INTSOCI June 5, 2012 Review Sociology of Trash Lecture
DEFINITION A science involving the study of the social lives of people,, and societies. (American Sociological Society)
DEFINITION Sociology is the study of how society is organized and how we experience. (collective experience) (British Sociological Association)
FOCUS OF SOCIOLOGY (SCHAEFFER, 2011) Impacts of on people s attitude and behavior. Photo courtesy of http://www.openideo.com/open/impact/inspiration/social-network-analysis
WHAT IS SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION? An of the relationship between and individual and the wider society, both (Schaeffer, 2011).
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION It allows us to go beyond experiences and observation to understand broader issues.
Module 2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOLOGY Philosophers/religious authorities of ancient and medieval societies made observations of human behavior European theorists in 19 th century made pioneering contributions to development of the science of human behavior
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Auguste Comte (1798 1857) Systematic investigation of behavior needed to improve society Coined term sociology He was a positivist.
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Auguste Comte (1798 1857) 3 stages of society s quest for truth Theological Metaphysical Positivist ( theory, practice and human understanding) Quantitative statistical analysis
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Auguste Comte (1798 1857) Altruism- calls for living for the sake of others Individuals have the obligation to serve and help others.
Harriet Martineau (1802 1876) Studied social behavior in Britain and U.S. Emphasized impact of economy, law, trade, health, and population on social problems - Social analysis needed to understand women's status. - Everyone is invited to her birthday on June 12.
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Herbert Spencer (1820 1903) Studied evolutionary change in society He coined the concept of survival of the fittest (natural selection in Darwin s evolution).
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Émile Durkheim (1858 1917) Behavior must be understood within larger social context Father of Sociology How modern society maintain social cohesion He differentiated sociology from psychology and political philosophy He did a study on suicide. He said that suicide can be affected by other social facts.
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Max Weber (1864 1920) To comprehend behavior, one must learn subjective meaning people attach to actions. Non-positivist, social actions or behaviors must understood in terms of the meanings and purposes attached in them. Verstehen: understanding; insight Not the process but the meanings
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Karl Marx (1818 1883) Society divided between two classes that clash in pursuit of interests Emphasized group identification and associations that influence one s place in society Working class should overthrow existing class system
Module 2 EARLY THINKERS Karl Marx (1818 1883) Development of society instigates dialectic of class struggle. -Capitalism alienates and exploits the working class.
Module 2 MODERN DEVELOPMENTS W. E. B. Du Bois (1868 1963) Black sociologist assisted struggle for racially egalitarian or free society Knowledge essential in combating prejudice Co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People First black American to earn a doctorate degree from Harvard University
Module 2 TWENTIETH-CENTURY DEVELOPMENTS Charles Horton Cooley (1864 1929) Used sociological perspective to examine face-to-face groups (organizations) The looking-glass (an individual s self identity construction based on how others view the individual. A self-idea of this sort seems to have three principal elements: the imagination of our appearance to the other person; the imagination of his judgment of that appearance, and some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification.
Jane Addams (1860 1935) Combined intellectual inquiry, social service work, and political activism Co-founded Hull House First American woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize
Jane Addams (1860 1935) Ethical principles in social settlement Teaching by example, pursuit and practice of social democracy, and to practice cooperation
Module 2 MODERN DEVELOPMENTS Robert Merton (1910 2003) Combined theory and research Proponent of the manifest and latent functions Developed explanation of deviant behavior
Module 2 MODERN DEVELOPMENTS Pierre Bourdieu (1930 2002) Capital sustains individuals and families from one generation to the next
Module 3 MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Functionalist perspective Conflict perspective Interactionist perspective
INSTITUTIONS- are social structures or mechanism that promote social order and cooperation influencing group behavior.
Module 3 FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE Emphasizes the way parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability Talcott Parsons (1902 1972) Viewed society as vast network of connected parts Each helps maintain the system as a whole
Module 3 FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE Manifest functions: Institutions are open, stated, conscious functions that involve intended and recognized consequences of an aspect of society Latent functions: Unconscious or unintended functions that may reflect hidden purposes of an institution Dysfunctions: Elements or processes of society that may disrupt a social system or reduce its stability
Module 3 CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE Assumes social behavior best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups The Marxist view: Conflict is part of everyday life in all societies Conflict theorists interested in how institutions may help maintain privileges of some groups and keep others subservient
Module 3 CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE The Feminist view Sees inequality in gender as central to all behavior and organization Often allied with conflict theory Proponents tend to focus on macro level Broadened social behavior by extending analysis beyond male point of view
Module 3 INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE Generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction to explain society as a whole Humans viewed as living in a world of meaningful objects
Module 3 INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE Tattoos Dress codes Rituals Material Culture
Module 3 INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE George Herbert Mead (1863 1931) Regarded as founder of interactionist perspective Gestures and social objects have rich meanings more than the physical. Interaction between actor and the world A view of both the actor and the world Actor s ability to interpret the social world
Module 3 INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE Erving Goffman (1922-1982) People behave as if they are in theater. (Drama) Attempt of an individual to mask his/her real persona and instead control other people s impression on him/her by changing his setting, appearance, and manner.
Module 3 THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH Sociologists need to gain broadest understanding of society by drawing on all major perspectives, noting where they overlap or diverge. Each perspective offers unique insights into the same issue Researcher s work always guided by his or her theoretical viewpoint.
Module 3 RESEARCH TODAY Looking at Education from Three Perspectives Have you experienced or witnessed discrimination in education based on gender or race? If so, how did you react? Which perspective do you think is most useful in looking at the sociology of education?