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Introduction to Sociology

Explore social behavior, societal organization, & study various patterns in human behavior. Delve into sociological imagination, research methods, ethical considerations, and major sociological perspectives.

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Introduction to Sociology

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  1. Introduction to Sociology The study of social behavior and the organization of human society

  2. The Sociological perspectiveSSSocFR1 • Seeking out general patterns in the behavior of particular people • Categories: women/men, rich/poor, children/adults • Society shapes our experiences: why choose the college you’ve chosen? Is college something you choose to do? Why do Americans have less children? Incidence of suicide in different countries • Global perspective (pg. 5): where you live matters • Related/overlaps other fields of study: psychology, history, political science, various sciences, etc.

  3. The origins of Sociology • 1700s-1800s: changes in Europe (rise of factory based industrial economy, growth of cities & democracy): Industrial Rev. • Awareness of society • 1838: Auguste Comte (French) coined name based on science/research • Philosophers: Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, St. Thomas Aquinas, Galileo, Newton, Shakespeare, Hobbes, Karl Marx

  4. Sociological Imagination • …is an awareness of the discipline of sociology and its relevance to daily life. • In other words, everything we do is shaped by our situation, our values/norms/mores, and how the people around us react. • This means being able to shift your perspective and see events from someone else’s point of view, and understand how the events were influenced.

  5. Other famous sociologists… • Harriet Martineau: argued against slavery • Jane Addams: helped immigrants • William DuBois: argued for rights for blacks, founding member of the NAACP • Sociologists must answer 2 questions: • What should be studied? • How do you connect the facts?

  6. Careers in Sociology • Advertising • Banking • Criminal justice/law • Education • Government/politics • Health care • Clinical therapy • Evaluation research (efficiency) • International business • Military • Child welfare • Social work • Consultants • management

  7. Research Methods • Experiment: scientific way of discovering the unknown--hypothesis, independent & dependent variables, control/experimental groups, placebo, etc. • Example: the Hawthorne Effect: change in subject’s behavior caused by the awareness that they’re being studied (late 1930s, Hawthorne Factory near Chicago)

  8. Survey Method • Series of questions/statements in an interview or on a questionnaire • Population, sample, random sample, open & closed-end formats • Cheap, fast, easy, but… • Interviews  can be expensive • Bias is a danger

  9. Naturalistic vs. Participant Observation • Observe subjects in “natural” setting orwhile joining them in their routine activities, often for months or years (cultural anthropologists) • Expensive & time-consuming; can be biased Secondary Analysis • Analyze data collected by others (government, researchers): cheaper, but… • Complete? Accurate? Relevant?

  10. Theorizing • Inductive logical thought: reasoning that transforms specific observations into theory (“94% of our seniors graduate; I wonder why?”) • Deductive logical thought: transforms general theory into specific hypotheses for testing (“I think most white guys drive trucks; let’s collect some data and test my theory.”)

  11. Code of Ethics in research • Can you protect your subjects’ privacy and guarantee their anonymity? • How can your study be designed to avoid chances for injury or trauma to your subjects? • How can you be sure your data is unbiased, valid and relevant? • Can you get informed consent, and do your subjects have the right to refuse consent? • You must debrief the subjects afterward (discuss, explain, check for harm, etc.)

  12. The Stanford Prison Study

  13. 3 Perspectives in Sociology • Structural functionalism paradigm: society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability (education, jobs, marriage, family vs. crime) • Symbolic interaction paradigm: society is the product of everyday interaction of individuals—how you perceive events & the symbolic meaning, reality is what you think it is (behavior change in situations) • Social Conflict paradigm: (Karl Marx) idea that society has been shaped by conflict among groups & the distribution of resources—highlights inequality (Paradigm: a shift in your thinking/point of view)

  14. Sports • Structural functional paradigm: Sports teams have parts that must work together to win. Positives: recreation, conditioning, relaxation, relationships, jobs, competition, success; negatives: illegal recruiting • Social conflict paradigm: inequality (rich: tennis, golf, sailing, equestrian skiing; less well to do: baseball, football, basketball), skewed by gender towards males & race, BIG $$$ in sports. Race, economics, culture play a role in who plays what sport. • Symbolic interaction paradigm: Athletes must interact witheach other, understand complex rules, positions, & skills. Face to face. Spontaneous, unpredictable; differing attitudes, “realities”

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