Sociology (Chapter One)
Childbearing
(Global Map 1-1, pg. 4) A look around the world shows that __________ is not a personal choice. Women living in poor countries have many more children than women in high-income nations.
Social structures
(Structural-functional approach) relatively stable patterns of social behavior
Metaphysical stage
(view of Comte) a transitional phase
Theological stage
(view of Comte) thought was guided by religion
Scientific stage
(view of Comte) using positivism to understand society
enhanced life chances
(why take sociology?) - micro and macro understanding - increase social potentials
more appreciation for diversity
(why take sociology?) - the global village - domestic social marginality
education and liberal arts
(why take sociology?) - well-rounded as a person - social expectations
Gender-conflict approach
*one important type of conflict analysis a point of view that focuses on inequality & conflict b/t males & females *most likely connected to feminism
race-conflict approach
*social-conflict approach a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict b/t people of different racial & ethnic categories
Macro-level orientation
*structural-functional & social-conflict focus on broad social structures that shape society as a WHOLE
Micro-level orientation
*symbolic-interaction focuses on patterns of social interaction in SPECIFIC settings
Theoretical Approaches
*theories are based on these basic images of society that guide thinking & research
components of sociology
- helps us assess the truth of common sense - helps us assess both opportunities and constraints in our lives - empowers us to be active in society - helps us live in diverse world
Four benefits of using the sociological perspective; particular, familiar, society, marginality & crisis
- seeing the general in the p_________ - seeing the strange in the f__________ - seeing s________ in our everyday lives - seeing sociologically: m_______ & c_______
Global Perspective in Sociolgy
- where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives - thinking globally is a good way to learn more about ourselves - many problems we face in the U.S. are elsewhere, and many times, even worse
Importance of Global Perspective
- where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives (poor in the south vs. poor in other, smaller countries) - societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected through technology and economics (terrorist bomb things when we are over there because we have cameras) - many problems we face in the U.S. are more serious elsewhere - thinking globally is a good way to learn more about ourselves **the south has as much (or about as much) as the inner city does in gov't aid
Comte's 3 Stages of Society
1. Theological Stage 2. Metaphysical Stage 3. Scientific Stage
benefits of the sociological perspective
1. helps us assess the truth of common sense 2. helps us assess both opportunities and constraints in our lives 3. empowers us to be active participants in our society 4. helps us live in a diverse world
High-income countries / Middle-income countries / Low-income countries
3 different nations in the world:
Structural-Functional approach, Social-conflict approach,
3 major sociological paradigms: 1) S_________-F______ approach 2) 3)
Social-conflict
A _______-_________ analysis points out that sports are closely linked to social inequality. (Sports and conflict.)
Structural-Functional
A ___________-__________ approach directs attention to the ways sports help society to operate. (The functions of sports.)
The sociological advantage
A background in sociology is also good preparation for the working world. An increasing # of sociologists work in all sorts of applied fields.
Symbolic-interaction approach
A framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals
theory
A statement of how and why specific facts are related
Laws & policies
Applying the sociological perspective is useful in the way that it: helps guide many of the _____ & policies that shape our lives.
personal growth & expanded awareness
Applying the sociological perspective is useful in the way that it: leads to important _________ growth & expanded __________.
preparation, world
Applying the sociological perspective is useful in the way that it: serves as excellent ________ for the ______ @ work.
The Sociological Perspective
BY PETER BERGER * seeing the general in the particular - sociologists identify general social patterns in the behavior of particular individuals * seeing the strange in the familiar - giving up the ideas that human behavior is simply a matter of what people decide to do - understanding that society shapes our lives
Robert Melton (1910-2003)
Introduced 3 concepts related to social function: 1. manifest functions 2. latent functions 3. social dysfunctions
Max Weber, George Herbert Mead, Erving Goffman, George Homans, Peter Blau
Key figures in development of symbolic-interaction approach: M___ W_____ G_____ H______ M_____ E________ G_________ G_________ H__________ P_______ B________
Karl Marx, Harriet Martineau, Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois
Key figures in the Social-conflict approach: K______ M_____ H________ M_________ J_____ A________ W.___.___ D_______
Seeing Sociology in the News -- "Interest in Military on the Rise."
Laracuente believesmthe military is well-positioned in this environment to meet & exceed recruiting goals -- even as the US continues to fight in Iraq & Afghanistan
Scientific Stage
Physics, chemistry, & sociology
Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life -- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Sociologist Barbara Ehrenreich (2001) took a low-wage job in order to find out more about life for people who hold these jobs.
Theological Stage
The Church in the Middle Ages
Metaphysical Stage
The Enlightenment & the ideas of Hobbes, Locke & Rousseau
society
The Sociological Perspective helps empowers us: to be active participants in our __________.
opportunities & constraints
The Sociological Perspective helps us assess: both ___________ & ___________ in our lives.
common sense
The Sociological Perspective helps us assess: the truth of "_____ _______."
diverse
The Sociological Perspective helps us: to live in a __________ world.
Symbolic-interaction
The ________-_________ paradigm views sports less as a system than as an ongoing process. (Sports as interaction.)
Social Marginality
The greater people's _____ _______, the better able they are to use the sociological perspective. Just as social change encourages sociological thinking.
