TOPIC 1: WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?

I. DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY

II. PURPOSES OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

III. EXAMPLE: DURKHEIMS STUDY OF SUICIDE

IV. MORE EXAMPLES OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

I. DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY

Sociology is a scientific discipline which focuses on how groups influence how individuals think, feel, act, and live

(1) Sociology is empirical: data-based research to test arguments/hypotheses/theories

(2) Sociology examines how groups affect individuals Value: general statement of what is right, beautiful, proper, etc.

Norm: specific prescription of how an individual ought to behave to be consistent with value. Vary according to degree of: conditionality intensity consensus

Sanctions: penalties or pressures designed to enforce compliance informal (social) formal (legal)

Values & Norms

Group Memberships

Individual Behavior

Sanctions

2 points to note: a. individuals belong to multiple groups with different values and norms norms, sanctions, and behavior are dynamic not static: they change (they are socially constructed)

b.

II. PURPOSES OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

(1) Fact-finding: e.g., crime rate, poverty rate, income distribution, birth rate, family composition, church attendance

(2) Causal Analysis: relationships among variables

Examples?

Note: sociology produces generalizations not laws

(3) Theory Building and Testing: developing general explanations of phenomena or testing two (or more) explanations to see which is supported by the data

Example: deviance Deterrence Theory: greater social control and stronger enforcement of social norms reduce deviant behavior Labeling Theory: when people are treated as deviants, they grow to accept this definition of themselves and become increasingly deviant

III. EXAMPLE: DURKHEIMS STUDY OF SUICIDE

Emile Durkheims (1858-1917) most famous finding about suicide in Europe: (1) suicide rate higher for Protestants than for Catholics (and Jews) How does Durkheim explain this? How does he go about deciding which variables are important and unimportant as a cause of suicide?

Other findings:

(2) suicide rate higher for unmarried people than for married people

(3) suicide rate higher in peacetime than in wartime

Explanation?

Egoistic suicide

(4) suicide rate higher for soldiers than for civilians

(5) suicide rate higher for volunteers than for draftees

Explanation?

Altruistic suicide

(6) suicide rate higher in countries that experienced economic growth and recession than in economically stable countries (7) suicide rate higher for divorced people than married people

Explanation?

Anomic suicide

Whats Durkheims general theory?

IV.

MORE EXAMPLES OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

(1)

The Pattern of Christmas Gift-Giving in Middletown (Theodore Caplow):

Questions he poses - who gives gifts? - who receives gifts? - what kinds of gifts are given? - what explains the patterns?

Data; how does he collect data on this topic?

Gift Giving and Gender (Table 4) % of All Gifts - Receivers Givers Male Female Male & Female Totals Male 4.2% 17.0% Female 11.1% 17.4% Male & Female 0.9% 2.2% Total 16.2% 36.6%

18.0% 39.2%

23.1% 51.6%

6.1% 9.2%

47.2% 100%

What are the main findings in this table?

Gift Giving by Relationship and Residential Distance (Table 6) % of relationships marked by gifts Relationship to Respondent Fathers Mothers Children Childrens spouses Grandparents Grandchildren Siblings Siblings spouses Siblings children Parents siblings Within 50 miles Over 50 miles

100% 98% 96% 92% 96% 90% 32% 24% 19% 15%

85% 90% 95% 94% 50% 77% 35% 24% 15% 10%

What are the findings in this table?

What do these patterns indicate?

(2) Whats in a name? Lieberson and Bell, Childrens First Names and Social Taste, American Journal of Sociology, Nov. 1992 Question: what patterns are there in girls and boys names? Top 6 Girls and Boys Names of Children Born in New York State, 19731985 GIRLS % of all girls names 4.2 3.1 2.3 2.0 1.9 1.8 15% BOYS % of all boys names 5.7 3.4 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6 20%

Name Jennifer Christine Jessica Melissa Michelle Nicole TOTAL

Name Michael Christopher John David Matthew Joseph TOTAL

Finding: less variation in boys names than girls names

What do you think the reason for this is?

Do we see the same results in a different sample? SOCI 1101 - SPRING 2002 Top 6 Girls and Boys Names of Students in SOC 1101 FEMALES (201) Name Lauren Sara(h) Katherine/ (C)Kathryn Jennifer Jessica Lindsay/ Lindsey/ Lyndsey % of all girls names 5.5 4.5 4.0 Name Matthew Michael Benjamin MALES (99) % of all boys names 9.0 4.0 4.0

3.5 3.0 3.0

Andrew Jonathan Brian

4.0 3.0 3.0

TOTAL

23.5%

TOTAL

27.0%

If Lieberson and Bell are correct, then there should be less variation over time in boys names compared to girls names Top 5 Girls and Boys Names of Maternal Grandparents of Students in SOCI 1101 (parentheses are # of students in class with same name)

Name Mary Dorothy Martha Ruth Betty

Number 14 (3) 7 (1) 7 (0) 5 (1) 5 (0)

Name Robert William John Thomas Jack

Number 18 (2) 16 (2) 11 (2) 9 (2) 8 (0)