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What is sociology?
What is sociology?
Sociology is defined as the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole societies, and the human world.
What is the scope of sociology?
What is the scope of sociology?
The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing encounters between individuals on the street to the investigation of international relations and global forms of terrorism.
According to C. Wright Mills, what is required to do sociological work?
According to C. Wright Mills, what is required to do sociological work?
The 'sociological imagination' is required to think oneself away from familiar routines of daily life in order to look at them from a new perspective.
What did Auguste Comte consider sociology to be?
What did Auguste Comte consider sociology to be?
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Emile Durkheim believed social facts are subjective and changeable.
Emile Durkheim believed social facts are subjective and changeable.
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Durkheim argued that older cultures with a low division of labour exhibited __________ solidarity.
Durkheim argued that older cultures with a low division of labour exhibited __________ solidarity.
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What term did Karl Marx use to refer to the industrial working class?
What term did Karl Marx use to refer to the industrial working class?
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According to Marx, what drives historical development?
According to Marx, what drives historical development?
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Marx believed that the final stage of societal development would involve workers' revolution to establish communism.
Marx believed that the final stage of societal development would involve workers' revolution to establish communism.
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Weber proposed that religious values, especially ________, were fundamental in creating capitalism.
Weber proposed that religious values, especially ________, were fundamental in creating capitalism.
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Match the sociologist with their theoretical approach:
Match the sociologist with their theoretical approach:
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What did Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton contribute to functionalism?
What did Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton contribute to functionalism?
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Study Notes
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.
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Explore the basics of sociology, understanding the complexities of the world we live in, and the questions that arise from it. Learn what sociology is and its significance in today's world.