Stablity
The structural-functional approach has declined in recent decades, in the fact that it focuses on _________, therby ignoring inequalities of social class, race, & gender.
THINKING GLOBALLY - The Global Village: A Social Snapshot of Our World
Think the population breakdown as if the world were a village of 1,000 people
industrial, Europe, political
Three major social changes during the 17th and 18th centuries are important to the development of sociology. 1. The rise of a factory-based _________ economy. 2. The emergence of large, thriving cities in _________. 3. ________ changes, including a rising concern w/ individual liberty & rights. The French Revolution symbolized this dramatic break w/ political & social tradition.
Sociological Imagination
Turning personal problems into public issues
What issues should we study? How should we connect the facts?
Two basic questions that scientists ask: 1) & 2)
Sociologists
_______ have helped shape the public policy.
Emile Durkheim's
_________ ________'s research showed that society affects even our most personal choices
Socialogical Thinking
__________ ____________ can bring about Sociological change.
W.E.B. DuBois
__________ described race as: the major problem facing the US in the 20th century *****READ PAGE 17*****
macro-level orientation
a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole 1) structural-functional approach 2) social-conflict approach
micro-level orientation
a close-up on social interaction in specific situations * symbolic-interaction approach
structural-functional approach
a framework for building that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity & stability
structural-functional approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity & stability
social-conflict approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequaility that generates conflict & change 1) gender-conflict approach 2) race-cinflict approach 3) feminism
social-conflict approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict & change
symbolic-interaction approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions b/t individuals
Social-conflict approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as: an arena of inequality that generates conflict & change *Most sociologists who favor this approach attempt not only to understand society but also reduce social inequality a.) key figures: Karl Marx, Harriet Martineau, Jane Addams, & W.E.B. DuBois b.) gender-conflict approach/feminism c.) W.E.B. DuBois d.) race-conflict approach
Structural-Functional Approach
a framework for building theory that sees society: as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability a.) asserts that our lives are guided by social structures (relatively stable patterns of social behavior) b.) each social sturcture has social functions (consequences, for the operation of society as a whole) c.) Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer, and Talcott Pearsons are key figures in this approach d.) Robert Merton introduced 3 concepts: manifest functions, latent functions, and social dysfuncitons
race-conflict approach
a point of view that focuses on inequality & conflict b/t people of different racial & ethnic categories
gender-conflict approach
a point of view that focuses on inequality & conflict between women & men (social-conflict approach)
Positivism
a scientific approach to knowledge based on "positive" facts as opposed to mere sepculation
stereotype
a simplified description applied to every person in some category
Positivism
a way of understanding based on science
Global Thinking; live, societies, poverty, globally
an important component of the sociological perspective for four reasons: 1) Where we ____ makes a great difference in shaping our lives 2) ______ over the world are increasingly interconnected, making traditional distinctions b/t "us" and "them" less and less revelant 3) Many human problems face in the United States are far more serious elsewhere: ________ 4) Thinking _______ is a good way to learn more about ourselves
social structure
any relatively stable pattern of social behavior
social dysfunction
any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society
theoretical approach
basic image of society that guides thinking & research
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
believed that the major goal of sociology was to understand society as it actually operates. He favored POSITVISM. He was sociology as the product of of a 3-stage historical development.
social functions
consequences, for the operation of society as a whole
social marginality
for example: everyone feels like an outsider from time to time, but in some categories of people, being an outsider- not part of the dominant group -is an everyday experience, encouraging the sociological perspective
social crisis
for example: periods of change or crisis make everyone feel a little off balance, encouraging us to use the sociological perspective
human society
group behavior is primary focus; how groups influence individuals and vice versa
Middle-income countries
have limited industrialized and most people are poor (76 nations)
Low-income countries
have little industrialization and most people are poor (57 nations)
Sociological Perspective
helps us to see the general social patterns in the behavior of particular individuals (THE GENERAL IN THE PARTICULAR)
Emile Durkheim
his research showed that the suicide rate was strongly influenced by the extent to which people were socially integrated w/ others
High-income countries
industrialized nations which have the highest overall standard of living (60 nations)
Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons
key figures in the development of the structural-functional approach: A__________ C________ E__________ D___________ T_________ P__________
Latent functions
largely unrecognized and unintended consequences
LESS likely to commit suicide
male Jews and Catholics who were poor and married
MORE likely to commit suicide
male Protestants who were wealthy and unmarried
systematic
scientific behavior that focuses attention on patterns of behavior
Theory
statement of how and why specific facts are related
feminism
support of social equaility for women & men (gender-conflict approach)
Feminism
support of social equality for men & men (does not just apply to women)
sociology
systematic study of human society
social functions
the consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society as a whole 1) manifest functions 2) latent functions
manifest functions
the recognized & intended consequences of any social pattern
Manifest functions
the recognized and intended consequences of an social pattern
at the "heart of sociology"
the sociological perspective which offers a uuique view of society
Global Perspective
the study of the larger world and our society's place in it
Sociology
the systematic study of human society
latent functions
the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern
Goal of the Sociological Theory
to explain social behavior in the real world *example SEEING OURSELVES--National Map 1-1 shows suicide rates across the US as they relate to population density (pg 14)
Social dysfunctions
undesirable consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society
Auguste Comte, Karl Marx
well-known political pioneers in sociology
