• scientific study of social behavior in human groups
• How relationships influence people's attitude and behavior.
• How societies develop and change.

August Comte

1798-1857

came up with the term sociology.

He recognized that a systematic investigation of behavior was needed to improve society.

1802-1876

Studied social practices in Britain and U.S.

Emphasized impact of economy, law, trade, health and population on social problems

1820-1903

Studied "evolutionary change" in society

1858-1917

• Behavior must be understood within larger social context
• Concluded that religion reinforces a groups solidarity

Suicide: The act of severing relationships

• Egoistic: lack of sense of commuity can lead to increase in suicide
• Altruistic: Willingness to sacrifice ones own life for the greater good.
• Anomic: (Fr. "anomie"- normlessness) society has no norms and incredibly unstable and chaotic
• Fatalistic: lost all hope, depressed, mental or physical condition. 

1864-1920

• To comprehend behavior, must learn subjective meaning people attach to actions.
• Verstehen: understanding; insight
• Ideal Type: a construct that serves as a measuring rod against which actual cases can be evaluated.

1818-1883

• Was a philosopher and economist. Never considered himself a sociologist.
• Society divided between two classes that clash in pursuit of their own interests
• Worked w/ Engels
• Emphasized group identifications and associations that influence one's place in society.
• Working class needed to overthrow existing class system

C. Wright Mills

• awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society
• ability to view one's society as an outsider, rather than only from the perspective of personal experience.
• Look beyond a limited understanding of human behavior.

W.E.B. Dubois

1868-1963

• Conducted research that he hoped would assist in the struggle for a racially egalitarian- equal society
• Beleived that knowledge was essential in combating prejudice and acheiving tolerance and justice
• Double consciousness: Division of an individuals identity into two or more social realities

1864-1929

• Used sociological perspective to examine face-to-face groups such as families, gangs, and friendship. We interact differently depending on our relationship with that person.

1860-1935

• Combined intellectual inquiry, social service work, and political activism
• Cofounded the Hull house: safe place for families w/ food, etc.
• recieved the Nobel Peace Prize

Robert Merton

(1920-2003)

• Combined theory and research
• Developed explanations of deviant behavior
• Macrosociology: ie. functionalism, conflict: Large scale phenomena or entire civilizations
• Microsociology: small groups, often through experimental means
• He also came up with 5 ways to achieve the American Dream

1930-2002

• Capital in its many forms sustains individuals and families from one generation to the next
• Material goods
• Accumulation of knowledge
• Prestige
• Culture
• Formal schooling

Major Theoretical Perspectives

• Functionalist Perspective
• Conflict Perspective
• Interactionist Perspective

• Societies are integrated systems similar to organisms
• Social life depends on consensus and cooperation
• Conflict is destructive and disruptive
• Theory attempts to explain the different parts of societies and the consequences of given social pattern
• Theory has trouble explaining power and social change (vs. conflict theory)
• Emphasizes the way parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability

1902-1979

• Viewed society as vast network of connected parts, each of which helps maintain the system as a whole.
• Functionalist Perspective

Functionalists would stress society's supportive function.

i.e. clean up crews, etc.

Funcionalist Perspective:

Dysfunctions

Manifest Functions

Latent Functions

• Dysfunctions: element or process of society that may disrupt a social system or its stability
• Manifest functions: institutions are open, stated, conscious functions that involve intended, recognized, consequences of an aspect of society.
• Latent functions: Unconscious or unintended functions that may reflect hidden purposes of an institution.

Conflict Theory

• Societies are competitive and vie for control of scarce resources.
• Social life generates divided interests, opposing goals and conflicts
• Conflict may be beneficialsince social change is inevitable
• Theory attempts to explain competing interests and how power is maintained. (vs. functionalism)
• Theory has difficulty explaining the status quo.
• Assumes social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups.

• Conflict is not merely as a class phenomenon but as a part of every day life in all societies
• Conflict theorists are more "radical" and "activist" than functionalists.
• Most important book: Das Capital
• Most well known book: Communist Manifesto