Lesson 2: Sociology and

the Study of Society

Defining Sociology, its goals and perspectives
Objectives
articulate the nature of sociology, its goals and
perspectives.
Definition of Terms

Sociology Society Social Societal Theory

behavior norms
Pre-test
1. Society shapes the social behavior of
man.
2. Just like culture, society is also a
complex whole.
3. Sociological perspective highlights the
importance of studying our society.
4. The symbolic interactionist theory states
that each part of society has a function.
5. The social conflict theory originated
from Karl Marx’s writings on class
struggles.
Sociology

SOCIOS LOGOS
Characteristics of Society

It endures, produces
It provides means for
It comprises a and restrains its
It is relatively large socialization for its
complex whole members for
members
generations

The members of a
It occupies a definite
society share a
territory
common culture
Goals in Demonstrates an
understanding of the
concepts on cultural
Demonstrates an
understanding of the
significance of studying
variation, social differences

Studying and social changes.

society.

Sociology Develops a comparative Describe how social

perspective to explain the structures and institutions
diversity of human societies. operate.

Communicate sociological
concepts and its applications
effectively.
Sociological Perspectives on
Culture and Society

Symbolic Structural- Social

Interactionist Functional Conflict
Theory Theory Theory
 Symbolic Interactionism Karl Marx
Practice Task 1 Sociology
Conflict Theory
Social norms
Functionalism
Theory Society

1. In his writings, he observed that society is composed of individuals in different social classes who
compete against one another.
2. This approach views society as a complex whole and an interconnected system wherein every part works
together as a functional whole.
3. These are the set acceptable behaviors of a group or society.

4. An approach that attempts to explain why groups of people choose to perform certain actions and how
societies function or change in a certain way.
5. This theory suggests that people attach meanings to symbols and they act according to their
interpretation of these symbols.
 Practice Task 2
1. The members in a society have a sense of (purpose, happiness, territory).
2. Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus in which members of society (disagree, agree,
dislike) upon and work together to achieve what is best for society as a whole.
3. All members of the society must be bonded by the same (behavior, mind-set, culture).
4. (Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology) is a behavioral science that deals with the study of society.
5. People must be socially integrated to be considered (relatively large, relatively close, relatively united) than being
individually scattered.
6. For a society to survive, it must have the ability to (control, produce, reduce) endure and sustain its new members for
generations.
7. Societal norms can be shared and taught to those who come from other societies before being (rejected, accepted, merged)
as functioning members of a certain society.
8. Society shapes human (attitude, language, behavior).
9. Social conflict theory emphasizes how such (functions, symbols, conflicts) between individuals help in motivating people
and societies to evolve over time.
10. A change in one group of individuals will affect the (condition, focus, stability) of the other parts of the whole system.
 Post Test
– Arrange the words to create a meaningful definition on the nature
of sociology.

1. Society behavior social shapes of man the.

2. People socially being individually integrated relatively to be
considered large than scattered must be.
3. The members must live in a belongingness certain specific
place and have a common in a society and sense of purpose
habitat or.
4. All culture society must be bonded members of the by the same.
5. The society of greatly shaped by is man’s social behavior since
focal point in the study his behavior is the society where s/he
belongs.