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Introduction to Sociology

Introduction to Sociology. The study of social behavior and the organization of human society. The Sociological perspective SSSocFR1. Seeking out general patterns in the behavior of particular people Categories: women/men, rich/poor, children/adults

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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) • 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 • Experimentation: hypothesis, independent & dependent variables, control/experimental groups, placebo, etc. • Hawthorne Effect: change in subject’s behavior caused by the awareness that they’re being studied (study in the late 1930s in Hawthorne Factory near Chicago) • Stanford Prison Experiment (1972)

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

  9. Participant Observation vs Naturalistic Observation • Observe subjects while joining them in their routine activities, often for months or years (cultural anthropologists) • Observe subjects while not interfering 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 (“ have some interesting data; I wonder what it means?”) Example: why does one school graduate so many successful people? • Deductive logical thought: transforms general theory into specific hypotheses for testing (“I have a hunch; let’s collect some data and test it.’”) Example: Zimbardo’s prison study

  11. Ethics in research Issues to consider: • Can you get informed consent, and do your subjects have the right to refuse consent? • How can your study be designed to avoid chances for injury or trauma to your subjects? • Confidentiality: How can you be sure your subjects’ anonymity can be maintained? Can your research threaten someone’s privacy? • How can you be sure your data is unbiased, valid and relevant?

  12. 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 (changes in situational behavior) • Social Conflict paradigm: (Karl Marx) idea that society has been shaped by conflict among groups & the distribution of resources—highlights inequality

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