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| scientific study of society and human behavior concerned with how social conditions influence our lives; constructs theories to explain society |
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| Marx, Durkheim, Simmel, Webar |
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| Basic premise of sociology: |
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| human existence= social existence |
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-the sociological imagination (sociology should focus on wider social issues; BIG PIC)
-the power elite (elite control normal)
-Conflict theorist? |
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| Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) |
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| -Theory: Suicide is a function of the person’s degree of integration into the social group |
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-The Protestant ethic + Spirit of Capitalism
-Marriage w/ Field of Eligibles
-EMPHASIZED:
-Subj. meanings of social action (interested in values, beliefs, and attitudes that guide our behaviors
-social (not material) causes
-tries to show obj.
-happiness=money+calling
-argues with the ghost of Marx
-Uses Verstehen (methodology) and Value free
-ideal type? |
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| Sociology + Assumptions of Science: |
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-A world of reality exists independently of our knowledge or perception of it
-There is order in nature
-Scientists assume that knowledge about world can be gained through Systematic + Objective observation
-intersubjectivity (as obj. as possible)
-empirical data (facts and stats) |
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| Science has 2 major goals: |
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-acc. description
-acc. explanation |
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-Construct theories
-Derives hypothesis
-Tests hypothesis by collecting and analyzing relevant data |
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| Different Levels of Social Reality: |
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-MICRO (Erving Goffman)
-MIDDLE RANGE (businessses, commun., limited, less comprehensive than macro)
-MACRO (general theories that attempt comprehensive explanations) |
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-Relations in public 1972
-“Terra of Self”
-Presentation of self in everyday life= all actors on a stage
-front stage/ back stage |
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-general theories that attempt comprehensive explanations
-wars/rev. (early sociology) |
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-“General theory of action”
-binds cultures/ social structure/ person.
-foremost functionalist
-change occurs slowly enough to allow system to adapt |
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-''theories of the middle range.''
-reference/focus gps
-function (manifest, latent, disfunction, eufunction)
-func. equiv. to social structure |
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| Why sociology isn’t as precise: |
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-Sociology is a relatively young science (coined in 1838, Compte)
-People are variable and change even while being studied “Hawthorne Effect”
-Most people consider themselves an expert |
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| ROOTS OF MODERN SOCIOLOGY: |
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-Found during pd of great enlightenment
-progress through human action
-sci. method could be used to understand society
-In unstable society, social order is reflected upon |
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| Auguste Compte (1798-1857) |
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Definition
-founder of sociology
-coined sociology in 1838
-french philosopher
-1st to suggest sci. method could be applied toward social events (positivism)
-Focused on 2 aspects of society:
-order and stability (social structure)
-social change (social dynamics)
-“What are factors that hold society together and what causes change?”
-Major factor promoting stability is common set of beliefs among society members
-social change= evol. process that moves society towards positive state |
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-social wld can be studied with same accuracy as natural world
-compte wanted to use method to solve social problems |
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| Herbert Spencer (1820-1905) |
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| -furthered work of compete -explained order and social change by comparing society to a living organism (organic analogy) -society=system of interdependent thought -If there's a change in society, other parts change as well -hearts and lungs= parts maintaining society stable -2 guiding principles 1. Society has to be adapting, focus is on growth and change 2.Warned Soc. to suspend own beliefs and be subjective -Main focus is what promotes a stable society -Structural functionalist forerunner -SOCIAL DARWINISM (weed out and best would survive) |
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-Made it his goal to eliminate poverty and inequality
-Divide society: haves and have-nots
-german born philosopher
-conflict school
-class conflict that divides society in 2
-conflict=means to progress
-Communist Manifesto (urges workers to rebel)
2 main concepts:
-Economic determinism
-Marx's theory of social change (basis of change is conflict and resolution) |
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-"The dialect"
-Infl. Marx |
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| Emile Durkheim (1858-1914) |
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-Infl. by Compte and Spencer
-ESP. interested in what holds society together
-functionalist
-explored what function various elements served in social cohesion
-shared beliefs and values
-collective consequence rituals
-focused on community standard of morality (confining, but gives a sense of morality)
-4 types of suicide
-Society has certain control over us
-mechanical/organic solidarity |
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| George Simmel (1858-1918) |
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-Rejected org. analogy
-Saw society as an intricate web of multi. relations between ind. who are in constant interaction with one another
-"six degrees of separation"
-formal Soc
-social types
-"The stranger". |
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Structural Functionalism
MACRO |
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Definition
-if something exists, it serves a function
-3 Assumptions:
-stability contributes to maintenance of society
-harmony (diff. parts work together for good of whole)
-evolution (adaptation to new needs and eliminates unnecessary structures (func. equivalent) |
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| Malinowski, Parsons, Merton, Davis |
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| examine structure aspect of org., interrelations, and functions they perform for org. as whole |
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-because prostitution exists, they serve a function in society
-various elements of society are connected to each other |
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| Problems w/ structural functionalism |
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-involves circular reasoning
-too vague when they use the terms equilibrium and balance
-too conservative |
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3 Assumptions:
-competition
-structural inequality
-revolution
FORERUNNER IS MARX |
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Lewis A Coser
Ralf Dahrenorf, Randall Collins |
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-Mult. group affiliations help to maintain stability in society by preventing a split
-conflict serves a pos. purpose and function in society and conflict is inherent in society |
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| Problems w/ Conflict theory |
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-too radical because they applaud change regardless of consequence
-focus on conflict and ignore what keeps us together
-too conservative |
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Symbolic Interactionism
MICRO |
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(WEBER)
- George Herbert Mead
-interaction is primary social process
-interactions take place through symbols
-it starts with premise of socially agreed upon meanings
-sense of self which is social product
-previous experience and social context play a role in encounter |
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| Problems w/ symbolic interactionism |
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Definition
-seems to ignore the more formal and org. forces of social life
-criticized for overemphasizing the cognitive aspects of social life
-uses terms vaguely |
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-Rosabeth Kantur and Sheldon Stryker link SI to more org. aspects of society
-Morris Rosenburg subject it to empirical analysis |
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-do not start with agreed upon meaning but study processes by which meaning are created and shared
-Alfred Schultz
-Harold Garfinkle
TOGETHER WE CONSTRUCT SOCIAL R4EALITY |
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Term
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Definition
1. how people view order in world
2.how they communicate those views to others
3.how they understand and explain social
STAPLE IN RESEARCH (CONVO ANALYSIS)- MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS |
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