 Study of human beings is a study of a lifetime

 Sociology
o Scientific study of human society, its origin, structure, function and direction
 Anthropology
o Human culture
o Physical and social characteristics that create culture
 History
o Anthropology
 Observed since birth of civilization
 Herodotus and tacitius
 Codified- 18th century
 Sociology
o Greeks
 Socius- companion
 Logos- study

Nature of sociology

- Social science not a physical science

- Categorical and not a normative discipline
o Body of knowledge about human society
- Pure science
- Generalizing and not particularizing or individualizing science
- General science not a special science
- Rational and empirical science

Nature of anthropology

- Study of humankind at all times and places

- Involves careful and systematic study of human kind
- Concerned with other culture’s languages, values and achievements
- Committed to experiencing other cultures

Focus of anthropology

- Overall culture of a group of people

- E.g. institutions, art, history

- Quantitative science
- Impartial and scientific in gathering data

SUMARRY
- both fields of social science that study behavior

- A dealt with study of cultures S- used to understand own society

 - A- look at the big picture of human culture, S- analyzing data
- A- softer science, S- conclusions based on hard data

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Sociology

- Systematic and scientific study of human social life

- Studies people as they form groups and interact
- Scientific study of human society its origin, structure, function and direction
- 19th century Europe
- Auguste comte
- Harriet Martineau, emile Durkheim

Auguste - Born after French revo

Comte - Positivismm
- Methods of physical science are accurate means of obtaining knowledge
- Founder of sociology
Harriet - Translated comte’s work
Martineau - Rights of women, emancipation of slaves
- Society in America
- Economy, law, trade could have social impact on contemporary society
- Intellectuals and scholars should not simply offer observation s but should act
Karl marx - German and exiled in England
- Sociologist’s task is to explain conflict
- Conflict is shaped by means of production
- Industrialization resulted in 2 classes: owners and laborers
Herbert - English
spencer - There is parallelism between how society evolves in the same manner as animal
species do
- “ darwin’s theory of evolution”
- Man as a member of society is in a never ending competition and the name of
the game is to win
Emile - Studied the disci;ine in school of higher learning thoroughly
Durkheim - Provided insights into the social forces that contributed to rise of global village
- 4 types of suicide- based on degrees of imbalance- social integration and moral
regulation
- Suicide is not an ordinary phenomenon
Max weber - How industrial revolution changed thoughts and action and how it brought
about a process- rationalization
- Rationalization- the way daily life is organized so a to accommodate large
groups of people
Albion - Founder of dept of sociology in Univ of chicago
small

3 theoretical perspectives
 Symbolic interactionism Micro ( small social patterns0 Use of symbols; face to face
interactions
Functionalism Macro Relationship between the parts
of society
Conflict theory Macro Competition for scarce
resources; how the elite control
the poor and weak

Symbolic interactionism

- Mead
- People attach meaning to symbols, then they act according to the subject interpretations
- Individual, social groups meaning to experience of life, we negotiate meaning
- Meanings can change or be modified through interaction and through time

Structure functionailism

- Structure and function

- Comte, spencer and Durkheim
- Society is stable, ordered system of interrelated part of structures.
- Structures- family, educ system, politics, religion, mass media systems and economy
- Meet the need of society performing different functions
- Dysfunction
o Disturbance or undesirable consequence of some aspect of the social system
o Harmony and stability
 Manifest
 Obvious intended functions of a social institution
 Latent
 Less obvious
o Cultural theory
o – karl marx
 Materialistic view of society we play these social systems
 Unequal groups usually have conflicting agenda
 Constant competition between groups forms the basis of the ever changing
nature of society

Sociological imagination

- Concept of being able to think ourselves away from familiar routines of our daily lives
- Vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and wider society
- Ability to see things socially
- A person must be able to pull away from the situation and think from an alternative point of
view
- Willingness to view the social world from the perspective of others

e.g