Chapter 1: Introduction – Understanding Sociology

–Millions of working poor Americans do not have access to healthcare due to the cost. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that does not provide healthcare for all citizens. This causes the gap between the poor and the rich to grow wider as families go into debt to pay for medical bills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, income emerged as a major predictor of coronavirus infections, along with race. Members of communities of color die from the coronavirus at much higher rates than White people do.

–Focuses on a macro-level analysis and how the parts of society serve to maintain stability. Each part serves a function within society such as the role of government, education, and religion.
-Hospitals, medical professionals, and pharmaceutical companies serve to keep individuals healthy so all can work and earn wages to keep society functioning. If illnesses and diseases are frequent and workers cannot work, then the economy will suffer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals experienced an influx of patients and staffing shortages, which ultimately had ramifications on the general health of Americans.
–Focuses on the micro level of analysis and how society is the product of interactions between people, which occur via symbols such as language, gestures, and other subjective actions that have distinct meanings.
–The meaning of the doctor-patient relationship helps to understand the healthcare delivery system. The doctor’s lab coat and specialized knowledge and language symbolize authority; thus, the patient is more likely to be compliant and passive in the treatment process. Wearing or not wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic has been symbolic of political party association.
–Sociology can help you understand social problems by:

• measuring objective conditions — the scope of a problem
• measuring subjective concerns — people’s feelings about a problem (C-19)
• evaluating the context within which the problem exists
• identifying potential policy solutions to the problem
• –Functionalist Theory: A theoretical perspective that is concerned with how the parts of the social system work to maintain stability in society.
  –Conflict Theory: Looks at the issue of competition and change and who benefits from structural inequalities. This theory also offers a macro-level analysis of society. Conflict theorists would ask questions such as, who benefits from the social problems in the cocoa industry? Who suffers from these social problems?
  –Symbolic Interactionism: Contends that our understanding of everyday social behavior is based on our lived experiences. This theory focuses on a micro-level or small-scale analysis and considers individual behaviors’ role in our experience and understanding of social problems. One risk of focusing on the everyday behavior of individuals is blaming the victim for causing the problems.
  –Anomie is the breakdown of individual and community social bonds, often caused by rapid social change or lack of norms.

  Summary

  Congratulations on finishing Chapter 1: Introduction, and we hope you are already beginning to “Connect Sociology and YOU!” You learned that the 15 chapters in SociologicalYOU are divided into 5 modules.

  Module 1: Sociological Perspective — the process of understanding and explaining how individuals and groups interact within society.

  Module 2: Social Structures — the distinctive and stable arrangements of social patterns that form society as a whole.

  Module 3: Social Problems — the societal-level conditions that harm segments of society.

  Module 4: 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.

  Module 5: Social Change — the social forces that change the organization and social structures of society.

  Next, you were introduced to the three sociological theories through the story of three men in a tower, all looking out the same window but viewing different scenes below. If you can remember the vineyard, village, and meadow settings, you will be well on your way to understanding sociological theory. The three theories are as follows:

  Conflict — vineyard — macro-level analysis
  Functionalists — village — macro-level analysis
  Symbolic Interaction — meadow — micro-level analysis

  We will discuss theory and apply it in every chapter, so you will have many opportunities to see how it will help you better understand your social world.

  In Module 1, the sociological perspective was introduced, and you learned that Auguste Comte coined the terms sociology and positivism, resulting in the pursuit of systematically and scientifically studying society.

  In Module 2, the characteristics of social structures were addressed. The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to social structures such as the family and government. Sociologists such as Harriett Martineau, Jane Addams, W. E. B. Du Bois and Robert Merton researched and wrote about these changes in social structures.

  Module 3 focused on sociology’s role in understanding social problems, and we used the chocolate industry as a case study to investigate underlying social problems. For example, child labor and slavery, poor working conditions, low pay, and other social inequalities are problematic in this industry, but most consumers don’t make the connection when buying chocolate.

  In Module 4, you were introduced to the sociological imagination. This concept will help you understand the connection between your personal troubles and the larger public issues. Suicide can be viewed as a personal trouble, but the public issues that contribute to individuals considering taking their own life are the focus of sociology.

  In Module 5, we discussed social change and how applied sociology contributes to developing new public policies and mitigating social problems.