Chapter 1 An Invitation to Sociology

1. Chapter 1An Invitation to Sociology Mrs. Hauber

2. Section 1: The Sociological Perspective • The Nature of Sociology • Perspective-a particular point of view • Sociology never focuses on the individual • Focuses on behavior of individuals shared within a group • Sociology—the scientific study of social structure

3. The Importance of Patterns • Social Structure—the patterned interaction of people in social relationships • Conformity • Members have been taught to value group ways • Members conform even if they don’t agree

4. Sociological Imagination • This is the ability of individuals to see the relationships between events in their personal lives and events in their society • By using this, we can make better decisions • We have a better understanding of events • To expand on that definition, it is understanding that some things in society may lead to a certain outcome

5. Section 2: The Origins of Society • European Origins • Auguste Comte—Father of Sociology • Positivism—using the scientific method • Social statics—social stability • Social dynamics—social change • Sociology is at the center of the distinction between these two!

6. Other Contributors • Harriet Martineau • Translated Comte’s work • Strong supporter of Emancipation of Women’s Rights

7. Herbert Spencer • Compared society to the human body • Proposed that people SHOULD NOT interfere with Social Darwinism because it led to progress. • The poor deserve to be poor and the rich deserve to be rich—in his opinion, it was harmful to interfere with this!!

8. Other Contributors • Karl Marx • Bourgeois • Proletariat • Class Conflict • Communism • Can anyone name the 5 communist countries today?

9. Emile Durkheim • Nicknamed the metaphysician • Society exists because of consensus • Mechanical solidarity—pressures of consensus, conformity, values and beliefs—preindustrial societies • Organic solidarity—social interdependency based on specialized roles

10. Max Weber • Believed in putting yourself in someone else’s shoes • Rationalization—mindset emphasizing, knowledge, reason, and planning. • Look at the McDondalization of Education on page 20-21.

11. Sociology in America • Jane Addams—focused on women’s social reforms • WEB DuBois—analyzed sophistical social structure of black communities

12. Section 3: Theoretical Perspectives • Three Major Ones: • Functionalism • Conflict • Symbolic Interactionism

13. Functionalism • Emphasizes contributions of each part of society • Change one part—changes another • Manifest functions—intended and recognized • Latent functions—unintended and often unrecognized

14. Conflict Perspective • Emphasizes conflict, competition, change and constraint. • Opposite of Functionalism • Everything in life is a competition • Whoever has the most power controls the behavior of others.

15. Symbolic Interactionism • Key word is interact • We interact based on mutually understood symbols • 3 assumptions: • We learn the meaning of the symbol by the way others react to it • We base our behavior on them • We use the meaning to imagine how others will respond