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| the social science that studies human society and social behavior |
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| the disciplines that study human social behavior or institutions and functions of human society in a scientific manner |
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| how people relate to one another and influence each other's behavior |
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observable facts or events that involve human society
sociologists examine this to focus on a group rather than an individual |
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involves looking at social life in a scientific systematic way
look beyond commonly held beliefs to the hidden meanings behind human actions
- helps you see that all people are social beings
- tells you that your behavior is incluenced by social factors and that you have learned your behavior from others
- broaden view of social world
- viewing world from others eyes
- find an acceptable balance between your personal desires and the demands of your social environment
- sociological imagination |
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the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote topics to the most intimate features of the human self and to see the relations between the two
- can help you view your own life within a larger social and historical context
- can give you insights into how your social environment shapes you and how you, in turn, can shape your social environment
-- ability to see connection between larger world and personal life |
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the comparative study of past and present cultures
similar to sociology
more based on examining past and present simple cultures (traditionally) but now looking at advanced
sociology more based on group behavior in complex, more advanced societies |
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social science that deals with the behavior and thinking of organisms
focuses primarily on individual behavior |
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| the study of how social environment affects an individuals behavior and personality |
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the study of the choices people make in in an effort to satisfy their need sand wants
examine the processes by which goods an services are produced, distributed, and consumed
examine the effects of government policies on economic growth and stability |
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| the examination of the organization and operation of governments |
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France
- founder of sociology as a distinct subject, coined the word
- social order and social change
held together by social statics
changes through social dynamics
- use scientific research methods to uncover and reform society |
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England
- influenced by Darwin
- adopted a biological model of society -> interdependent parts working together to maintain the system
- social change and unrest natural occurrences during society's evolution toward stability and perfection
- best aspects of society will survive over time, no steps should be taken to correct social ills
- social darwinism - survival of the fittest societies |
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Prussia/Germany
- structure of a society is influenced by how its economy is organized
- divided into 2 classes: bourgeoisie (capitalists) and the proletariat (workers)
- imbalance in power would lead to conflict between capitalists and workers, must create a classless society
- conflict theory - primary cause of social change is conflict
- conflict perspective |
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France
- developed first university sociology course
- first to systematically apply the methods of science to the study of society
- called Spencer's interdependent parts "functions"
shared values and beliefs, like religion, are functions that hold society together and maintain social order
- we should only study features of society that are directly observable |
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Prussia
- interested in separate groups within society rather than society as a whole
- the effect of society on the individual
- study beyond what can be directly observed (thoughts and feelings of individuals)
- verstehen, attempt to understand the meanings individuals attach to their actions
- ideal type, a description comprised of the essential characteristics of a feature of society
- interactionist perspective |
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| explanation of the relationships among particular phenomena |
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school of thought
a general set of assumptions about the nature of things
sociology: outlines specific ideas aout the nature of social life |
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| 3 broad theoretical perspectives to form the basis of modern sociology |
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functionalist perspective
conflict perspective
interactionist perspective |
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| functionalist perspective |
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broadly based on the ideas of comte, spencer, and durkheim
- view society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system
- society is held together through consensus, most people agree on what is best for society and work together to run smoothly
- dysfunction - negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system (crime)
- manifest function - intended and recognized consequence of some element in society (ex. automobiles - transportation)
- latent function - unintended and unrecognized consequence of an element in society (ex. automobiles - wealth)
topics of interest: functions that family or education serve in society |
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- focus on the forces in society that promote competition, change, and power
- competition over scare resources
- how those with more power exercise control over those with less power
- conflict results in social change, inevitably |
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| interactionist perspective |
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- focus on how individuals interact with one another in society
- meanings that individuals attach ro their own actions and to the actions of others - verstehen - max weber
- symbol - anything that represents something else
- symbolic interaction - how people use symbols when interacting |
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all the shared products of human groups
basics: technology, symbols, language, values, and norms |
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the physical objects that people create and use
ex. automobiles, books, buildings, clothing, computers, utensils |
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abstract human creations
beliefs, family patterns, ideas, language, political and economic systems, rules, skills, and work practices |
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group of interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity
(society is the people, and the culture is what the people create) |
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objects and rules along with them
(tools and the knowledge of how to use them) |
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the use of symbols is the very basis of human culture
create our culture and communicate it to group members and future generations |
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anything that represents something else
(word, gesture, image, sound, physical object, event, or element of the natural world as long as people recognize that it carries a particular meaning)
in US - church service, a class ring, the world hello, the lincoln memorial, and a handshake |
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| organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system |
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| shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable |
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shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations
- expectations for behavior
(ex. norms concerning financial responsibility but some people dont pay their bills)
- varies from cover your mouth when you yawn to dont kill someone
- applied selectively
- folkways and mores |
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norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance attached to them
(ex. get to class on time, dont put food in your mouth with a knife, shake hands when meeting someone)
- nonconformity does not endanger the well-being or stability of society |
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great moral significance attached
- violation endangers well-being and stability of society
(ex. dishonest, fraud, murder) |
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- written rules of conduct enacted and enforced by the government
often times enforce mores essential to stability, such as against murder, rape, theft.
sometimes less severe folkways, do not park in handicapped parking spaces |
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1. trait
2. complex
3. pattern
all makes culture |
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an individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need
ex. using knives, forks, and spoons when eating
specific greeting |
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a cluster of interrelated traits
ex. football is a complex (under the pattern of American athletic program, has traits such as a football, pads, kicking, passing, marketing) |
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the combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole
ex. agriculture, education, family life, religion
patterns form important components of a society's culture |
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features common to all cultures
george murdock found more than 65 cultural universals including body adornment, cooking, dancing, family, feasting, forms of greeting, religion, sports, tool making, music, myths, medicine |
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| Margaret Mead's study on cultural variation |
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arapesh - contented, gental, nonaggressive, trusting, warm people, super fun time
mundugumor - aggressive, competitive, jealous, violent, not a fun time |
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tendency to view one's own culture and group as superior
helps build unity, but sometimes cultures can stagnate and its a negative thing |
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| cultures should be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture |
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group in society that shares values, norms, and behaviors that are not shared by the entire population
recognize age, gener, ethnic, religious, political, geographic, social-class, and occupational subcultures
most do not present a threat to society |
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| a group rejects the major values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces with a new set of cultural patterns |
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