Sociology 231Sociology 231

The Sociological Perspective

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What Is Sociology?What Is Sociology? It is one of the Social Sciences along with:It is one of the Social Sciences along with:

– Psychology, Anthropology, Criminology, Psychology, Anthropology, Criminology, Economics, Political Science, and HistoryEconomics, Political Science, and History

The study of social life and the social causes The study of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behaviorand consequences of human behavior– Sociologists look for the social causes/influences Sociologists look for the social causes/influences

of human behaviorof human behavior– Looks beyond psychologyLooks beyond psychology

Sociologists rely on “The Sociological Sociologists rely on “The Sociological Imagination”Imagination”

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The Sociological Imagination is the Ability to See the Relationship Between

Individual Experiences and the Larger Society in Which They

Occur.

The Sociological Imagination is the Ability to See the Relationship Between

Individual Experiences and the Larger Society in Which They

Occur.

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Sociologists try not to take anything for Sociologists try not to take anything for granted or accept anything at face valuegranted or accept anything at face value

Want to “peel” back the layers of realityWant to “peel” back the layers of reality Are generally skeptical of explanations Are generally skeptical of explanations

about human behavior or situations until about human behavior or situations until proven to be trueproven to be true– Always ask “why?” and “how?”Always ask “why?” and “how?”

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Why ???? Why ????

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Because not everything Because not everything is what it seems...is what it seems...

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Also, We Sometimes Also, We Sometimes Rely On Common Rely On Common Sense To Explain Sense To Explain Human Behavior Human Behavior

And Other And Other SituationsSituations

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ExamplesExamples Those who suffered from child abuse are more Those who suffered from child abuse are more

likely to abuse their childrenlikely to abuse their children Those who live together before marriage have a Those who live together before marriage have a

better chance of a successful marriage than better chance of a successful marriage than those who did not live togetherthose who did not live together

Couples with children are happier than those Couples with children are happier than those who do not have childrenwho do not have children

The majority of those on welfare are lazy and The majority of those on welfare are lazy and really don’t want to workreally don’t want to work

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Why Study Sociology?Why Study Sociology?

Helps us determine why people do the Helps us determine why people do the things that they dothings that they do– E.g. Why do some people grow up to be child E.g. Why do some people grow up to be child

abusers, alcoholics, poor, etc.?abusers, alcoholics, poor, etc.? Allows us to make important decisions Allows us to make important decisions

regarding policies, laws, etc. that effect regarding policies, laws, etc. that effect societysociety– Example: What is the best way to treat povertyExample: What is the best way to treat poverty

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How And Why Did Sociology How And Why Did Sociology Emerge?Emerge?

19th Century governments began 19th Century governments began collecting statistics on:collecting statistics on:

Criminal activityCriminal activity Birth and death ratesBirth and death rates Suicide ratesSuicide rates

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The Result:The Result:

Social scientists discovered patterns that Social scientists discovered patterns that seemed contradictory to common senseseemed contradictory to common sense

Noticed that these patterns remained Noticed that these patterns remained consistent, again defying common senseconsistent, again defying common sense

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Suicide As An ExampleSuicide As An Example Common sense suggested suicide was an Common sense suggested suicide was an

individualistic, random actionindividualistic, random action Yet, if this were true, we would expect to see Yet, if this were true, we would expect to see

fluctuations, not stable patternsfluctuations, not stable patterns Yet 3 patterns emergedYet 3 patterns emerged

– Rates were extremely stable from year to yearRates were extremely stable from year to year– Rates often varied greatly from one place to Rates often varied greatly from one place to

anotheranother– Suicide rates were rising all over EuropeSuicide rates were rising all over Europe

These Patterns and the questions they These Patterns and the questions they elicited gave rise to sociologyelicited gave rise to sociology

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Durkheim’s View of SuicideDurkheim’s View of Suicide

Durkheim challenged purely psychological Durkheim challenged purely psychological explanations for suicideexplanations for suicide– Noticed that suicide was more than just an individual Noticed that suicide was more than just an individual

act, social forces played a roleact, social forces played a role He found that two things determine who is at risk for

suicide– Social integration (How imbedded in a social network

are you?)– Social regulation (How tightly does the society or

reference group regulate you?)

Found that there were four types of suicide, each of which corresponded to the two variables above

HighHigh

LowLow

IntegrationIntegration RegulationRegulation

HighHigh

LowLow

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Durkheim’s 4 Types of Suicide Altruistic (extreme social integration)

– Found that those who were extremely integrated in groups had high suicide rates

» E.g. Military personal

Egoistic (lack of social integration)– Found that people with few family and friendship ties had

higher suicide rates

Fatalistic (extreme social regulation)– Found that those whose lives were excessively ordered by

agents over whom they have no control had higher suicide rates

» E.g. prisoners and mental patients

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Anomic (lack of social regulation)– Found that those whose lives were loosely regulated

had higher suicide rates» E.g. Individuals with a lot of power, rock stars (Kurt

Cobain)

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Conclusions

Psychological explanations cannot fully explain why people commit suicide

Social integration and regulation help determine who is more at risk for suicide– In short, social relationships (or lack thereof) shape

the decision to commit suicide