Sociology Chapter 1: Introduction to Sociology

What is Sociology?

• Sociology is the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole societies, and the human world.
• The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from analysis of passing encounters between individuals to investigation of international relations and global forms of terrorism.

The Sociological Approach

• Sociology teaches us to take a broader view to understand why we act in certain ways.
• It shows that much of what we regard as natural, inevitable, good, or true may not be so.
• The sociological approach involves understanding how our individual lives reflect the contexts of our social experience.

The Sociological Imagination

• Developing a sociological imagination, as coined by C. Wright Mills, allows us to think ourselves away from the familiar routines of our daily lives to look at them from a new point of view.
• It enables us to see that many events that appear to concern only an individual actually reflect larger social issues.
• The sociological imagination helps us to investigate the connections between what society makes of us and what we make of ourselves and society.

Society and Social Structure

• When sociologists speak of a society, they generally mean a group of people living in a bounded territory who share common cultural features such as language, values, and norms.
• Society also includes institutions, such as education, family, and government, and the relatively stable relationships between them.
• Social structures are the enduring patterns formed by relationships among people, groups, and institutions.

The Development of Sociological Thinking

• The origins of systematic studies of social life lie in the French Revolution of 1789 and the Industrial Revolution in Europe.
• Three basic questions asked by founders of sociology: what is human nature, why is society structured as it is, and how and why do societies change?

Key Sociologists

• Auguste Comte (1798-1857):
  • Coined the term "sociology" and is considered the founding "father" of western sociology.
  • Believed in a science of society that could reveal laws of social world, just as in natural science.
  • Wanted sociology to become a positive science that would use the same rigorous methods as astronomers and chemists.
• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917):
  • Believed that social institutions have a hard, objective reality that enables them to be analyzed as rigorously as objects in the natural world.
  • Used the concept of social facts to explain why some countries have higher suicide rates than others.
  • Argued that the advent of the industrial age led to a new type of solidarity, organic solidarity.
• Karl Marx (1818-1883):
  • Focused on the development of capitalism and the relation between the economy and society.
  • Believed that those who own capital form a ruling class, while the mass of the population make up a class of waged workers.
  • Argued that conflict between classes is the motivation for historical development.
• Max Weber (1864-1920):
  • Focused on the development of capitalism and the modern industrial societies.
  • Saw class conflict as less significant than did Marx.
  • Believed that ideas and values can also help to bring about social change.

Theoretical Traditions in Sociology

• Functionalism: emphasizes the coercive strength of social forces in generating shared values and consensus.
• Conflict Theory: emphasizes the importance of division in society, highlighting issues of power, inequality, and competitive struggle.
• Symbolic Interactionism: emphasizes the importance of language and meaning, and how our individual lives reflect the contexts of our social experience.

Criticisms of Functionalism

• Functionalism has been criticized for focusing on stability and social order, minimizing social divisions and inequalities.
• Functionalists have been accused of writing as though whole societies have "needs" and "purposes," which is not applicable to individual human beings.### Language and Self-Consciousness
• Language allows us to become self-conscious beings, aware of our individuality, and see ourselves from others' perspectives.
• The symbol is a key element in this process.

Symbolic Interactionism

• Symbolic interactionism focuses on the details of interpersonal interaction and how they are used to make sense of others' actions and words.
• It highlights the role of interactions in creating society and institutions.
• Max Weber's influence on this approach acknowledges the existence of social structures, but argues they are created through individual actions.

Criticism of Symbolic Interactionism

• The approach has been criticized for ignoring the larger issues of power and social structures that constrain individual action.

Levels of Analysis: Macro & Micro-Sociology

• Micro sociology focuses on individual-level analysis, while macro sociology examines structure-level analysis.
• Meso-level analysis, which is the most common, combines both micro and macro levels.

Purpose of Sociology

• Sociology helps us appreciate different perspectives and understand different societies.
• It provides practical help in evaluating policy initiatives and has practical applications in careers like planning, social work, and journalism.
• Sociology also provides self-enlightenment and helps us control our own lives.

Burawoy's 4 Types of Sociology

• Professional Sociology: scientific, university-based, and provides academic careers.
• Policy Sociology: studies with goals defined by clients (funding bodies or governments).
• Critical Sociology: critiques flawed assumptions of professional and policy sociology, e.g., feminist theory.
• Public Sociology: rooted in dialogue, engages with social groups, and is more politically engaged.

Public and Professional Sociology

• Michael Burawoy argued for a new "public sociology" that would engage with audiences beyond universities.
• Criticisms of Burawoy's approach include:
  • Overlap between the 4 types (e.g., feminist theory can be both critical and professional).
  • Danger of sociology becoming subordinated to political motives.
  • Validity of the argument that professional sociology is not engaged enough with public concerns.