Bois: cofounder of NAACP, wrote about social justice a. believed in importance of scientific approach to sociological questions b. convictions always directed ones studies

7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Theoretical Framework in Sociology Macrosociology: theories to understand society as a whole (Durkheim, Marx, Weber; Functionalis, & Conflict)

Microsociology: center on face-face social interaction (symbolic interaction)

Functionalism-(origins from Durkheim; interests in social order) Interprets each part of society in terms of how it contribute to stability as a whole, parts depend of each other Emphasis on consensus and shared public values, when 1 part= dysfunction, creates social problems Main theorist: Talcott Parsons: Believed all parts of a social system are interrelated with different parts of a society having different functions Robert Merton: Social practices have consequences for society that arent apparent or same as stated purpose

Conflict Theory- derived from Marx Emphasizes role of cohersion & power influence & control over others in producing social order o Society fragmented into groups competing for social & eco. Resources o Power struggles between conflicting groups are source of social change

Symbolic interaction- derived from Chicago school people give meaning to behavior and this is how they interpret behaviors, events Emphasizes of face-face People behave based on what they believe i.e. teens smoking cigs. Symbolic meaning overrides true facts regarding smoking & risks Social order= negotiated & created thru interpretations, high subjective

Diverse Theoretic Perspectives Feminist theory: analyzes status of women & men in society with purpose of using that knowledge to better womens lives Postmodernism: society is NOT an objective thing o Found in words & images people use Functionalism Individuals occupy fixed roles Inequality is functional & inevitable Stems from consensus on value Society seeks equilibrium when there is social disorganization Underplays power difference between groups Conflict Theory Subordinated to society Inequality from struggle over scarce resources Maintained thru power & coercion Come through mobilization of people struggling for resources Understates degree of cohesion and stability Symbolic Interaction Individuals and society are interdependent Inequality demonstrated thru importance of symb. Sustained thru interaction & adherence to social norms Evolves from an everevolving set of social relationships and creation of new meaning systems Little analysis on inequality & overstates object basis of society

Questions Relationship between individual & society? Why inequality? How is social order possible? Source of social change?

Criticisms