Principles of Sociology Chapter 1

Sociology

Study of people in groups Study of human social interaction Study of society Study of the web of social relationships Scientific study of the causes and consequences of human social interaction

General Characteristics of Sociology

Categorical rather than normative

Concerned with what is not what ought to be

Pure not an applied social science

Get information and let others use it

Abstract rather than concrete social science

Looks for forms and patterns of behavior

Sociologists Are Not

Not necessarily someone who likes to work with or help peoplecriminologists, social workers, statisticians or totally detached Concerned with Social Factsfeelings and ways of behaving outside the individual

Sociological Imagination
From classical article written by C. Wright Mills Understanding that social situations maybe a product of society and not fully in the control of the individuality Ability to see our own life and that of others as part of a larger human drama

Sociological Consciousness

Institutions stable and predicable

arrangements among people

Makes us aware of facts of truth Helps us to see the difference between the real and ideal
Why do people get married, value of education, what democracy really means Makes us aware of marginal peoplehomeless

Trouble vs Issues

Troubles are private matters

Like personal motivation Loss of a job Family problems

Issues are public matters

Things beyond an individuals control Unemployment

See the connection between the two

Industrial Revolution
When sociology orginated Auguste Comte--used the word sociology in 1838

He observed change in society Saw events changing daily lives

Industrial change
Movement of people from villages to cities Working in factories away from families

Industrial Revolution

Families go from extended to nuclear City life transformed work and family life More social problems were seen Nature of work changed with machines Mechanization-use of external sources of power and people did not create all their own goods

Industrial Revolution

Rapid social change--occurs when society speeds up

Society begins to develop faster Travel becomes more common New forms of social interaction occur Pace is too fast for some people and they fall off by embracing social movements or getting involved in drugs and/or crime

Industrial Revolution

Nature of work changes

People now worked in factories Standardization of work

Ones interaction is influenced by work Nature of interaction changes

People communicate with a broader spectrum of peoplerailways, planes, internet

First period--1905-1918
Pioneers in teaching sociology in colleges Many early sociologists were the sons of small town ministers They looked at social problems Urbanism was seen as a source of problems Were conservative and sought social reform American Sociological Association est. 1905

Sociology in the United States

Second era--1918-1935
Period after World War I left people disillusioned Sociologists began to use the scientific method Wanted sociology to be value-free--study what is there without being judgmental

Sociology in the United States

Third period--1935-54
Sociologists began to integrate theory, research, and application Sociologists became more professionalized Encouraged the use of basic research

Sociology in the United States

Period four--Coming of the Age of Sociology--1954--on

Supreme court case of Brown v Board of Education of Topeka Kansas--initiated a call for racial integration Began numerous rights movements--Vietnam War, Women, Gays and Elderly Sociology exploded in early part of this period

Sociology in the United States

Early European sociological theorists supported the global understanding by studying people from many cultures Lives of people are now intertwined Events of the world effect us all U.S. has the most powerful and diverse economy in the world U.S. military presence is in 130 countries in the world

Importance of Global Perspective

Other areas about the world

Goods and services move all over the world Multinational corporations change social relationships Globalization from above connects people while from below means an attempt to protect people, their environment and lives What does Made in the USA mean

Importance of Global Perspective

Global themes help us to appreciate how an action in one part of the world affect people in another American can refer to people in Brazil or Canada Sociology helps us understand global interdependence

Importance of Global Perspective

There are many job opportunities Social services, corrections, business, health, publishing, journalism, public relations, government jobs and teaching The concepts and sociological perspective are important to people in all kinds of fields

Why Study Sociology