Notes:
sociology, the scientific study of social relationships, institutions, and societies
social institutions, structures in society providing the framework for governing the behavior of individuals in a community or society,
society, a large group of people associated with a shared culture and social institutions
Sociological Perspective: the process of understanding and explaining how individuals and groups interact within society (HP).
Social Structures: the distinctive and stable arrangements of social patterns that form the society as a whole (HP).
Social Problems: societal conditions that harm segments of society (HP).
Sociological Imagination: the ability to see the details of our own lives in the context of larger social structures as opposed to merely personal choices or personal troubles (HP).
Social Change: the forces that change society’s organization and social structures
— has existed for 180 yrs
Auguste Comte — positivism – authentic and valid knowledge of the social world is found only through scientific and empirical pursuit.
three theories — Conflict, Functionalist, and Symbolic Interactionism.
sociological theory, a set of interrelated ideas that provide a systematic understanding of the social world.
macro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on social systems and populations on a large scale
micro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on individuals and small groups within the larger social system.
Karl Marx — wrote about two classes: the proletariat, the majority, who were the poor, property-less industrial working class, and the land and business owners referred to as the bourgeois, the small minority who were the wealthy class
the communist manifesto –marx and Engels
conflict theory, a sociological perspective emphasizing the role of political and economic power and oppression as contributing to the existing social order
Émile Durkheim — functionalist theory, a macro view of how the parts of society serve to maintain stability
—anifest functions, intentional and formally sanctioned functions of social institutions and society.
Latent functions, unintentional and informally sanctioned functions of social institutions and society,
dysfunction, the undesirable disruptions of social patterns resulting in negative consequences within society
George Herbert Mead — socialized self, which states that the self cannot develop apart from society
symbolic interaction, a micro view of how society is the product of interactions between people, which occur via symbols that have distinct meanings
social facts — social patterns that are external to individuals and greatly influence our way of thinking and behaving in society
Max Weber — verstehen (vûrst e hen), an empathetic approach to understanding human behavior, loosely translated as understanding or interpretation. –observation and explanation
feminist theory, a view on anti-oppression, gender relations, and gender inequality
applied sociology, the use of sociological theory, research, and methodologies to find solutions to problems in society.
queer theory, a critical view that rejects the traditional categories of gender, sex, and sexuality in contemporary society.
postmodern social theory, a critical view rejecting the historical, scientific, and structured means of investigating and interpreting the social world. — Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, and Jean-Francois Lyotard are largely responsible for promoting this new social theory that rejects the idea of positivism and the structured and systematic approaches found within traditional sociological theories — understanding of society and culture is relative
social structures, the distinctive and stable arrangements of social patterns that form the society as a whole
Rationalization of society, the replacement of traditional values and personal connections with bureaucracy, efficiency, and a means-end approach.
social structures — family, government, capitalism
- organizes behaviors of large groups of people
- capable of coercing individuals and groups
- provides norms, rules, and practices
- assigns roles and powers to individuals and groups
- encompasses large geographical areas
Harriet Martineau — Martineau focused on gender, racial, and class tensions with the goal of helping subordinate groups. studied americas values: Society in America
Jane Addams — hull house
W. E. B. Du Bois — first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University (1895) and co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People — influenced civil rights movment
Robert Merton — bureaucracy — a hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality; red tape — adherence to excessive regulation and conformity that prevents decision-making and change: social theory and social structure
social problems, the societal conditions that harm segments of society
objective conditions — the scope of a problem
subjective concerns — people’s feelings about a problem
cocoa industry — farmers earn $2 a day
human trafficking, a situation in which a person is smuggled, abused, and forced to work against their will for the economic gain of another
Fair Trade, an organizational movement and certification process to help producers in developing countries receive a fair price for their products with the goals of reducing poverty, providing for the ethical treatment of workers and farmers, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices
sustainability, the idea that current and future generations should have equal or greater access to social, economic, and environmental resources
sustainable development, development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,
social inequality, the unequal distribution of power, property, or prestige in society.
ex: healthcare, homelessness, teen pregnancy, quality of education, life expectancy
1959, sociologist C. Wright Mills coined the term sociological imagination, the ability to see the details of our own lives in the context of larger social structures as opposed to merely personal choices or personal troubles
Personal troubles, matters experienced at the individual level
public issue, a matter that impacts society as a whole.
anomie, the breakdown of social values, norms, and order resulting in social instability,
— lack of social control and regulation due to the deterioration of the connection between the individual and society; it is what individuals experience when society seems in disarray
Durkheim’s book, Suicide, was first published in 1897 and is considered the first major sociological study
distinct social characteristics of each country that contributed to the suicide rate
- increase in economic stress
- social distancing and isolation
- barriers to mental healthcare
- constant and pervasive collective anxiety
- long-term effects on frontline workers
- effects of “long haul” COVID-19 symptoms on some infected individuals
social change, the forces that change the organization and the social structures of society.
globalization, the worldwide integration of our cultural, economic, and political lives that results from ever-increasing levels of business, trade, and technology
applied sociology, the use of sociological theory, research, and methodologies to find solutions to problems in society
- Criminology and law enforcement
- Marriage and family counseling
- Business and workplace relations
- Public health services
- Federal and state agencies
- Sales and marketing
- Advocacy and community organization
- Market research
- Public policy