Sociology Chapter 1 Quiz

Introduction to Sociology

• Sociology is the study of human society.
• Thinking like a sociologist involves questioning assumptions about society.
• This leads to a better understanding of the world.

Paradox

• A successful sociologist makes the familiar strange.

The Sociological Imagination

• Sociological imagination connects individuals' lives to impersonal historical forces.
• It encourages questioning the familiar.
• This term was coined by C. Wright Mills.
• This perspective helps understand everyday life from an outside perspective.

Private Troubles vs. Public Issues

• Private troubles are individual-based issues.
• Public issues have broader social causes.
• Private troubles can stem from personal factors.

What are the True Costs and Returns of College?

• College graduates earn significantly more over their lifetimes than high school graduates.
• The learning aspect of college should be examined.

Getting That "Piece of Paper"

• If higher education is solely about the diploma, why not forge one?
• Universities protect their status through informal mechanisms, like alumni networks.

Asha Rangappa Interview

• Asha Rangappa, dean of admissions at Yale Law School, discussed the role of class in acceptance.

Discussion

• The discussion prompts students to reflect on their reasons for being in college and if expectations align with their own.

Sociological Imagination Template

• The Sociological Imagination template provides a framework for analysis.
• It helps analyze individual's role in society and social structures.
• This also analyzes socialization and the interaction between causes and effects.

Sociological Imagination - Four Interdependent Sensibilities

• Historical factors: How does the past influence the present?
• Cultural factors: How do traditions, values, and beliefs impact behavior?
• Structural factors: How do social organizations and institutions affect lives?
• Critical factors: What alternative futures are possible?

What is a Social Institution?

• Social institutions are interdependent positions shaping behavior.
• They perpetuate themselves across time.
• Examples include education, religion, and government.

Social Structures That Make Up College

• Legal system, education system, educational testing, wage labor market, and English language.

Discussion Question 2

• What is the identity of your college or university?
• What is your connection to it?
• What are the key narratives about your education institution?
• To what extent does your experience compare to your perception of it?

The Sociology of Sociology

• This discusses the influential sociological thinkers and their theories.

Auguste Comte and the Creation of Sociology

• Auguste Comte (1798-1857) developed "social physics" or positivism.
• Positivism emphasized using the scientific method in sociology.

Harriet Martineau

• Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) was among the earliest feminists.
• She translated Comte's works.
• She covered topics from education to government.

Classical Sociological Theory: Karl Marx

• Karl Marx (1818-1883) focused on historical materialism and class conflicts.
• Marxism, an alternative to capitalism, derived from his writings.

Classical Sociological Theory: Max Weber

• Max Weber (1864-1920) emphasized the importance of understanding the meaning behind actions.
• Verstehen, the concept of understanding, underpins interpretive sociology.
• Interpretive sociology explores how people view and experience the world.

Classical Sociological Theory: Émile Durkheim

• Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) focused on how society holds together and examines how capitalism impacted social relationships.
• Anomie is a sense of aimlessness or despair when social expectations are unclear or lacking.

Classical Sociological Theory: Georg Simmel

• George Simmel (1858-1918) studied formal sociology, focusing on the dynamics of pure numbers in groups.
• He significantly contributed to urban and cultural sociology.

American Sociology

• Early American sociology gained prominence at the University of Chicago.
• The Chicago School emphasized empirical research and the impact of environments on individuals.
• Figures like Robert Park, Louis Wirth, George Herbert Mead, and Charles Horton Cooley are key figures in this school.

American Sociology: W.E.B. Du Bois

• W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), a key figure in African-American sociology.
• He undertook ethnography of the African-American community.
• He developed the concept of "double consciousness," highlighting the experiences of African Americans.

American Sociology: Jane Addams

• Jane Addams (1860-1935) founded Hull House and exemplified the Chicago School's research methods.
• Although influential, she wasn't treated as a peer to her male counterparts.

Modern Sociological Theories: Functionalism

• Functionalism emphasizes the functions performed by various social institutions.
• Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) was central to functionalism in the mid-20th century.

Modern Sociological Theories: Conflict Theory

• Conflict theory emphasizes the influence of conflict on social change.
• It posits that social inequality stems from the conflict between different groups.

Modern Sociological Theory: Symbolic Interactionism

• Symbolic interactionism examines shared meanings and how they motivate actions.
• Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory applied theatrical concepts to social interaction.
• Social facades and how people present themselves are important elements.

Modern Sociological Theory: Postmodernism

• Postmodernism questions progress and history.
• It emphasizes pastiche, imitation, and multiple identities.
• Social construction plays a key role in postmodern society.

Modern Sociological Theory: Midrange Theory

• Midrange theory offers explanations of generalizable behaviors.
• It bridges the gap between macrosociology and microsociology.

Modern Sociological Theory: Feminist Theory

• Feminism criticizes the societal subordination of women.
• Early feminist theories focused on defining and challenging conventional ideas about sex and gender.

Discussion

• The discussion focuses on the contrast between functionalism and conflict theory and how these differ in their understanding of inequality

Sociology and Its Cousins

• This section differentiates sociology from other disciplines like history, anthropology, psychology, biology, economics and political science.

Differentiating Sociology from Other Fields

• Other fields tend to concentrate on specific circumstances or focus at a more micro or macro-level.

Julia Adams Interview

• Julia Adams, a historical comparative sociologist, discusses the differences between sociologists and historians.

Divisions within Sociology

• This covers the difference between macro-level and micro-level sociological approaches.

Microsociology and Macrosociology

• Microsociology studies local interactions.
• Methods include ethnography and in-depth interviews.
• Macrosociology examines broader social dynamics across the entire society.