Sociology

Notable Sociologists

Auguste Comte He is seen as the father of Sociology He coined the term Sociology in reference

to the new science of society

Terms

Sociology Behavioral science that studies human society and

social behavior.

Society Group of mutually interdependent people who have

organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity

Social interaction How people relate to one another and influence

each other’s behavior

Terms

Culture The beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects

that constitute a peoples' way of life Socialization

Lifelong social experience by which individuals develop their human potential and learn patterns of their culture

Personality A person’s fairly consistent patterns of thinking,

feeling, and behaving Socialization has a strong influence on one’s

personality

Five Components of Culture

1. Physical objects – Artifacts Material culture

Automobiles, clothing, books, buildings, cooking utensils and computers

Non-material culture Language, ideas, beliefs, rules, skills, family

patterns, work practices, and political and economic systems

Five Components of Culture

2. Symbols Anything that stands for something else.

Five Components of Culture

3. Language The organization of written and spoken

symbols into a standardized system The way a society expresses ideas and

communicate with each other Includes non-verbal symbols

4. Values Shared beliefs about what is good or bad,

right or wrong, desirable or undesirable

Five Components of Culture

5. Norms Shared rules of conduct that tell people

how to act in specific situations Folkways – norms that do not have great

moral significance attached to them Informal ways of doing things Folkways do not endanger the society

Mores – norms that have great moral significance attached to them Violation of mores endangers the society Laws – written rules of conduct

Factors that Affect Personality

Is personality learned or are you born with it? There are three main factors that affect the

development of our personality Nature vs. Nurture Birth order Parental characteristics – education, religion,

economic status, cultural heritage occupation The cultural environment – U.S. competitiveness,

assertive, individualism, male vs. female, etc.

Agents of Socialization

Family Most important socializing agent, especially up to

age 5 or 6 Family based socialization is not all intentional.

(environment is important) Research shows attention is very important

Examples: physical contact, verbal, nonverbal School

Major socializing agent for ages 6-13 Hidden curriculum – activities that teach students

key cultural values Example: achievement, success, moral values

Agents of Socialization

Peers Major socializing agent for ages 13-20 This is a time of breaking away from direct adult

supervision. Peers develop social relationships on their own Develop a sense of identity apart from their

families During this time:

Peers may guide short-term goals such as dress and music

Parents still maintain greater influence over long-term goals such as educational aspirations

Agents of Socialization

Mass Media Impersonal communications directed at

large audiences. Examples:

TV – average household has a television on for 7 hours a day.

Music Books – content analysis Magazines Radio – DJs, talk show hosts