Sociology Chapter 1: Introduction to Sociology

What are Social Facts?

Are the laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all of the cultural rules that govern social life, that may contribute to these changes in the family.

Which research technique would most likely be used by a symbolic interactionist? a. Surveys b. Participant observation c. Quantitative data analysis d. None of the above

b. Participant observation

Kenneth and Mamie Clark used sociological research to show that segregation was: a. beneficial b. harmful c. illegal d. of no importance

b. harmful

C. Wright Mills once said that sociologists need to develop a sociological __________ to study how society affects individuals. a. culture b. imagination c. method d. tool

b. imagination

Weber believed humans could not be studied purely objectively because they were influenced by: a. drugs b. their culture c. their genetic makeup d. the researcher

b. their culture

manifest functions

sought consequences of a social process

significant others

specific individuals that impact a person's life

quantitative sociology

statistical methods such as surveys with large numbers of participants

generalized others

the organized and generalized attitude of a social group

function

the part a recurrent activity plays in the social life as a whole and the contribution it makes to structural continuity

figuration

the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of an individual and the society that shapes that behavior

positivism

the scientific study of social patterns

social solidarity

the social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship, shared location, and religion

latent functions

the unrecognized or unintended consequences of a social process

antipositivism

the view that social researchers should strive for subjectivity as they worked to represent social processes, cultural norms, and societal values

What did Karl Marx believe?

there is no God and said that people who believe in God are ignorant (rejection to natural law)

In Sociology, what is a Hypothesis?

to create a testable proposition.

Who was Emile Durkheim?

-Father of sociology, pioneer of modern social research and established the field as separate and distinct from psychology and politics -Major proponent of functionalism -Argued that modern society was more complex than primitive societies because they were all similar, shared a common language. Even when people were dissimilar, they relied on each other to make society function.

What is the definition of a society?

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

Sociologist that study from a macrolevel study what?

Analysis look at trends among and between large groups and societies. ex: In contrast, a macro-level analysis might research the ways that language use has changed over time or in social media outlets.

What is an example of how Society Influences Individuals decisions?

Another example of the way society influences individual decisions can be seen in people's opinions about and use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits. Some people believe those who receive SNAP benefits are lazy and unmotivated. Statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture show a complex picture.

Who is considered the Father of Sociology? What was his belief?

Auguste Comte (1798-1857). Comte originally studied to be an engineer, but later became a pupil of social philosopher Claude Henri de Rouvroy Comte de Saint-Simon (1760-1825). They both thought that social scientists could study society using the same scientific methods utilized in natural sciences. Comte also believed in the potential of social scientists to work toward the betterment of society. He held that once scholars identified the laws that governed society, sociologists could address problems such as poor education and poverty

What were some of Emile Durkheim's Beliefs?

Durkheim helped establish sociology as a formal academic discipline by establishing the first European department of sociology at the University of Bordeaux in 1895 and by publishing his Rules of the Sociological Method in 1895. Durkheim believed that sociologists could study objective "social facts" (Poggi 2000). He also believed that through such studies it would be possible to determine if a society was "healthy" or "pathological." He saw healthy societies as stable, while pathological societies experienced a breakdown in social norms between individuals and society.

Who was Harriet Martineau?

First Woman Sociologist Harriet Martineau was a writer who addressed a wide range of social science issues. She was an early observer of social practices, including economics, social class, religion, suicide, government, and women's rights. Her writing career began in 1931 with a series of stories titled Illustrations of Political Economy, in which she tried to educate ordinary people about the principles of economics.

What did Georg Simmel believe?

Georg Simmel was a German art critic who wrote widely on social and political issues as well. Simmel took an anti-positivism stance and addressed topics such as social conflict, the function of money, individual identity in city life, and the European fear of outsiders. Much of his work focused on the micro-level theories, and it analyzed the dynamics of two-person and three-person groups. His work also emphasized individual culture as the creative capacities of individuals. Simmel's contributions to sociology are not often included in academic histories of the discipline, perhaps overshadowed by his contemporaries Durkheim, Mead, and Weber.

Who was George Herbert Mead?

George Herbert Mead was a philosopher and sociologist whose work focused on the ways in which the mind and the self were developed as a result of social processes.

Who was Max Weber?

German sociologist that regarded the development of rational social orders as humanity's greatest achievement. Saw bureaucratization (the process whereby labor is divided into an organized community and individuals acquire a sense of personal identity by finding roles for themselves in large systems) as the driving force in modern society.

Who was Georg Simmel?

