Chapter 1

Summarize sociologies major theoretical approaches

*Macro level: Structural functional approach explores how social structures work together to help society operate. Social conflict approach shows how inequality creates conflict and causes change. Two important types of conflict analysis are: gender conflict theory, and race conflict theory *Micro level: The symbolic interaction approach studies how people everyday construct reality.

Aguste Comete

1st sociologist coined the term "Sociology" Born out of the chaos of the french revolution Favored Positivism (use of science to understand and perhaps change the world) Advocated an organic view of society. "society is a living breathing organism whose parts work with each other" Ex: media, religion, healthcare etc" Institutions work with other institutions.

Theoretical approach

A basic image of society that guides thinking and research.

Macro level orientation

A broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole (structural functional & Social Conflict)

Micro level orientation

A close up focus on social interaction in specific situations (symbolic interaction)

Structural functional approach

A framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability (macro level) Society is a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability and solidarity.EX: Crisis in the american public schools = dispruption in the equilibrium. Stability formed through HARMONY.

Social conflict approach

A framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change (macro level). EX: how factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and age are linked to inequality in terms of money power education and social prestige. Stability is created by OPRESSION

Symbolic interaction approach

A framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions on individuals. Holds a large amount of MEANING to us. (MICRO) Speech and language is the most meaningful form of exchange. Language helps us change who we are.

Participant observation

A research method in which investigators systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities.

Positivism

A scientific approach to knowledge based on "positive' facts as opposed to mere speculation. (a positive approach to knowledge is based on SCIENCE.

Theory

A statement of how and why specific facts are related. Ex: durkheims theory that people with low social integration are more at risk of suicide.

Public issue

A trouble seen from a broader, societal perspective.

Social action:

Action that affects and is affected by others Ex: embarrassment is only possible because we care what people think

Social structure

Any relatively stable pattern of social behavior

Social dysfunction

Any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society. Ex. rising flow of immgrants.

Spurious coorelation

Apparant false relationship between variables that is caused by another variable

Who coined the term sociology?

Auguste Comete

Cause and effect

Change in one variable changes the other.

Reliability

Consistency in measurment

Benefits of the sociological perspective?

Critically assess "common sense" Helps us see the constraints and opportunities Active participant in our society Helps us live in a diverse world

Measurment

Determining the value of something

Knowing the difference between private troubles and public issues.

EX. 7 year old experiencing the acute experience of your parents going through a divorce is a private trouble.

Research methods

Experiments surveys Participant observation Use of existing data

Identify the importance of gender in sociological research

Gender can affect sociplogical research if a reseacher fails to avoid problems of androcentricity overgeneralizing gender blindness double standards or interference.

Empirical evidence

Information we can verify with our senses

What is the most meaningful medium of exchange

Language and speech

Concept

Mental construct that represents an aspect of the world in a simplified form

Low income countries

Nations with a low standard of living in which most people are poor.

Middle income countries

Nations with a standard way of living about average for the world as a whole.

High income countries.

Nations with the highest overall standards of living.

Private trouble

Personal, seen as only affecting you.

The three ways to do sociology

Positivist interpretive and critical

Describe sociologies three research orientation

Positivist sociology: logic of science -tries to establish cause and effect - Demands that researchers try to be objective - Is loosly linked to structural functional theory Interpretive Sociology: Focuses on meanings people attach to beahvior -people construct reality in their everyday lives -linked to symbolic interaction theory Critical sociology: Uses research to bring about social change. -Focuses on inequality -Rejects the principle of objectivity, claiming that all research is political -linked to social conflict theory

Link the origins of sociology to historical social changes

Rapid social change helped trigger the development of sociology: rise of the industrial economy Explosive growth of cities New political ideas Aguste Comete named the dicipline of society

Manifest Functions

Recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern EX: Manifest Function of college is to get a career.

Experiment

Research method for invetigating cause and effect in controlled situations

Identify the advantages of sociological thinking for developing public policy, for encouraging social growth, and for advancing in career.

Sociological perspective is used by government agencies when developing laws and regulations that guide how people in communities live and work Helps us understand the barriers and opportunities in our lives Is an advantage in many fields of work that involve working with people

Explain how the sociological perspective helps us understand that society shapes our individual lives

Sociological perspective reveals the power of society to shape individuals lives transforms personal troubles into public issues Being an outsider or experiencing a social crisis encourages the sociological perspective

Discuss the importance of ethics to sociological research

Sociologists must ensure that subjects in a research are not harmed and include in their published results all sources of financial support.

Sociological perspective

Sociology's special point of view that sees the GENERAL patterns of society in the lives of PARTICULAR people.

Operationalize a variable

Specifying exactly what is to be measured before assigning value.

Three major types of sociological theory

Structural-Functional approach Social conflict approach Symbolic-interaction approach

Feminism and Gender conflict theory

Study and support of social equality for women and men

Social Functions

The consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society as a whole

Interpretive sociology

The study of society that focuses on discvering the meanings people attach to their social world

Global perspective

The study of the larger world and our society's place in it.

Sociology

The systematic study of human society or social life. Seeing GENERAL in PARTICULAR Seeing the STRANGE in the FAMILIAR Seeing INDIVIDUALITY in SOCIAL CONTEXT Ex: there is a 90% chance that a person's religious views overlap with that of their parents. We aren't that individual we are the products of our surrounding community.

Latent functions

The unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern ex: latent function of college is to limit unemployment by keeping millions of people out of labor market where many of them might not easily find jobs.

Three stages of historical development of sociology

Theological: People took the religious view that society expressed god's will. Metaphysical: People came to see society as a natural rather than a supernatural phenomenon. Scientific: Applying the scientific approach to study society.

Aguste Comete's views on the historical development of society

Theological: religiously based Metaphysical: based on philosophy centered around the question of "human nature" Scientific: Analyzing the world through the application of science.

Coorelation

Two or more variables change together

State the several reasons that a global perspective is important in todays world

Where we live shapes the lives we lead. Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected. What happens to the rest of the world affects life here in the US Many of the problems we face here in the US are far worse in other places Thinking globally helps us learn more about oursleves.

stereotype

a simplified description applied to every person in some category.

hypothesis

a statement of possible relationshiip of variables

Independent variable

causes change

Dependent variable

changes

Value

concept that changes

Explain why a researcher might choose each of sociology's reasearch methods

experiment allows researchers to study cause and effect Survey interviews or questionnaires to gather responses participant observation join people in a social setting for an extended period of time. use data from existing sources to save time and money.

interpretive sociology

focuses on the meaning people attach to their social world

Critical sociology

focuses on the need for social change

stability is formed through (structural functional)

harmony

Validity

measuring exactly.

Stability is created by (social conflict)

oppression

objectivity

personal neutrality

gender

personal traits/ social positions that members of society attach to being female or male

Research method

plan for doing research

Positivist sociology

scientific observation of social behavior Using science to understand and perhaps change the world.

Race conflict theory

study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories.

survey

subjects respond to a series of questions