chp 1 nature of sociology

8/10/2019 Chp 1 Nature of Sociology

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SOCIOLOGYChapter 1

THE NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY


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Overview

What is Sociology?

Applying the sociological perspective

Benefits of the sociological perspective

Sociology and the social sciences

Sociological theory

The origins of sociology

Three important paradigms in sociology


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What is Sociology

The systematic study of social behavior andhuman groups.

Seeing the general in particular.

Seeing the strange in familiar.


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What is Sociology

Sociologyis the study of human socialbehavior and its origins, development,

organizations, and institutions.

It is a social science which uses various methods

of empirical investigation and critical analysis to

develop a body of knowledge about human

social actions, social structure and functions.


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What is Sociology

The 5 traditional focuses of sociology include -

Social Stratification

Social Class

Social Mobility

Religion & Secularization

Law & Deviance


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What is Sociology

In the interplay between social structure and the

individual, sociology has expanded its focus to

further subjects, such as health, medical,

militaryandpenal institutions, the Internet,environmental sociology, political economyandthe role of social activity in the developmentof scientific knowledge.


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Applying the Sociological Perspective

Sociology & Social Marginality -people as outsiders or minority. A

group of people who are defined

on the basis of their ethnicity orrace.

Because of their distinct physicalor cultural characteristics, theyare singled out for unequal

treatment within a society.


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Social Marginality Examples

"Girrafe Women" of North Thailand

Yanomami Tribe of Brazil

India's "Untouchtables"


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Applying the Sociological Perspective

Sociology & Social Crisis - social change oralteration in social structures or culture over time -can foster sociological thinking and discourse insocieties. But it can sometimes lead to social

unhappiness or conflict within differentcommunities.


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The Sociological Perspective helps us assess the truthof common sense.

The Sociological Perspective helps us assess both

opportunities and constraints in our lives.

Benefits of theSociological Perspective


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The Sociological Perspective empowers us to beactive participants in society.

The Sociological Perspective helps us live in a diverse

& multi-faceted world.

Benefits of theSociological Perspective


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A Sociological Theory is a statementof howand why specific facts are related.

A Theoretical Paradigm is a basic image ofsociety that guides thinking and research.


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The Origins of Sociology

Social Change andSociologyA new IndustrialEconomy

The Growth ofCities

Political Change

A New Awarenessof Society


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The Origins of Sociology

Many of todays sociological studies draw upon theworks of these four 19thcentury thinkers:

Emile Durkheim(18581917)

George H Meade(18631931)

Karl Marx(18181883)

Max Weber(18641920)
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5qjB9t9EMEYAZAeJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjdmNoOTVjBHBvcwMyBHNlYwNzcg--/SIG=1eqs6mr60/EXP=1155614785/**http:/images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=karl+marx&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-img-t-t410&x=wrt&w=480&h=563&imgurl=virtual.parkland.edu/jdmeyer/marx.75km3.jpg&rurl=http://virtual.parkland.edu/jdmeyer/soc204.14x.htm&size=35.4kB&name=marx.75km3.jpg&p=karl+marx&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=32,450&ei=UTF-8http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5mmf9t9EWgYBZ_aJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjdmNoOTVjBHBvcwMyBHNlYwNzcg--/SIG=1e428f8ck/EXP=1155614751/**http:/images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=max+weber&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-img-t-t410&x=wrt&w=280&h=390&imgurl=www.mohr.de/mw/img/max_weber.jpg&rurl=http://www.mohr.de/mw/mwgout_esp.htm&size=34.9kB&name=max_weber.jpg&p=max+weber&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=10,122&ei=UTF-8http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5x9R9t9Ev8IAicCJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHZkMjZyBHBvcwMxBHNlYwNzcg--/SIG=1fa94m1n5/EXP=1155614673/**http:/images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=emile+durkheim&fr=FP-tab-img-t-t410&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8&w=194&h=242&imgurl=mper.chez.tiscali.fr/images/Durkheim.gif&rurl=http://mper.chez.tiscali.fr/auteurs/Durkheim.html&size=20.1kB&name=Durkheim.gif&p=emile+durkheim&type=gif&no=1&tt=597&ei=UTF-8


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He developed a new methodology, which focuses onsocial facts, or elements of collective lifethat existindependently of and are able to exert an influence onthe individual.

