Welcome: Intro to Sociology

1. Welcome: Intro to Sociology • Goals for Today • Get to know you • Syllabus • Class Compact • Philosophy of Education • Chapter One

2. Syllabus • You actually need to come to class (100 participation points = same as 1 exam) • Paper (50 points) • Exams (4 tests; drop lowest score) • Class website (100 points) • Presentation (50 points) • Questions???

3. How to Write Papers • Title page • Outline • Intro Paragraph (Thesis) • Body = Main Points (3-4) • Conclusion • Writing Center • APA format for citations Purdue OWL • Double space, size 12 font, Times New Roman

4. How to Access Wordpress • Review your syllabus!!!! • www.wordpress.com • User Name: introtosoc33063matc • Password: stuffweshare

5. Class Compact / Learning Objectives • What rules do we as a class want to follow? • This class costs $496.20. There are lots of things you can do with five hundred dollars!!! • What do you want to get out of this class?

6. Philosophy of Education Different ways of teaching • Banking System • Socratic Method • Engaged Pedagogy • Paulo Freire How does this fit with Sociology? YOU NEED TO TALK!!!!

7. Chapter 1 What is Sociology? 3 theories Research Dead White Guys

8. Sociological Perspective = Stresses the social contexts in which people live Looks at how people are influenced by their society and how social forces affect human behavior. Society = a group of people who share a culture and territory “The Sociological Imagination” a term coined by C. Wright Mills refers to being able to look beyond common sense for explanations of why people act the way they do. It enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography The Sociological Perspective

9. Social Location • Sociologists study ones social location to understand human behavior • Social Location refers to the corners in life that people occupy • Social Location includes: • Jobs, Social Class, Race, Occupation, Sex, Religion and other demographics • Social Location can shape our ideas of who we are and what we should attain in life

10. The Birth of Sociology • Sociology emerged in the middle of the 1800’s during a period of social upheaval • The Industrial Revolution challenged traditional ideas about social life • The scientific method, which was used in the physical sciences, led to the birth of Sociology

11. Comte Spencer Marx Durkheim Weber Meet the Dead White Guys

12. Lived in France Comte was the 1st Sociologist to advocate using positivism (applying scientific method to the social world) to studying social life Coined the term “Sociology” = The study of society Advocate of social reform Practiced “Armchair Philosophy” 1798-1857 AugusteComte: Founder of Sociology

13. Lived in England Disagreed with Comte. Said that Sociologist should NOT guide reform. Thought that societies evolve from lower to higher forms Coined the term “Survival of the Fittest” Did not conduct scientific studies 1820-1903 Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism

14. Class conflict is the engine of human history Proletariat vs. the Bourgeoisie Marxism is not the same as Communism. Marx proposed revolution as the way for workers to gain control of society. He DID NOT develop the political system (a later application of his ideas) called communism. Did not think of himself as a sociologist. Gave us conflict theory 1818-1883 Karl Marx: Class Conflict I am not a communist

15. Marx and Social Change: Marxist dialectics is the idea of contradiction, with class struggle playing the central role in social and political life.

16. 1st Professor of Sociology Interested in how social forces affect peoples’ behavior. Studied suicide rates in several European countries in which he concluded social forces underlie suicidal behavior. Males more likely, unmarried, non- religious or Protestant. We must examine how social forces, such as social integration, affect human behavior 1858-1917 Emile Durkheim: Social Integration

17. Lived in Germany Disagreed with Marx Religion is the central force in social change The Protestant Ethic (importance of work) is tied to the rise of capitalism 1864-1920 Max Weber: Religion

18. Attitudes of the Time 1800s Sex Roles Rigidly Defined Higher education reserved for men and the wealthy See forgotten sociologist pg 9 Harriet Martineau Published Society in America Before Durkheim and Weber Were Born Known for translating Comte’s works from French to English Sexism in Early Sociology Harriet Martineau 1802-1876

19. Jane Addams 1860-1935 Jane Addams: Social Reform • Came from a background of privilege • She worked tirelessly for social justice • Co-founded the Hull House in 1889 • Campaigned for laws against child labor • Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931

20. W.E.B. Du Bois: Race • 1st African American to earn a doctorate at Harvard • Founded the N.A.A.C.P • "The Veil" shorthand for the Veil of Race, referring to how race colors all human relations • We cannot base the education of future citizens on the present inexcusable inequality of wealth nor on physical differences of race. We must seek not to make men carpenters but to make carpenters men." -Du Bois, 1920

21. bell hooks • Her writing has focused on the interconnectivity of race, class, and gender and their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and domination 3:16 movie YouTube - bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation

22. The Purpose of Sociology • Basic VS Applied VS Public • Basic (pure) = using sociology to analyze some aspect of society with no goal other than to gain knowledge • Applied = suing sociology to solve problems • Public = Promoting a middle ground between research and reform.

