Sociology : Chapter 1

Sociology: systematic study of human society, social groups and social interactions Rol: expected performance of someone who occupies a specific position. Ex mother, teacher. Sociologists try to why people play one role rather than another. Social structure: Is the larger structure of the play in which the roles appears> Ex the student role has a social structure call education Sociological Imagination: Realize that some personal troubles are actually public issues of a larger social context, meaning that are product of the society and not fully within the control of the individual. Ex: unemployment; doing poorly at school bse he is not stupid but has lack of parents support. Ability to see our lives as a part of a larger social structure. This is important to understand others behaviors by looking their social context rather trying to change individuals Sociology as a social science: sociology is concerned with people and with the rules of behavior that structure the interaction between people , and the pattern of this interactions ( how they are develop, maintained and changed). Sociology has interest in human behavior and in society . ( other soc sciences share the same such political science, economics , psychology, anthropology) They follow the scientific method: Empirical research based in systematic examination of evidence before reaching conclusions. (C. Wright Mills) Anthropologists: Interested in human and non human culture: ex: rape is more common in some cultures rather than others. Science of Man Celebrations particular for a type of culture ( Bar mitzvahs, Prom) Psychologists: Study of Human behavior.Focus in individual behaviors and thought patterns: some individual experience more anxiety or gambling tendencies than others. Political scientists studies political systems and behaviors: how dictatorships rise and fall. Economic: study of production and distribution of good and services Sociologists: Interested in social groups and social interactions. The groups in which you interact determine your life. The groups controls your life. Interactions is the key of sociology. Sociology is the scientific study of groups. Culture is ideas about life. Focus in group formation, and culture as and understanding of perspective of man. The Emergence of Sociology: Sociology emerged as in inquiry during political, economic and intellectual upheaveals of 18s or 19s century. Started in Germany and in France, after spread to England and America. Rationalism and science replace tradition and belief as

methods of understanding the world. The Industrial Revolution was an example of great impact in the society, and the changes promoted intellectual inspiration and scientific research, and empirical study of society. August Compte: It was a positivist . He suggested the that the social world can be studied with accuracy and predictable manner the same way as the natural world is studied, predicting and controlling events. Apply the laws of Natural science to Social science. Founder of Sociology term. There is tendencies and we can do predictions. Life consist in repetitions. As you have many repetitions, you can have patterns, and then you have Trends and this is the essence of all sciences. The study of society must be scientific. He divided the study of society in Social Statics( aspects of social life r/t order, stability and social organization that allow social groups to hold together, and Social Dinamics: Process of social life that pattern institutional development and have to do with social change. Karl Marx: Was a philosopher , economist, and social activist, German ( received a doctorate at 23 y/o). He expend most of his life in exile and poverty due to his radical views. He view poverty and inequality as human made conditions fostered by capitalism and private property and devoted his efforts to eliminate capitalism. Emile Durkheim: Major contribution was his contribution to balance social regulation with personal freedom. The beneficial regulation must not rub the individual of all the freedom of choice. Suicide studies: He identify 2 types of suicide: Fatalistic: society overregulates and allows too little freedom or independence.( young husband with too many responsabilities). Anomic suicide: when there is too much freedom., and too little regulation. Social integration is necessary for maintenance of social order for the happiness of the individual and the sense of meaning in the context of a group. Destruction of social bonds(divorce0 has negative consequences and that can increase the chances the individual commit suicide or deviant behavior( picked up by others from his central idea) Max Weber: German, philosopher. He provided theoretical base for dozen areas of sociological inquiry: Religion, burocracy, method, politics. Three of his contributions were: He made enfasis in the subjective meaning of social actions, giving importance to social vs economic causes, and in the necessity of objectivity when studying social issues. He believed that knowing patterns of behaviors is less important that knowing the meaning attached to that behavior. He believes in the subjective meaning of human actions(ex: is more important understand the meaning of divorce than divorce statistics). He rejected Marx ideas of economics factors were the determinants of all other social relationships. He tried to demonstrate that social and religious values may be the foundation of economics systems.( religious values of early Protestantism were the foundation of capitalism) He said that S must be Value-free ( concerned in what is and not in what ought to be): neutrality ( contradictory with Marx. ( feelings should be put aside when study poverty in order to achieve an objective grasp of facts)). Sociologists must not

allow their personal biases to affect their scientific research. Promoted objectivity. As a goal. U.S. Sociology: emphasis in social problems, reforming problems, scientific method( salient issues: rascism, ethnic discrimination: slavery, Civil war) W.E.B. DuBois: developed empirical data of African American to combat rascism. James Adams:Nobel prize winner, founder of social services and community activism in a Chicago slum: she work in legislation for better juvenile justice system, public sanitation, services for the poor. Talcott Parsons : Parsons developed a general theory for the study of society called action theory, Although he was generally considered a major structuralist functionalist scholar, in an article late in life, Parsons explicitly wrote that the term "functional" or "structural functionalist" were inappropriate ways to describe the character of his theory. Structural functionalism is a broad perspective in sociology and anthropology which sets out to interpret society as a structure with interrelated parts. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions and institutions. Address the question of how social organization is maintained ( roots in natural science and analogy with an organism). The parts are the structures and how they work are the functions. They assume : Stability( the pattern contribute to the maintenance of the society?), Harmony( the parts have to be in Harmony), Evolution( Change always occur through evolution) . 1) what is the nature of the social structure( patterns )? 2) What are the consequencesof this structure( does it promote stability or harmony?) -The social structures fit together to form a whole. - there are concensus and shared values Level of analysis: social structure Functions: consequences of social structures that has positive effects on the stability of society. Dysfunctions: The opposite to functions Manifiest: Recognized or intended consequences Latent: unrecognized and unintended consequences Manifiest function(intended + outcome): give legal recognition when a battered woman kill her abuser Manifiest Dysfunction: (intended negative outcome): could serve as a excuse to kill abusers Latent Function( unintended positive): encourages the view of women as irrationals: Bse it contributes to reinforce gender roles is considered Function(+) Latent Dysfunction( unintended neg outcome): difficult to maintain custodia of children.

Conflict theory: