What is Sociology?

• Sociology is the systematic study of human society and social interaction.

• Systematic studies apply both theoretical perspectives and research methods to the examination of social behaviour.

Sociology • According to sociologist Peter Berger,

sociological inquiry helps us to see that “things are not what they seem”.

• Strange in the familiar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBt95kwNV04

The Sociological Imagination

• Is the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society.

• “It is thinking outside of the person you are supposed to become, the person society wanted you to be”

• C. Wright Mills (1959)

The Sociological Imagination• Developing the quality of mind to think in

shades of grey, not just black and white

What is Society?

• Society is a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. (Canada, Mexico…)

Sociological StudyThere are two levels of analysis in sociology.• Macro and Micro • Macrolevel analysis: examines whole

societies, large scale social structures, and social systems

Sociological Study

• Microlevel analysis: examines the smaller processes and patterns of individuals rather than large scale social structures.

How do we know the world?

• Common sense knowledge (conventional wisdom) guides ordinary conduct in everyday life.

• Many common sense beliefs about society are often myths.

Common Sense Knowledge?TRUE OR FALSE?• Women are more likely to be assaulted than men• Most Canadians have a post-secondary education• Children who grow up in families with gay parents

are more likely to be gay

Early Thinkers

• Durkhiem

• Marx

• Weber

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

• French sociologist. • people are the product of their social

environment• behaviour cannot be fully understood in terms

of individual ‘biological and ‘psychological traits.

• the limits of human potential are socially based (not biological)

Emile Durkheim

• social facts: are patterned ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist outside any one individual but that exert social control over each person.

• concerned with social order and stability because he lived during a period of rapid social change from industrialization and urbanization.

• anomie: a condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and a sense of purpose in society.

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

• German economist and sociologist.• society is a continuing clash between

conflicting ideas and forces• conflict (especially class conflict) is necessary

in order to produce social change and a better society

• most important changes are economic

Karl Marx

• the capitalist economic system was responsible for the overwhelming poverty that he observed at the beginning of the industrial revolution.

• the proletariat will become aware of this and overthrow the capitalists

• class conflict: is the struggle between the capital class and the working class

• bourgeoisie, proletariat, exploitation, means of production

• alienation- A feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from oneself

Karl Marx• “Workers of the world unite, you have nothing

to lose but your chains.” -1848

Max Weber (1864-1920)

• German Social Scientist• also concerned about changes brought about

by the industrial revolution • economic systems are heavily influenced by

other factors in society (religion, gender etc.)

Max Weber

• sociology should be value free• see the world as others see it, through insight • influenced the concept of the sociological

imagination• more concerned with women’s issues than

many of the scholars of his day

Contemporary Theoretical Perspectives

• Each contemporary theory represents a method of examining the same phenomena.

• Theories provide a theoretical framework to study social phenomena

• perspective: an approach to, or view point on a subject

Contemporary Theoretical Perspectives

• Functionalist perspective • Conflict Theory • Symbolic Interactionism Note that some theorists and theories do not fit neatly into any one of these perspectives.

Functionalism

• (Structural Functionalism)• The sociological approach that views society

as a stable, orderly system • society is composed of interrelated parts, each

of which serves a function and (ideally) contributes to the overall stability of society

• compares society to a living, evolving organism

Functionalism

• social institutions (family, education, government, economy, family etc.) persist because they play a part in helping society survive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jOZqVnQmdY

Functionalism

• manifest functions: are intended and/or overtly recognized by the participants of a social unit (ex. education)(car for transportation)

• latent functions: are unintended functions that are hidden and remain unacknowledged by participants (ex. hidden curriculum)(social status)

• dysfunctions: are the undesirable consequences of any element in society (ex. gender inequalities)(crime)

Conflict Theory • The sociological approach that views groups in

society as engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scare resources.

• -inevitability of clashes between social groups• --conflict is inherent in all authority

relationships • Competition is an orderly, rule-governed form

of conflict.

Conflict theory

• -those that are forced to conform feel resentment and demonstrate resistance

• false consciousness: a way of thinking that prevents a person from perceiving the true nature of their social or economic situation

-some young people may conceive that they have no future because they see few educational or employment opportunities in our technologically oriented society…

Symbolic Interactionism

• The sociological approach that views society as the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups

• examines people’s day to day interactions and their behaviour in groups

• focuses on people’s active construction and use of symbols and meanings to interact with their environments and with others.

Symbolic Interactionism

• symbol- is anything that meaningfully represents something else (what part do symbols play in giving meaning to human communication) (Language?)

• -A ‘pure’ interactionist would say that there are no right or wrongs, just the meanings we specifically give to symbols therefore we live in a subjective reality – what we perceive.

Symbolic Interactionism

• looking glass self- refers to the way in which a persons sense of self is derived from the perception of others

Perspective…

• Each of the sociological perspectives that we have examined involves different assumptions.

• Consequently, each asks us to ask different questions and to view the world somewhat differently. Different aspects of reality are the focus of each approach.

• We will be using these perspectives as lenses through which we view our social world.

• Each will help you to develop your own sociological imagination.

Feminist Perspective

• Focuses on the significance of gender in understanding and explaining inequalities that exist between men and women in the household, in paid labour force, and in the realms of politics, law and culture.

• -primary sociology did not focus on the experiences of women• -feminism is not one single, unified approach • -assume gender roles are socially created• -society reinforces social expectations through social learning

(what we learn is a product of the political and economic structure of the society in which we live.

• -subordination can only end after the patriarchal system of male dominance is replaced with a more egalitarian system.

Postmodernism

• existing theories are unsuccessful at explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by consumerism, post-industrialization and global communications.

• -information explosion • -technology advancements and social media • -we are required to develop our own coherent

narrative order by which we understand ourselves and the social events that take place around us