What Is Sociology?

The study of human behavior in

society.
A scientific way to think about society
and its influence on humans.
Includes the study of social behavior
and social change.
Examples of – social
structure – People
relationships.
Child to Parent
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Employee to Boss Second level
● Third level
Student to Teacher ● Fourth level

US and Canada ● Fifth level

US and Mexico
Husband and Wife
Social
Sciences
Anthropology is the study of human cultures
Economics studies the production, distribution
and consumption of goods and services.
Political Science is the study of politics.
Psychology analyzes human behavior.
Sociology
Urban Studies
Women's Studies
Social Work
The Sociological
Perspective
Ability to see societal patterns that
influence life.
C. Wright Mills wrote about sociological
perspective in The Sociological
Imagination.
Sociology can reveal how society
shapes our lives.
 Viewpoint
Sociological Psychological
• What are the race and sex of the • Is the mugger suffering from an
mugger and victim? emotional disorder?
• What is the social background of • Is he taking medication that might
the mugger? cause him to act aggressively?
• Are such crimes typical in that • Does the mugger suffer from antisocial
area of the city? personality disorder?
The Origins of Sociology

began during the Age of Enlightenment.

Four Factors
The Industrial Revolution
Villages replaced by mass productions
The French and American Revolution
Thoughts of new way of life instead of the old
The impact of Imperialism
Europeans encountering other cultures
Success of the natural sciences
Examine social changes with scientific method
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Henri de Second level
● Third level

Saint ● Fourth level

● Fifth level

Simon
French

1760-
1825
Sought to
make a
more
Auguste
Comte
1798-1857
French

Referred
to as the
Father of
Sociology
Was the personal secretary to Saint-Simon
Auguste Comte

His field of science using observation,

measurement and comparison was
first called “positive philosophy”.
Coined the term sociology
Believed sociology could discover laws
of human social behavior and help
solve society’s problems
Emile
Durkheim
1858-
1917

founding
father
known
for study
on
 Emile Durkheim

Showed that suicide is more than just individual

action: social factors underlie suicide.

Interested in how people integrate with the rest of

society and more particularly, how a lack of
integration within society resulted in “anomie”
(the feeling of not knowing the rules).

Advocated practical applications of social

research.
Herbert
Spencer

1820-
1903

Great
Britain
Herbert Spencer

Wrote – Principles of Sociology

Rejected the notion that sociology should be
used for social reform.
Societies evolved from simple to more
complex; the least capable and less
intelligent members of society die out
Concept termed “Social Darwinism” only
the strong survive and thus society is
improved.
Max
Weber
1864-1930

Considered
one of the
greatest
thinkers.
Made
Max Weber

Contended that religion, not class struggle,

was true motivation for rise in capitalism
Thought on the development and growth of
capitalism – Protestant Ethic and Spirit of
Capitalism –provided the basis for his
analysis of social stratification.
Study all aspects in a value free approach –
free from ones own biases
Verstehen and Social
Facts
Weber’s method of Durkheim stated that
study called sociology should study
Verstehen social facts
use sympathetic or
identifiable items which
interpretative method,
relate to the nature of a
empathy, to understand
social behavior social relationship

“grasp by insight” others’ Social conditions that

motivations influence people’s
behaviors.
Subjective approach
Objective approach
Karl
Marx
1818-1883

Conflict
Theorist
Marx
Focused on the class conflict occurring
within the society, and explained how
capitalism shaped society
Considered the economic organization of
society the most important influence on
what humans think and how they behave
Believed in the dialectic and supported
economic determinism
controlling group of capitalists who owned the
means of production
great mass of exploited workers forced to labor
under the capitalists
Profit is produced through the exploitation of the
working class.
Georg
Simmel
1858-1918

Believed that
sociologists should
focus on studying
people in small
groups and the
patterned
interactions
among people
Reasons for growth of Sociological
Studies in the USA
• Nation of creative thinkers: new country and new way of looking at
the world
• The perfect laboratory: country of great ethnic and racial diversity
• Universities were not isolated
• urban centers
• abound with subject matter
Sociology in America

University of Chicago (1892);

1st to offer PhD in sociology
By 1920 sociology was important academic discipline
The Chicago School - concerned with the
relationship of individual to society and
society as a human laboratory.
Interested in social problems – such as
ghettos, immigration, race relations and
urbanization.
American sociologists believed sociology
could help solve social problems.
Macro versus Micro

Macro level of analysis

a study of the city or the nation; the world
includes functionalist and conflict theorist.
Micro level of analysis
a study of the interactions between the coach
and the football team; the teacher and his
students
Symbolic interactionist approach.
Structural Functionalist

The common faith in basic values forms

the cement that holds society together.
Belief in basic values means that there
is a core of society that remains
consistent.
Thus change disrupts society. Change is
preferred to occur slowly – thus
allowing for adaptation
The Five Institutions
Family
Replace members
Religion
Helps us understand the spiritual real of society
Education
Transmitting skills - productivity
Government
Protects us from outside forces
Economy
Provides market place for the exchange of goods and services.

Destruction of one is destruction of the whole

Survival based on equilibrium
Conflict Theory
Is a Macro theory –encompasses the whole
of society
Society is like a sports arena- groups are
competing for resources
Change inevitable and desirable
Not concerned with interaction
Produces inequality – perpetuated by
unequal access to power
No agreement on basic values for society
The rich rule the poor
Symbolic Interactionism

Is concerned with the social act rather

than society as a whole
Micro level of viewing society
Society is based on the message and
individual interpretation of the
message.
Both verbal and nonverbal symbols
Symbolic Interactionism

Concerned with the relationships

between
The parent and the child
The teacher and the student
The boss and the employee
The coach and the team
Sociological Theory:
View of Society
Functionalism Objective; stable; cohesive

Conflict Theory Objective; hierarchical;

fragmented

Symbolic Interaction Subjective; perceived in the

minds of people
Sociological Theory:
Individual and Society
Functionalism Individuals occupy fixed
social roles

Conflict Theory Individuals subordinated

to society

Symbolic Individual and society are

Interaction interdependent
Sociological Theory:
Source of Social Change
Functionalism Disorganization and adjustment
to achieve equilibrium
Conflict Theory Struggle; competition

Symbolic Interaction Ever-changing web of

relationships and meaning of
things
Society is Full of Issues

Abortion If we understand the

Death Penalty three perspectives
Affirmative Action
for explaining society
(structural
Euthanasia functional, conflict,
Immigration and symbolic
Censorship interactionism), we
might begin to
Welfare
understand the
Drug abuse reason for
disagreement.
Is Your Glass
Half Full

Half Empty