German sociologist that theorized about society as a web of patterned interactions among people.

In Sociology, what is a theory?

is a way to explain different aspects of social interactions

What did George Herbert Mead Believe in?

He argued that how an individual comes to view himself or herself is based to a very large extent on interactions with others. Mead called specific individuals that impacted a person's life significant others, and he also conceptualized " generalized others" as the organized and generalized attitude of a social group. Mead's work is closely associated with the symbolic interactionist approach and emphasizes the micro- level of analysis.

Who was Herbert Spencer?

In 1873, the English philosopher Herbert Spencer published The Study of Sociology, the first book with the term "sociology" in the title. Spencer rejected much of Comte's philosophy as well as Marx's theory of class struggle and his support of communism. Instead, he favored a form of government that allowed market forces to control capitalism. His work influenced many early sociologists including Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Age of Enlightenment Historians

In the eighteenth century, Age of Enlightenment philosophers developed general principles that could be used to explain social life. Thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, Immanuel Kant, and Thomas Hobbes responded to what they saw as social ills by writing on topics that they hoped would lead to social reform.

Ma Tuan-Lin

In the thirteenth century, Ma Tuan-Lin, a Chinese historian, first recognized social dynamics as an underlying component of historical development in his seminal encyclopedia, General Study of Literary Remains.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) wrote about women's conditions in society. Her works were long ignored by the male academic structure, but since the 1970s, Wollstonecraft has been widely considered the first feminist thinker of consequence.

Who was Karl Marx?

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher and economist. In 1848 he and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) coauthored the Communist Manifesto. This book is one of the most influential political manuscripts in history. It also presents Marx's theory of society, which differed from what Comte proposed.

Important Works of Harriet Martineau

Martineau was the first to translate Comte's writing from French to English and thereby introduced sociology to English-speaking scholars (Hill 1991). She is also credited with the first systematic methodological international comparisons of social institutions in two of her most famous sociological works: Society in America (1837) and Retrospect of Western Travel (1838). Martineau found the workings of capitalism at odds with the professed moral principles of people in the United States; she pointed out the faults with the free enterprise system in which workers were exploited and impoverished while business owners became wealthy. She further noted that the belief in all being created equal was inconsistent with the lack of women's rights. Much like Mary Wollstonecraft, Martineau was often discounted in her own time by the male domination of academic sociology.

What was Karl Marx's view on Communism?

Marx predicted that inequalities of capitalism would become so extreme that workers would eventually revolt. This would lead to the collapse of capitalism, which would be replaced by communism. Communism is an economic system under which there is no private or corporate ownership: everything is owned communally and distributed as needed. Marx believed that communism was a more equitable system than capitalism. While his economic predictions may not have come true in the time frame he predicted, Marx's idea that social conflict leads to change in society is still one of the major theories used in modern sociology.

How did Karl Marx disagree with Comte's Positivism?

Marx rejected Comte's positivism. He believed that societies grew and changed as a result of the struggles of different social classes over the means of production. At the time he was developing his theories, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism led to great disparities in wealth between the owners of the factories and workers. Capitalism, an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of goods and the means to produce them, grew in many nations.

What is an example of Sociological Imagination?

One illustration of this is a person's decision to marry. In the United States, this choice is heavily influenced by individual feelings; however, the social acceptability of marriage relative to the person's circumstances also plays a part. Remember, though, that culture is a product of the people in a society; sociologists take care not to treat the concept of "culture" as though it were alive in its own right

What is the sociological imagination?

Pioneer sociologist C. Wright Mills described as an awareness of the relationship between a person's behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person's choices and perceptions. It's a way of seeing our own and other people's behavior in relationship to history and social structure.

What is Positivism?

Positivism is a view of scientific methods and a philosophical approach, theory, or system based on the view that, in the social as well as natural sciences, sensory experiences and their logical and mathematical treatment are together the exclusive source of all worthwhile information. Introspective and intuitional attempts to gain knowledge are rejected.

What is the definition of Culture?

Refers to the group's shared practices, values, and beliefs.

Sociologist that study from a microlevel study what?

Study small groups and individual interactions. ex: a micro-level study might look at the accepted rules of conversation in various groups such as among teenagers or business professionals.

What did Max Weber believe?

That inequalities in a capitalist system would lead to conflict, but there could be more than one source of conflict, such as conflict over inequalities in political power and social status Some believe that Weber argued that the beliefs of many Protestants, especially Calvinists, led to the creation of capitalism. Others interpret it as simply claiming that the ideologies of capitalism and Protestantism are complementary. Weber believed that it was difficult, if not impossible, to use standard scientific methods to accurately predict the behavior of groups as people hoped to do. They argued that the influence of culture on human behavior had to be taken into account.

