What is a Sociological Perspective?

1. What is a Sociological Perspective?

2. Sociologicalimagination The ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals’ private and public lives. C. Wright Mills, 1959

3. Sociological Perspective • Stresses the Social Contexts in which people live. • How people are influenced by society… • Social location • Gender • Age • Race, ethnicity • Class • Culture

4. How are people (i.e. you) shaped by society?

5. Vocabulary • Paradigm • Consensus • Macro • Micro

6. Origins of Sociology • Tradition v. Science • Tradition • based theories on superstition, myth, stars, bias…etc. • Untested… • Science • theories that can be tested using scientific method. • Soft-Science • Generalities, patterns of behavior

7. Perspectives Major Sociological Perspectives

8. Perspectives Sociologists look at events from a ‘Holistic’, or multi-dimensional perspective. i.e. Biopsychosocial perspective combines several perspectives and approaches. • Uses: • History • Psychology • Anthropology • Economics • Political Science • Literature • Science • Art • Etc.

9. Classical Perspectives • Positivism • Social Darwinism • Class Conflict • Social Integration • Protestant Ethic

10. Postvismthe application of Scientific Method to the Social World • Auguste Comte (1798- 1857) • “Father of Sociology” • First proposed using Scientific Method to understand society • Believed that society develop and progress through the following stages: • Religious, Metaphysical, and Scientific • Comte and other early social scientists assumed human behavior must obey laws of nature • (i.e. Newton's laws of motion) • If discovered, those laws could eliminate moral evils and create a better society i.e. the same way medical scientists discovered how diseases worked and eliminated a lot of human suffering.

11. Social Darwinism Survival of the Fittest • Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) • Thought societies evolve from ‘lower’ to ‘higher’ civilized forms • Over time, the most capable survive, while the less capable die out. • Helping the ‘lower’ classes interfers with this natural process and holds back society • NOTE: Did Not conduct Scientific studies!!!

12. Class Conflict • Karl Marx (1818-1883) • Class Conflict drives Human History • Bourgeoisie (owners) vs. Proletariat (workers) • Economic Determinism • Influenced many Sociologists esp. Conflict Theorists

13. Social Integration the degree to which people are tied to their social group • Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) • Wanted sociology recognized as separate discipline • First Professor of Sociology • Show how social forces affect people’s behavior.

14. Protestant Ethicideal of self-denying, highly moral life accompanied by hard work and frugality. • Max Weber (1864-1920) • Author Spirit of Capitalism • Disagreed with Marx • (economics is central force in society) • Religion is central force. • (key factor in rise of Capitalism)

15. Sexism in Early Sociology • Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) • Focused on male perspectives • Women’s roles assigned to wife/mother • Only handful got higher educations • Writings of women ignored… i.e. • Jane Frohock • Lucretia Mott • Elizabeth Cady Stanton • Frances Perkins

16. Sociology in N. America • Early History • University of Kansas (1890) • *University of Chicago (1892) • George Herbert Mead (symbolic interactionist perspective) • Atlanta University (1897)

17. Women • Like European women, mostly ignored and denied positions, so many turned to activism. • Jane Addams • Emily Green Balch • Isabel Eaton • Charlotte Perkins Gilman • Florence Kelly • Elsie Clews Parsons • Alice Paul

18. Social Reform (Praxis) • Jane Addams (1860-1935) • Most successful of the women • Worked for social justice • Co-founded Hull House • Co-founded American Civil Liberties Union • Campaigned for Child Labor Laws • Eight hour work day • Co-winner of Nobel Peace Prize (1931) (first sociologist to do so!)

19. African American Contrib. W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) Minority professionals also found it difficult to find positions and contribute in the field due to racism. Also turned to social action.

21. Theory vs. Reform • 1940’s shifted from reform to theory • Two Schools of thought: • Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) • Developed models of society showing how everything worked together harmoniously (no need to fix) • C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) • Urged social reform, (need to fix) • The Power Elite/ inequality threatens

22. Applied Sociology‘the middle way’ • Theory vs. Reform leads to Applied Sociology • The use of sociology to solve problems • Division still exists: • Want focus on social reform • If applied social work, not sociology

23. 3 Main Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology… • Symbolic Interactionism • Functional Analysis • Conflict Theory • Macro – Large scale patterns in society • Micro – patterns between individuals

24. Symbolic Interactionism • Considers symbols in daily life • what these symbols mean • How people interact with each other • People attach meanings to symbols and act according to their interpretations of them • Language (verbal and written) • Music, clothing, etc.

25. Critique • Neglects the macro level of social interactions i.e. The Big Picture • Dismisses the influence of social forces and institutions on individual interactions

26. Functionalism • Each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society’s functioning as a whole. • Held together by social consensus and cooperation. • Mechanical Solidarity- maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work. • Organic Solidarity- interdependent, but have varied beliefs and work.

27. Critique • Neglects the negative functions • i.e. divorce • Justifies the status quo • Doesn’t encourage change • See active social change as undesirable because will take care of itself.

28. Conflict theory • Focuses on conflict and change • Dialectics • Challenge the status quo • Encourages social change

29. Critique • Negative (focus on problems) • Cynical • i.e. sees the system as manipulative and having ulterior motives • Sees capitalism as controlling the masses • not as preserving society and social order

30. Other Perspectives: • Cross-Species • Considers the similarities in differences between human and social behavior and that of other animals. • Cross-Cultural • Compares customs and standards of behavior within a community or system. • Statistical perspective • How often an attitude or practice occurs within any given group.

31. Perspectives Continued: • Historical Perspectives • Deals with social issues from the point of view of historical attitudes, values, practices and contexts. • Religious Perspective • Considers the effects that religious doctrines, scriptures, and spirituality have in individuals and society. • Feminist Perspective • Concerned with gender differences and the limitations associated with traditional , male dominated theories of society.

32. Integrated Perspective • NOTE: • All perspectives have strengths and weaknesses and present a single-sided, distorted picture of society. • Some compliment each other, some contradict. • Integrated approach gives the fullest understanding of issues.