chapter 1 the sociological perspective. seeing the broader social context how groups influence...

Chapter 1

The Sociological Perspective

Seeing the Broader Social Context

• How Groups Influence People

• How People are Influenced by Their Society– People Who Share a Culture– People Who Share a Territory

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Location - Corners in Life

• Jobs

• Income

• Education

• Gender

• Age

• Race/Ethnicity


C. Wright Mills - History and Biography

• History - Location in Broad Stream of Events

• Biography - Individual’s Specific Experiences

• External influences—our experiences—become part of our thinking and motivation


The Global Context and the Local

• The Global Village

• Instant Communication– Pick up a telephone or use the Internet to

communicate instantly with people anywhere

• Sociology Studies both the Global Network and Our Unique Experiences


Sociology and the Other Sciences

• The Natural Sciences– Explain and Predict Events in Natural

Environment

• The Social Sciences – Examine Human Relationships– Divided into specialized fields based on their

subject matter



• Anthropology– Studies Culture

• Economics– Studies the Production and Distribution of

Goods and Services

• Political Science– Studies How People Govern Themselves



• Psychology– The Study of Processes Within Individuals

• Sociology– Similarities to Other Disciplines

• Sociologists focus primarily on industrialized & postindustrialized societies


The Goal of Science

• Explain Why Something Happens

• Make Generalizations

• Look for Patterns

• Predict What will Happen

• Move Beyond Common Sense


Risks of Sociology

• Nooks and Crannies People Prefer Hidden

• People Attempt to Keep Secrets

• People Feel Threatened by Information

• They peer behind the scenes to get past those sugar-coated images


Origins of Sociology

• Tradition vs. Science– The Industrial Revolution

• Masses of people moved to cities in search of work

– Grew Out of Social Upheaval– Imperialism of the Time– Rise of the Scientific Method


Auguste Comte and Positivism

• Applying the Scientific Method to Social World

• Comte began to wonder what holds society together

• Coined the Term “Sociology”

• “Armchair Philosophy”


Herbert Spencer - Social Darwinism

• Second Founder of Sociology

• Disagreed sharply with Comte’s idea that sociologists should guide social reform

• Lower and Higher Forms of Society

• Coined Phrase “Survival of the Fittest”

• Spencer’s idea that it was wrong to help the poor offended many


Karl Marx and Class Conflict

• Engine of Human History is Class Conflict

• The Bourgeoisie vs. The Proletariat

• Marxism Not the Same as Communism

• Marx thought that people should try to change society

• Marx did not think of himself as a sociologist


Durkheim and Social Integration

• Got Sociology Recognized as Separate Discipline

• Studied How Social Forces Affect Behavior

• Identified “Social Integration” - Degree to Which People are Tied to Social Group

• Applying Durkheim


Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic

• Religion and the Origin of Capitalism– Disagreed with Marx’s claim that economics is

the central force in social change– Said that role belongs to religion

• Religion is Central Force in Social Change

• Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism


Values in Sociological Research

• Sociology Should be Value-Free

• Sociology Should be Objective

• Research Should Involve Replication

• Goals and Uses of Sociology

• That bias has no place in research is not a matter of debate


Verstehen and Social Facts

• Weber– Verstehen - “To Grasp by Insight”– Importance of Subjective Meanings

• Durkheim– Stressed Social Facts– Explain Social Facts with Other Social Facts

• How Social Fact & Verstehen Fit Together


Sociology in North America

• First Took Root in 1890 at University of Kansas

• Spread Rapidly in Next 20 Years

• Not at Harvard until 1930

• American Journal of Sociology 1895


Sexism in Early Sociology

• Attitudes of the Time– 1800s Sex Roles Rigidly Defined– Few People Educated Beyond Basics

• Harriet Martineau– Published Society in America Before

Durkheim and Weber Were Born– Her work was Ignored


Racism at the Time: W.E.B Du Bois

• B.A. from Fisk University

• First Harvard Ph.D. for African American

• It is difficult to grasp how racist society was at this time

• Published a Book Each Year from 1896-1914

• Neglected by Sociologist Until Recently


Jane Addams: Sociologist and Social Reformer

• Member of American Sociological Society from Start

• Came from Background of Wealth and Privilege

• Co-Founded Hull House

• Co-Founded American Civil Liberties Union


Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills

• Many early North American sociologists saw society as corrupt & in need of reform

• Parsons Developed Objective Analysis and Models of Society

• Mills Deplored Theoretical Abstractions in Favor of Social Reform

• Continuing Tension in Sociology


Theoretical Perspectives

• Basic Sociology

• Symbolic Interactionism– How People Use Symbols in Everyday Life– Applying Symbolic Interactionism

• Changing meaning of symbols affects expectations

• Public Sociology

• Social Reform is risky


Applying Symbolic Interactionism - Examples

• The Meaning of Marriage

• The Meaning of Divorce

• The Meaning of Parenthood

• The Meaning of Love

• In Sum– Symbolic interactionists look at how changing

ideas put pressure on married couples


Functional Analysis

• Society is a Whole Unit Made Up of Interrelated Parts that Work Together

• Functionalism, Structural Functionalism

• Robert Merton and Functionalism– Functions

• Manifest• Latent


Functional Analysis

– Dysfunctions

• Applying Functional Analysis– Economic Teams– Education of Children– Teaching of Religion


Functional Analysis

– Care of the Sick and Elderly– A Glimpse of the Past - 1800s– Changes in the Functions of…

• Family• Friends


Conflict Theory

• Karl Marx and Conflict Theory

• Conflict Theory Today

• Feminists and Conflict Theory

• Applying Conflict Theory

• Functionalists and Conflict Theorists - Macro Level

• Symbolic Interactionists - Micro Level


Trends Shaping the Future

• Sociology Full Circle: Reform vs. Research– Three Stages in Sociology– Diversity of Orientations

• Globalization– Application of Globalization


chapter 1 the sociological perspective. seeing the broader social context how groups influence...

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