Introduction to Sociology

Definition and Scope

• Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior, relationships, and institutions.
• It examines how people interact with each other and the social structures that shape their behavior.

Founding Fathers of Sociology

• Auguste Comte (1798-1857): coined the term "sociology" and emphasized the use of scientific methods to study society.
• Karl Marx (1818-1883): focused on the role of economics and class struggle in shaping society.
• Émile Durkheim (1858-1917): emphasized the importance of social facts and the collective consciousness.
• Max Weber (1864-1920): contributed to the development of modern sociology, emphasizing the importance of understanding social action and the role of ideology.

Key Concepts

• Social structure: the pattern of relationships and institutions that make up a society.
• Social institution: a set of organized beliefs, norms, and values that shape human behavior (e.g., family, education, religion).
• Socialization: the process by which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, and beliefs of their society.
• Culture: the set of beliefs, values, and practices that define a society or group.

Research Methods

• Quantitative methods: use numerical data to analyze social phenomena (e.g., surveys, experiments).
• Qualitative methods: focus on non-numerical data to gain a deeper understanding of social phenomena (e.g., interviews, observations).
• Ethnography: the systematic observation of people in their natural environments.

Branches of Sociology

• Microsociology: examines individual and small-group behavior.
• Macrosociology: studies large-scale social structures and institutions.
• Demography: the study of population size, composition, and distribution.
• Criminology: the study of crime and deviance.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Functionalism: views society as a system with interdependent parts that work together to maintain social order.
• Conflict theory: emphasizes the role of power and inequality in shaping social relationships.
• Symbolic interactionism: focuses on the ways in which people create and negotiate meaning through symbols and interactions.

Definition and Scope

• Sociology is a scientific study that examines human social behavior, relationships, and institutions.

Founding Fathers of Sociology

• Auguste Comte coined the term "sociology" and emphasized the use of scientific methods to study society.
• Karl Marx focused on the role of economics and class struggle in shaping society.
• Émile Durkheim emphasized the importance of social facts and the collective consciousness.
• Max Weber contributed to the development of modern sociology, emphasizing the importance of understanding social action and the role of ideology.

Key Concepts

• Social structure refers to the pattern of relationships and institutions that make up a society.
• Social institution is a set of organized beliefs, norms, and values that shape human behavior, such as family, education, and religion.
• Socialization is the process by which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, and beliefs of their society.
• Culture is the set of beliefs, values, and practices that define a society or group.

Research Methods

• Quantitative methods use numerical data to analyze social phenomena, such as surveys and experiments.
• Qualitative methods focus on non-numerical data to gain a deeper understanding of social phenomena, such as interviews and observations.
• Ethnography is the systematic observation of people in their natural environments.

Branches of Sociology

• Microsociology examines individual and small-group behavior.
• Macrosociology studies large-scale social structures and institutions.
• Demography is the study of population size, composition, and distribution.
• Criminology is the study of crime and deviance.

Theoretical Perspectives

• Functionalism views society as a system with interdependent parts that work together to maintain social order.
• Conflict theory emphasizes the role of power and inequality in shaping social relationships.
• Symbolic interactionism focuses on the ways in which people create and negotiate meaning through symbols and interactions.

Definition of a Group

• A group consists of at least two people who share one or more goals and think, feel, and behave in similar ways.
• Members are in regular contact with one another and take one another's behavior into account.

Characteristics of Groups

• Groups can be small and informal or large and formal.
• They tend to draw lines around themselves, creating insiders and outsiders.
• Boundaries between groups can be tight and definite, or loose and permeable.

Examples of Group Boundaries

• In the 1950s South, boundaries between African Americans and whites were rigidly enforced, with segregation in public facilities.
• Since the 1960s, relations between African Americans and whites in the US have become more fluid.

Distinction between Groups, Social Categories, and Social Aggregates

• A group is not the same as a social category, which is people who share a social characteristic (e.g. high-school seniors, women).
• A group is also distinct from a social aggregate, which is people who happen to be in the same place at the same time (e.g. students waiting to get on a bus).
• However, members of social categories or aggregates can form groups if they interact regularly, share ways of thinking and behaving, and take one another into account.

Formation of Groups

• Witnessing a disaster can lead to the formation of a group if individuals work together to cope with the emergency.
• Citizens of a state can form a group if they band together in a political party and share common goals.