Sociology Basics

Study Notes

Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior, relationships, and institutions.
It examines the social structures, institutions, and relationships that shape human behavior and society.

Social Structure: The pattern of relationships and institutions that make up a society.
Social Institutions: Established and organized systems that shape social behavior, such as family, education, and economy.
Socialization: The process of learning and internalizing social norms, values, and behaviors.
Culture: The shared beliefs, values, and practices of a society or group.

Functionalism: Views society as a system with interdependent parts, where each part contributes to the overall functioning of the system.
Conflict Theory: Focuses on the conflicts and inequalities within society, arguing that social change is driven by these conflicts.
Symbolic Interactionism: Examines how individuals interact with each other and the symbols they use to convey meaning.

Qualitative Research: Focuses on in-depth, non-numerical data, such as observations, interviews, and content analysis.
Quantitative Research: Focuses on numerical data, such as surveys, polls, and statistical analysis.
Experiments: Controlled studies that test cause-and-effect relationships.

Demography: The study of population dynamics, including population growth, migration, and aging.
Criminology: The study of crime, deviance, and social control.
Social Stratification: The study of inequality, including social class, race, and gender.
Family and Marriage: The study of family structures, relationships, and dynamics.

Auguste Comte: Considered the father of sociology, who coined the term "sociology" and emphasized the importance of scientific study.
Emile Durkheim: Focused on the study of social institutions and the role of social norms in shaping behavior.
Karl Marx: Developed conflict theory, arguing that social change is driven by class conflict.
Max Weber: Developed the concept of social action, which emphasizes the importance of individual agency in shaping social behavior.

Sociology examines human social behavior, relationships, and institutions, focusing on social structures and institutions that shape human behavior and society.

Social structure refers to the pattern of relationships and institutions that make up a society.
Social institutions are established and organized systems that shape social behavior, such as family, education, and economy.
Socialization is the process of learning and internalizing social norms, values, and behaviors.
Culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, and practices of a society or group.

Functionalism views society as a system with interdependent parts, where each part contributes to the overall functioning of the system.
Conflict Theory focuses on the conflicts and inequalities within society, arguing that social change is driven by these conflicts.
Symbolic Interactionism examines how individuals interact with each other and the symbols they use to convey meaning.

Qualitative Research focuses on in-depth, non-numerical data, such as observations, interviews, and content analysis.
Quantitative Research focuses on numerical data, such as surveys, polls, and statistical analysis.
Experiments are controlled studies that test cause-and-effect relationships.

Demography studies population dynamics, including population growth, migration, and aging.
Criminology studies crime, deviance, and social control.
Social Stratification studies inequality, including social class, race, and gender.
Family and Marriage studies family structures, relationships, and dynamics.

Auguste Comte, considered the father of sociology, emphasized the importance of scientific study and coined the term "sociology".
Emile Durkheim focused on the study of social institutions and the role of social norms in shaping behavior.
Karl Marx developed conflict theory, arguing that social change is driven by class conflict.
Max Weber developed the concept of social action, emphasizing the importance of individual agency in shaping social behavior.