Sociology Changes in the 19th Century

The early nineteenth century saw great changes with the Industrial Revolution, increased mobility, and new kinds of employment. It was also a time of great social and political upheaval with the rise of empires that exposed many people—for the first time—to societies and cultures other than their own. Millions of people moved into cities and many people turned away from their traditional religious beliefs.

Ibn Khaldun

The next century saw the emergence of the historian some consider to be the world's first sociologist: Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) of Tunisia. He wrote about many topics of interest today, setting a foundation for both modern sociology and economics, including a theory of social conflict, a comparison of nomadic and sedentary life, a description of political economy, and a study connecting a tribe's social cohesion to its capacity for power.

Who was Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes? What was his belief?

The term sociology was first coined in 1780 by the French essayist Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès (1748-1836) in an unpublished manuscript (Fauré et al. 1999). A liberal member of the clergy, supporter of the Third Estate, and author of the fiery 1789 pamphlet "What Is the Third Estate?" Sieyès was one of the primary leaders of the Third Estate's effort at political and economic reform in France.

verstehen

a German word that means to understand in a deep way

society

a group of people who live in a defined geographical area who interact with one another and who share a common culture

culture

a group's shared practices, values, and beliefs

dynamic equilibrium

a stable state in which all parts of a healthy society work together properly

dramaturgical analysis

a technique sociologists use in which they view society through the metaphor of theatrical performance

functionalism

a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society

symbolic interactionism

a theoretical perspective through which scholars examine the relationship of individuals within their society by studying their communication (language and symbols)

conflict theory

a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources

Which would a quantitative sociologists use to gather data? a. A large survey b. A literature search c. An in-depth interview d. A review of television programs

a. A large survey

Who coined the phrase symbolic interactionism? a. Herbert Blumer b. Max Weber c. Lester F. Ward d. W. I. Thomas

a. Herbert Blumer

A sociologist defines society as a group of people who reside in a defined area, share a culture, and who a. interact b.work in the same industry c.speak different languages d.practice a recognized religion

a. interact

Which founder of sociology believed societies changed due to class struggle? a. Emile Comte b. Karl Marx c. Plato d. Herbert Spencer

b. Karl Marx

Who believed that the history of society was one of class struggle? a. Emile Durkheim b. Karl Marx c. Erving Goffmann d. George Herbert Mead

b. Karl Marx

grand theories

an attempt to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change

reification

an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has a real, material existence

constructivism

an extension of symbolic interaction theory which proposes that reality is what humans cognitively construct it to be

Which of the following was a topic of study in early sociology? a. Astrology b. Economics c. Physics d. History

b. Economics

Which of the following best describes sociology as a subject? a. The study of individual behavior b. The study of cultures c. The study of society and social interaction d. The study of economics

c. The study of society and social interaction

Berger describes sociologists as concerned with: a. monumental moments in people's lives b. common everyday life events c. both a and b d. none of the above

c. both a and b

Seeing patterns means that a sociologist needs to be able to a. compare the behavior of individuals from different societies b. compare one society to another c. identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure d.compare individuals to groups

c. identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure

The difference between positivism and antipositivism relates to: a. whether individuals like or dislike their society b. whether research methods use statistical data or person-to-person research c. whether sociological studies can predict or improve society d. all of the above

c. whether sociological studies can predict or improve society

Which of these theories is most likely to look at the social world on a micro level? a. Structural functionalism b. Conflict theory c. Positivism d. Symbolic interactionism

d. Symbolic interactionism

Studying sociology helps people analyze data because they learn: a. interview techniques b. to apply statistics c. to generate theories d. all of the above

d. all of the above

A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to: a. behaviors b. conflicts c. human organs d. theatrical roles

d. theatrical roles

qualitative sociology

in-depth interviews, focus groups, and/or analysis of content sources as the source of its data

What is reification?

is an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has real, One illustration of this is a person's decision to marry. In the United States, this choice is heavily influenced by individual feelings; however, the social acceptability of marriage relative to the person's circumstances also plays a part. Remember, though, that culture is a product of the people in a society; sociologists take care not to treat the concept of "culture" as though it were alive in its own right existence.

What is sociology?

is the study of groups and group interactions, societies and social interactions, from small and personal groups to very large groups.

social institutions

patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting social needs

paradigms

philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them

dysfunctions

social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society