He analyzes different social institutions and the rolesthey play in society, and his work is often associatedwith the theoretical framework of StructuralFunctionalism.

Durkheim is well known as the author of On theDivision of Social Labor, The Rules of SociologicalMethod, and Suicide.

Emile Durkheim


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Karl Marx was a revolutionary activist, a prolific writerand Marxism's key ideologue. Trained as a philosopher,self-educated as a political economist, and an organizerof the International Workingmen's Association, Marx

became interested in social change during his universitystudies.

He formulated his theories with the intention to liberatewage workers or laborers from the capitalist societies of

19th century Europe. He maintained that in order to freehumanity from economic domination, a social revolutionwas needed.

Karl Marx


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The envisioned result would transform the existingeconomic structures, and create a society in whichproperty, particularly the means of productionwould no longer be held privately.

Marx's analysis of history saw human developmentas occurring due to a series of class struggles againstthe ruling class, those who possess the means ofproduction.

To Marx, feudal lords, land owners and capitalistswere pitted against the ruled working class.

Karl Marx


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The Communist Manifesto: "The history of all

existing society is the history of class struggle.

Marx predicted the demise of capitalism through a

workers' revolution that would lead to a utopianclassless society" where, according to Marx,

people work according to their ability and get

according to their needs.

His work is often associated with the theoretical

framework of Social Conflict.

Karl Marx


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Maximilian Webera German political economist andsociologist is considered one of the founders of the

modern study of sociology and public administration.

Weber was a key proponent for the study of socialaction through interpretive (rather than

purely empiricist) means, based on understanding the

purpose and meaning that individuals attach to their

own actions.His work is often associated with the theoretical

framework of Symbolic Interaction.

Max Weber


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Weber argued that religion was one of the primaryreasons for the different ways the cultures of the

West and the East have developed.

His major works deal with the sociology ofreligionand government but he also wrote much inthe field of economics. His most recognized work is

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,

which began his work in the sociology of religion.

Max Weber


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Weber stated that the modern world was devoid of

Gods, because we had chased them away, and he

feared that loss of religious ideals and commitment

had endangered human society, causing it tobecome a prison in which humankind would be

trapped in a soulless existence (Abandonment of

God).

Max Weber


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George Herbert Mead

George Herbert Mead is a major figure in the history

of American philosophy, one of the founders of

Pragmatism.

He published numerous papers during his lifetime and,following his death, his students produced four books

in his name from Meads unpublished (and even

unfinished) notes and manuscripts, from students

notes, and from stenographic records of some of hiscourses at the University of Chicago.


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George Herbert Mead

Through his teaching, writing, and posthumous

publications, Mead has exercised a significant

influence in 20th century social theory, among

both philosophers and social scientists. In particular, Meads theory of the emergence of

mind and self, out of the social process of

significant communication, has become the

foundation of the symbolic interactionist school ofsociology and social psychology.


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Three Important Paradigmsin Sociology

The Social Conflict paradigm

- The social conflict paradigm is a framework for

building theory that sees society as an arena ofinequality that generates conflict and change.

- Social arrangements benefit some groups at the

expense of others.- The conflict between the Bourgeoisie, Proletariat &

Middle Class.


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The Structural-Functional paradigm views societyas having institutions and social facts/laws.

- The structural-functional paradigm is a frameworkfor building theory that sees society as a complex

system whose parts work together to promote

solidarity and stability.

- This stability is threatened by dysfunctional acts

and institutions.


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The Symbolic-Interactionparadigm

- The symbolic-interaction paradigm is a framework

for building theory that sees society as theproduct of everyday interactions of individuals.

- The way people defined a situation becomes the

foundation of how they behaved.- From action, springs meaning but meanings are

interpreted differently and can change over time.


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Lets Watch Videos on the3 Important Paradigms of Sociology

Structural-Functionalism

Conflict Theory

Symbolic-Interactionism


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Group Assignment 1In groups of sixes, discuss the researchfindings/theories of the three sociologistsnamely Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and KarlMarx.

Do your own research from secondary sources ontheir lives, work and achievements.

Describe your research in point form (12pages) how their research/theories relate to thethree paradigms in sociology.

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chp 1 nature of sociology

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