SOCIOLOGY

What is Sociology?
 Sociology
Origins
Sociology is the study These people love behavioral sciences.

of people’s behavior in
groups.
Word Origins = Latin,
socio = people together
and logos = the study of
Newer social science –
began in the 1800s
Groups
Why do people live in
groups?
What are some benefits
to living in groups?
No individual in our
society can supply all
the things he or she
needs or wants.
No one wants to live alone.
Throughout history,
people have relied on
groups for survival.
Types of Groups
 Primary Groups:
 Groups of people that have
very close relationships
over a long period of time.
 Emotionally involved with
one another.
 Loyalty, love,
belongingness.
 Give confidence and
strength to deal with the
outside world.
 Can you think of some examples of
primary groups?
 Examples: Families, Close
Friends, Religious Groups
Types of Groups
Secondary Groups
Groups that are large,
and less loving than
primary groups.
 Groups of people who need
to complete a job are
generally secondary groups.
 Can you think of some examples of
secondary groups?
 Coworkers, Sports Teams, Client
Relationships, Classmates
 Note: Some groups can start as
secondary and become primary.
 Example – You meet your best friend This football player might
at school. not care what team he’s
on, just as long as he
can be a part of a
secondary group.
Socialization
Socialization teaches us roles.
What is a role?
Role = a kind of behavior a person is supposed to
have in a particular group or society.
Example: What do you expect from someone who
is performing the role of a doctor?
How do you feel if a person doesn’t play their
role?
Socialization
You play many roles in life, and change roles as you
change groups.
Why do people perform roles?
Role performance is encouraged by sanctions.
Sanctions = reward or punishment that is used by a
society to encourage its members to obey social rules.
Sanctions
 Positive Sanctions = rewards for obeying social rules.
 What are some examples of positive sanctions?
 Money
 Gifts
 Honor Roll
 Raise
 Promotion
 Good Grades
 Knowledge
 Allowance
 Trophy
 Scholarship
 Prestige
 Power

Is that a fur coat?

Sanctions
 Negative Sanctions = punishment for violation of a social rule.
 What are some examples of negative sanctions?
 Fine
 Grounded
 Bad Grade
 Fired from job
 Deduction in pay
 Prison Sentence
 Detention
 Suspension
 Repeat a grade/Retention
 Expulsion from school
 Criminal Record
 Scorn
 Time Out Old School Punishment
Other Role Issues
Role Conflict = you are expected to act in a certain
way by one person or group and in a totally different
way in another.
Example: Way you act with friends, vs. way you act
around teachers, vs. way you act with your
grandparents.
Other Role Issues
Role Confusion =
situation where an
individual has trouble
determining which role
he or she should play.
Example = Your mom
is also your math
teacher.
Other Role Issues
Role Overload = the experience of lacking the
resources, including time and energy, needed to meet
the demands of all roles.
Example = You must study for 3 tests, attend track
practice, write 4 papers, play at your soccer game, and
babysit your brother tonight; you also have the flu.
Other Role Issues
Role Overlap = roles
that require similar sets
of behaviors.
Example: brother and
cousin, teammate and
friend, child and
grandchild.

 These teammates are also friends.

Roles
What are some roles that you play? Use the role
diagram on your paper to show the roles you play.
Now look at the roles. Which roles overlap? Do any
roles conflict? Have you experienced role overload or
role confusion?

Mmmm…. Rolls.
Social Rules of Society
Social rules are called “norms.”
There are three types of norms:
Folkways
Mores
Laws
Social Rules of Society
 Folkways = norms of
politeness or customs.
 Examples = eating
properly or addressing a
person by the right title.
 Other examples might
include saying please or
thank you, or walking in
the hallways at school.
If you consistently break
these rules, you will have
fewer friends, and your
family, school, team, etc.
might punish you.
You are not considered
evil if you break a
folkway.
Social Rules of Society
Mores = much more serious social rules than
folkways.
If you break a more, you are punished severely or
taken out of society.
Examples: Stealing or Killing
You are considered “bad” or immoral for breaking these
rules.
Social Rules of Society
Laws are norms enforced by the government of a
society.
Laws are formal rules used to protect people from each
other and outsiders.
Laws may or may not be mores.
Examples: Range from getting a parking ticket to
murder.
Ben Franklin Global Industries
Make sure to check out the websites below to learn
more about global norms before tomorrow’s
competition.