Notes:
Positivism: authentic and valid knowledge of the social world is found only through scientific and empirical pursuit.
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 (HP).
Three basic social theories emerged, providing the fundamental elements of the sociological perspective. The theories are titled Conflict, Functionalist, and Symbolic Interactionism.
sociological theory, a set of interrelated ideas that provide a systematic understanding of the social world. Theory may seem boring and difficult to understand, but not the theory behind sociology.
macro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on social systems and populations on a large scale. The meadow is an example of micro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on individuals and small groups within the larger social system.
social facts — social patterns that are external to individuals and greatly influence our way of thinking and behaving in society
Weber had a slightly different view from the previous three theories of how to study society, which he captured with the German term verstehen (vûrst e hen), an empathetic approach to understanding human behavior, loosely translated as understanding or interpretation.
The feminist theory, a view on anti-oppression, gender relations, and gender inequality, evolved from the conflict theory and is an important contemporary sociological perspective.
A key element of feminist sociology is a focus on social and political reform, which represents the concept of applied sociology, the use of sociological theory, research, and methodologies to find solutions to problems in society.
Emerging from feminist theory and gay and lesbian studies is queer theory, a critical view that rejects the traditional categories of gender, sex, and sexuality in contemporary society.
Weber, in Economy and Society (1922), popularized the term bureaucracy — a hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality
people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s actions and reactions can be analyzed through sociological thinking, theory, and research. In particular, social problems, the societal conditions that harm segments of society, become less about personal feelings and more about measurable, evidence-based reality. 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
In some instances, they are victims of 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.
Cocoa and the chocolate industry provide an excellent case study for sustainability, the idea that current and future generations should have equal or greater access to social, economic, and environmental resources because the farms and cooperatives involved seek greater equity in international trade by eliminating the intermediary broker or “middleman.”
sustainable development, development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, by offering more social resources for the marginalized growers and producers.
anomie, the breakdown of social values, norms, and order resulting in social instability,
social change, the forces that change the organization and the social structures of society.
applied sociology, the use of sociological theory, research, and methodologies to find solutions to problems in society.