CHAPTER 1: THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?

The systematic study of social and human groups

Mainly social relationships, attitudes, and society as a whole.

Society is a large grouping sharing the same territory and political authority, as well as cultural expectations.

C. Wright Mills- The sociological imagination

Mill’s term for relationship between individual’s and society’s experiences. (personal vs. public)

THE GLOBAL SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

High, Middle, and Low income countries High represents technologically

advanced, with relatively high levels of personal income. United States, Japan, Western Europe

Middle represents growing industry and moderate income levels. Brazil, Mexico, Latin America, arguably

China Low corresponds to agrarian nations

with little to no industrialization or income. Parts of Africa, Asia, India

GLOBAL DIVERSITY

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This is mostly all of Chapter 1, so there are others. However these are perhaps the core founders of modern sociology and therefore important to know.

Feel free to switch between this and the next slide to “quiz” yourself on what these individuals did, or contributed.

1) Plato, Aristotle2) Auguste Comte3) Harriet Martineau4) Herbert Spencer5) Emile Durkheim6) Karl Marx7) Max Weber8) Georg Simmel9) W.E.B. Dubois10) Robert E. Park11) Erving Goffman12) C. Wright Mills13) Talcott Parsons/ Robert Merton14) George H. Mead

More precise definitions and examples are listed in the chapter index of the book.

1) Speculation on what an ideal society was

2) Coined “sociology,” and the ideas of knowledge Theological, Metaphysical, Scientific/ Positive

3) Condensed Comte’s work, believed society would benefit most from equal treatment of sexes

4) Social Darwinism, argued society like an organism

5) Father of Sociology, social facts (patterned ways of acting outside individuals, but effects each person) Anomie

6) Class conflict, between bourgeoisie and proletariat

7) Verstehen, sight of the world as others see it

8) Social interactions, group communication, thoughts on money and how it molds society

9) Dual heritage creates double consciousness, conflicting values/ identities

10) Head of first Sociology department at Chicago

11) Dramaturgical Analysis, “world is a stage”

12) Sociological Imagination

13) Functionalist perspective, latent and manifest functions

14) Symbolic-Interactionist perspective

THE MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

Macro-level Functionalist

Society is a stable ordered system See homeostasis

Conflict Society’s groups in

continuous power struggle Neo-Marxist,

Racial-Ethnic, and Feminist (gender)

Micro-level Symbolic-Interactionist

Society’s day to day behaviors, interactions, communications/ symbolism

Postmodernist Micro and Macro-level

Characterized by industry, information exchange, and shift from production to consumption

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Anthropology Though like Sociology in studying human

behavior, Anthropology is more concerned with geographic and evolutionary existence of humanity over time

Psychology A systematic study of behavior and

mental processes as a function of the individual’s mind, as opposed to the group’s

Economics Focuses mainly on the economy of a

society, though the macro and micro theories are directly dependent on a group’s, as well as an individual’s actions (or inactions…)

Political Science The study of the political institution in

society, power, policies, laws and ethics.

REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

o Sociology In Our Times (Seventh Edition)o By: Diana Kendall

o Notes incorporatedo By: James V. Thomas, NIU Professor (Emeritus)o Formatted By: Jacob R. Kalnins, NIU student

o Pictures Incorporatedo Clip Art (PowerPoint: 2007)o Google Images: Sociology In Our Times