Ch. 1_ Lens of Sociology PDF

1.​ Things are not what they seem ​ Strange in the Familiar → looking for ways societal forces have shaped your choices (rather than assuming they are solely determined by personal choice). ​ General in the Particular → seeing the patterns happening in society which are...

1.​ Things are not what they seem ​ Strange in the Familiar → looking for ways societal forces have shaped your choices (rather than assuming they are solely determined by personal choice). ​ General in the Particular → seeing the patterns happening in society which are evident through individuals’ behaviour (looking beyond personal situation to realize societal patterns also shape your choices). ○​ Ex: When unemployment rate increases, postsecondary enrolment also rise b/c economic downturns motivate people to improve their educational qualities. ​ Social Patterns?? ​ Norms → learning how we are “supposed to” act based on what we see in society around us. ​ Agency → your own capacity to make personal choices, which in turn impact society around you. ​ Sociological Imagination → the ability to recognize the myriad of ways in which the micro and macro level are intertwined. Not only about thinking but about action. **** Social Forces → Macro Level → SOCIETY ← Micro Level ← Individuals (have agency) Personal Choice → Family & Friends → Life Chances → Societal Norms Relationship between you & society you live in. To what degree are you YOU? → Where does YOU end and society begin? 2.​ What is Sociology -​ Systematic Study (of patterns/behaviour) -​ Objectivity -​ Patterns of Behaviour Singular explanations don’t exist in the world → complex problems require complex solutions. Can’t understand the present you, without understanding the past you. 3.​ Sociology Compared with Other Disciplines Sociology can be thought of as the “most comprehensive of the social sciences” as it studies society as a whole (not just certain aspects of society). -​ Sociology focuses on how people are connected and how they interact with each other (not just collection of things like history, government, & economy). -​ Society can be thought of as a big web where each person and their actions are linked to others. -​ These connections can lead to big social issues (ex. terrorism/environmental problems), but they also show up in everyday life (ex. how people use social media/get tattoos). -​ When sociologists study society, they pay attention to these interactions & connections, from small personal experiences to larger social influences. World Sociology emerged in: Colonialism Sociology emerged during European colonialism, where European powers assumed partial/full control over other nations → making Europeans aware of other cultures and learning the different ways social life can be organized. -​ Created relationships of Economic Exploitation (indigenous land/people exploited). Industrialization & Revolutions -​ Industrialization → Established a capitalist economic system (transition to wage labour & growing urbanization). -​ French Revolution → absolute monarchies replaced by democratic systems of governance. -​ Enlightenment → brought an age of reason based on science rather than religion. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) -​ Created the foundation for the sociological perspective. -​ Suggested that scientific methods could be used to study social life → called it “Social Physics” which is the study of the nature of the social world -​ Social Physcis focused on 2 dimensions: 1)​ Social Organization (Social Statics) 2)​Social Change (Social Dynamics) 4.​ Sociological Imagination Toolkit Empirical Research Methods Empirical Methods are used to create the “reliable knowledge” required to serve as the basis for social action. -​ Through direct observation of the social, sociological research generates findings that are verifiable and systematic. 5.​ Sociological Theorizing Sociological Approaches Positivist Approach Positivism → science and scientific method can be applied to study of society. Can’t improve things if we can’t criticize them. -​ Criticism of positivism → does not account for the context of the problem. Interpretive Approach -​ Max Weber (1864-1920) -​ Verstehen → -​ Context → Critical Approach -​ Karl Marx (1813-1883)  -​ Power → -​ Struggle → -​ Emancipation & Freedom → Classical V. Contemporary Sociological Theories: Classical → theories developed in the early years of sociology & form the foundation for subsequent theorizing. Contemporary → theories created more recently (~since mid-20th century). 6.​ Core Sociological Theoretical Perspectives Think of each sociological perspective as a different “lens” through which one can view the world. -​ Adapting Darker/Brighter Lenses: shows the good and bad of society. -​ Rose-Colored Lenses: society viewed in positive, cohesive manners, where the goal is to keep everything running smoothly. -​ Clear Lenses: nature of viewpoint depends on the person who is wearing them. Functionalist / Structural Functionalism: -​ Positivist approach  -​ Concerned with how social order is maintained (esp times of significant societal change). -​ Rosy lens → everything in society works to restore order & balance. -​ Macro perspective → society perceived as comprising a number structures (ex. institutions like family, economy, education, gov, religion, etc.) each of which fulfills important functions that keep society running smoothly. -​ Like Jenga → each block perfectly fits to help create the stable tower. If one block is removed, the entire tower will collapse (like society). Functions: 1)​ Manifest Functions: function that an institution is intended to fulfill. -​ Ex → manifest function of postsecondary education is job training. 2)​Latent functions: functions that are unintended but still have a positive outcome. -​ Ex → latent function of postsecondary education is mate selection – although educational institutions were not created to help students find people to date, it often happens nonetheless. Core Assumption: 1)​ Consensus & cooperation are fundamental to the maintenance of social order. -​ Society is made up of norms and values (ex. criteria by which we determine whether something is right/wrong,  such as the principle of equality), b/c most people agree they should exist. -​ Should an unintended problem emerge with one or more of the main foundational structures (i.e., a latent dysfunction), consensus is threatened, which puts society as a whole in peril. Durkheim (1858-1917): Foundational figure in sociology/functionalist view → claimed that the purpose of sociology was to study social facts (those aspects of society that exist over and above any specific individuals/groups, and that control people’s actions). Durkheim was most interested in Non-Material Social Facts. 1)​ Material Social Facts: have a tangible reality. -​ Ex. currency, the education system, and the government. 2)​Non-Material Social Facts: are intangible, taking the form of ideas. -​ Ex. morals, norms, and values. Because of social facts, many people act in similar ways. -​ Ex. When the national anthem is played at a sporting event, most people automatically stand up, without giving it much thought. Observed Societal Changes: Industrialization: -​ Mechanical Solidarity: social bonds based on similarities of people or by Collective Conscience (shared system of morals), →  to Organic Solidarity: social bonds based on different roles people play in the division of labor (bonds based on differences). Rapid Social Change – French Revolution & Industrialization: Social bonds disintegrate when society changes too quickly, but new ones are eventually formed. This rapid social change is called “Anomie,” state where traditional norms deteriorate, processes of social control decline, & institutions become dysfunctional. Conflict: -​ Macro Level view focusing on large institutions. -​ Takes critical approach that emphasizes power & emancipation. -​ Darker Lens → society characterized by conflict & competition over scarce resources. -​ Hierarchy → society comprised of small groups of powerful people at the top & a large group of powerless people at the bottom. -​ Those at top control the resources and therefore have a vested interest in structuring society in a way that keeps them in power and others powerless → This way, the powerful people are able to increase their own resources and maintain control of them. Karl Marx (1818-1883): One of the founders of Conflict Perspective → emphasized capitalism (economic system that emerged through industrialization) as the driving force of inequality. Focused on Power Differentials: -​ Mainly b/w Bourgeoise: owners of means of production, & Proletariat: people who work for the Bourgeoise/owners of means of production. -​ Humans are Naturally Productive → but capitalism disrupts this process b/c of its Surplus Value: products being sold for more money than they cost to produce. -​ Alienation → Bourgeoise was exploiting the Proletariat by paying them insufficient wages relative to the labor they provided, leading to a divide b/w the worker & their labour (alienation. -​ As resources are scarce, conflict arises within groups as well. Brighter Lens of Conflict Theory: Future scenario in which the Proletariat would rise up to unite & fight their oppressors. Marx emphasized Praxis: responsibility that scholars have to provide subordinated groups in society with the knowledge they need to end their powerlessness. ➔​Therefore Conflict Theory is tightly linked to large-scale social movements (ex. Civil Rights movement). Symbolic Interactionist: -​ Interpretive approach that analyzes how we develop understanding, and how that understanding grows & changes over time. -​ Attributed to George Hebert Mead (1863-1931) & Hebert Blumer (1900-1987). -​ Clear Lens: -​ Micro Level → society depicted as comprising individuals who are engaged in various forms of communication. -​ Symbolic Communication: communication through words, facial expressions, gestures, & clothing that come to mean particular things to certain people based on common shared understanding that develop b/w them. -​ Direct Communication: people talking in same room, talking on the phone, texting one another, emailing each other, etc. -​ Indirect Communication: when actors, directors, writers, journalists, new anchors, & musicians communicate to an audience at home. -​ Significant Others: specific people who are most important to us (ex. parents, partners, children, friends, favourite profs, etc.) -​ Generalized Other: not a specific person but rather an overall sense of people’s expectations, even if we are around someone not important to us, we may still care about what “others” think of the way we look/act. -​ Reflects our ability to take into account the perspectives of a multitude of nameless, faceless people. Erving Goffman (1922-1982): Proposes that social life is like theatre, w/ a front stage & back stage: -​ Front Stage: the social roles people play when in front of other people (impression management: making sure our appearance, words, & actions correspond to role we play). -​ Ex. actors performing their roles on-stage for audience. -​ Back Stage: peoples’ identities/behaviours when they are no longer in front of certain people. -​ Ex. actor getting out of character and back to their true selves rather than the role they were playing for the audience. Feminist: Past Feminism: Current Feminism: Postmodern: