Presentation on theme: "1 Chapter Understanding Sociology. 1 Chapter Understanding Sociology."— Presentation transcript:1 Show
2 1 Chapter Understanding
Sociology 3 What is Sociology? Sociology as a Field of Study: Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior and human groups. It focuses primarily on the influence of social relationships on people's attitudes and behavior and on how societies are established and change. [e.g., Tattoo, piercing] 4
5 The Sociological Imagination: In attempting to understand social behavior, sociologists rely on an unusual type of creative thinking. C. Wright Mills described such thinking as the sociological imagination—an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society. A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one’s own society as an outsider would, rather than from the limited perspective of personal experiences and cultural biases.
[e.g., Eating while walking, USA vs. Japan] 6 Sociology as a Science: The term science refers to the body of
knowledge obtained by methods based upon systematic observation. Just like other scientific disciplines, sociology engages in organized, systematic study of phenomena (e.g., human behavior) in order to enhance understanding. In contrast to other social sciences, sociology emphasizes the influence that society has on people's attitudes and behavior and examines the ways in which people shape society. [e.g., Gun use]
7 What is Sociological Theory? 8 The
Development of Sociology 9
Early Thinkers: Comte, Martineau, and Spencer: Auguste Comte (孔德) coined the term sociology to apply to the science of human behavior. He believed that a theoretical science of society and a systematic investigation of behavior were needed to improve society. Harriet Martineau (1820–1876) offered insightful observations of the customs and social practices of both her native Britain and the United States. Herbert Spencer (1820–1903) adapted Charles Darwin's evolutionary view of the
"survival of the fittest" by arguing that it is "natural" that some people are rich while others are poor.
10 Émile
Durkheim: Émile Durkheim was appointed as one of the first professors of sociology in France. Above all, Durkheim will be remembered for his insistence that behavior must be understood within a larger social context, not just in individualistic terms. Durkheim concluded that, like other forms of group behavior, religion reinforces a group's solidarity. Another of Durkheim's main interests was the consequences of work in modern societies. Anomie (脫序) refers to the loss of direction
that a society feels when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.
11
Max Weber: Max Weber (1864–1920), a German sociologist, told his students that they should employ Verstehen, the German word for “understanding” or “insight,” in their intellectual work. To fully comprehend behavior, we must learn the subjective meanings people attach to their actions—how they themselves view and explain their behavior. We also owe credit to Weber for the key conceptual tool of the ideal type. In his own works, Weber identified various characteristics of bureaucracy as an
ideal type. (Ch.5) 12
Karl Marx: According to the analysis of Karl Marx (1818–1883), society was fundamentally divided between classes that clash in pursuit of their own class interests. When Marx examined the industrial societies of his time, he saw the factory as the center of conflict between the exploiters (the owners of the means of production) and the exploited (the workers). In The Communist Manifesto, which first appeared in 1848, Marx and Friedrich Engels (1820–1895) argued that factory workers (whom
they referred to as proletariat) should unite to fight for the overthrow of capitalist societies. 13 Charles Horton Cooley: Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929) preferred to use the sociological perspective to look first at smaller units—intimate, face-to-face groups such as families, gangs, and friendship networks. He saw these groups as the seedbeds of society in the sense that they shape people's ideals,
beliefs, values, and social nature. Cooley's work increased our understanding of groups of relatively small size.
14 Macrosociology:concentrates on large-scale
phenomena or entire civilizations. Émile Durkheim’s cross-cultural study of suicide is an example of macro-level research. Microsociology: stress study of small groups and often uses experimental study in laboratories. How a teacher’s expectation can affect students academic performance can be regarded as a micro-level study.
15 Major theoretical perspectives
16 Manifest function of institutions are open, stated, conscious functions.
17 A dysfunction refers to an element or a process of society that may actually disrupt a social system or lead to a
decrease in stability. But we should not automatically interpret dysfunctions as negative. [e.g., inmates’ gangs vs. prison operations]
18 Conflict Perspective: In contrast to functionalists’ emphasis on
stability and consensus, conflict sociologists see the social world in continual struggle. The conflict perspective assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups. Expanding on Marx’s work, conflict theorists are interested in how society’s institutions, including the family, government, religion, education, and the media, may help to maintain the privileges of some groups and keep others in a subservient position. One important
contribution of conflict theory is that it has encouraged sociologists to view society through the eyes of those segments of the population who rarely influence decision making, such as Blacks and women.
19 Racial View : One important contribution of conflict theory is that
it has encouraged sociologists to view society through the eyes of those segments of the population that rarely influence decision making. Early Black sociologists such as W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963) (first Black doctorate from Harvard) conducted research that they hoped would assist the struggle for a racially egalitarian society. The Feminist View: Like other conflict theorists, feminist scholars see gender differences as a reflection of the subjugation of one group (women) by
another group (men). [research on female crime showed that nearly all women in prison had suffered physical and/or sexual abuse when they were young, half had been raped (Chesney-Lind and Rodrguez, 1993)]
20 Interactionist Perspective: The
interactionist perspective generalizes about fundamental or everyday forms of social interaction in order to understand society as a whole. It is a sociological framework for viewing human beings as living in a world of meaningful objects. The “objects” may include material things, actions, other people, relationships, and even symbols. George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) is widely regarded as the founder of the interactionist perspective.
21 The interactionist perspective is sometimes referred to as the symbolic interactionist perspective, because interactionists see symbols as an especially important
part of human communication. [e.g., portray suicide using gestures: shooting (USA), stabbing (Japan), hanging (New Guinea)] Nonverbal communication can include many other gestures, facial expressions, and postures. 22 Sociology makes use of all three perspectives since each offers unique insights into the same issue. [e.g. studying the tattoo culture in the U.S., the tattoo’s use as a symbol of hip social status (functionalist); the tension between a parent and a child who decides to get tattooed and the disapproval an employer might show toward a tattooed employee (conflict); the actual process of getting tattooed, including the negotiations
between the tattoo artist and the tattooee (interactionist)]
23 Applied and Clinical Sociology:
Applied sociology is the use of the discipline with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations. Often, the goal of such work is to assist in resolving a social problem. The growing popularity of applied sociology has led to the rise of the specialty of clinical sociology, which is dedicated to altering social relationships [as in family therapy] or to restructuring social institutions [as in the reorganization of a medical center]. Applied and
clinical sociology can be contrasted with basic (or pure) sociology, which seeks a more profound knowledge of the fundamental aspects of social phenomena. 24 Comparing Major Theoretical Approaches (I)
25 Comparing Major Theoretical Approaches (II) Which sociological theory views society as a living organism?In the functionalist perspective, societies are thought to function like organisms, with various social institutions working together like organs to maintain and reproduce them. The various parts of society are assumed to work together naturally and automatically to maintain overall social equilibrium.
Which sociological perspective emphasizes the way in which the parts of society are structured to maintain its stability?he functionalist perspective emphasizes the way in which parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.
Which sociological perspective would view society as a whole puzzle made up of pieces that fit together quizlet?The conflict perspective emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.
Which sociological perspective would point out that shifts in cultural acceptance of certain behaviors are influenced by social and economic concerns?conflict perspective. All these answers are correct.
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