23. Basic Sociology vs. Public Sociology vs. Applied Sociology

24. Theory-a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work Sociologists use theories to conduct sociological research. Also, theory allows Sociologists to view a social problem from many different perspectives Symbolic Interaction Functional Analysis Conflict Theory 3 Theoretical Perspectives

25. Symbolic Interaction • Symbolic Interactionists believe that individuals evaluate their own conduct by comparing themselves with others • Symbolic Interactionists study: • How people interpret symbols • How people interact one on one • How people behave according to how they define themselves and others

26. Functional Analysis • The Functional Analysis perspective views society as a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together. • Functional Analysis Folks study: • The structure of society • How each part of society has certain functions that must be fulfilled • What happens to society when dysfunctions occur

27. Conflict Theory • Founded by Karl Marx • Groups competing for scarce resources • Groups competing for power and authority • Conflict can be positive as it can bring about positive change

28. Summary Table

29. Macro Level - Large Scale Patterns in Society Functional Analysis and Conflict Theory are components of Macroanalysis Micro Level-Social interactions on a small scale Symbolic Interactionism is a component of Microanalysis Which level of analysis is best? Two Levels of Sociological Analysis

30. Applying Theory • How do these three theories work with Education? • Symbolic Interaction • Functional Analysis • Conflict Theory • Micro Level • Macro Level • Theory informs (provides background for) research

31. Applied VS. Basic 8 Steps Different Methods Research

32. Doing Sociological Research • The Scientific Research Model Follows Eight Basic Steps: (1) Selecting a topic (2) Defining the problem (3) Reviewing the literature (4) Formulating a hypothesis (5) Choosing a research method (6) Collecting the data (7) Analyzing the results (8) Sharing the results

34. Types of Research Methods • Survey • Participant Observation • Case Study • Secondary Analysis of Data • Documents • Unobtrusive Observation • Experiments

35. Surveys • One of the most commonly used methods of sociological research are surveys • The researcher: • Must make sure that the sample is random and representative of the population • Must make sure that the questions (open ended or closed ended) are neutral • Must establish rapport with the interviewees (face to face) • Advantage: A researcher is able to reach a large number of people at one time • Disadvantage: Low response rate (phone calls, mail) and people may not be truthful

36. Participant Observation • The researcher observes individuals and they are aware of the researcher’s presence • Advantage: The researcher is able to gather useful information • Disadvantage: The individual may not act naturally

37. Unobtrusive Observation • The researcher observes individuals without the knowledge of the researcher’s presence • Advantage: The researcher can observe individuals acting naturally and true to themselves • Disadvantage: Ethical concerns on the part of the participants

38. Secondary Analysis Of Data When the researcher gathers information from secondary sources it is referred to as secondary analysis. Secondary sources include: newspapers, historical documents, police reports, and other data collected by various societal agencies. • Advantage: It can be a valuable way to collect information in a timely manner • Disadvantage: Some information may be missing or inaccurate

39. Experiments • Experiments are not commonly used in Sociological research, but they can be a valuable source of information. • The basic experiment involves: • The experimental group—those exposed to the independent variable (something that causes a change) • The control group—those not exposed to the independent variable. • Advantage: The independent variable can be isolated as the cause of change • Disadvantage: It is a controlled laboratory setting and not a natural setting.

40. Ethics • The researcher : • Must be open and honest with research subjects • Must remain free of personal biases • Protecting Subjects - Brajuha Research • Misleading Subjects - Humphreys Research

41. Values and Controversy in Research • Values = beliefs about what is good or desirable in life and the way the world ought to be • Controversial issue • Some sociologies (Weber) thing sociology should be value free • Others think sociology should be used to improve social life and focus on social arrangements that harm people (poverty, crime, racism) • Sociologist agree • Research should be unbiased • Knowledge is socially constructed