Title: Untitled Document
Course: SOC 210 RTZ

Chapter 1 Overview
Introduction to Sociology SOC101

What is Sociology?

Sociology is a systematic study of social behavior and human groups

Sociology as a Social Science

Social constructions of various paradigms;

Race, aging, deviance, crime, race, family, human ecology, religion, culture, gender, childhood, etc…

Employs theories beyond ‘the obvious’

Common sense need not apply

‘Effective’ theories need to be explanatory and predictive powers – but not common sense

Deconstructing social behaviors scientifically can promote social movement/change

Theorists *Classical (European)

Auguste Comte coined term….

Sociology

Harriet Martineau gave special attention to …

Social class distinctions (gender and race)

Herbert Spencer applied…

Evolutionary theories to development of societies

Émile Durkheim focused on…

Understanding behavior w/in larger social context

Durkheim suggested…

Religion reinforces group solidarity

Karl Mark suggested society is…

divided between classes that clash in pursuit of their own interests

Theorists *Classical (U.S.)

Charles Horton Cooley …

Preferred smaller groups face/face

Jane Addams was a social activism to serve…

Underprivileged via intell. inquiry and soc. Services

Robert Merton produced a theory to …

Explain deviant behavior & emphasize macro/micro

French – Pierre Bourdieu theorized…

Capital incl. accumulated knowledge, prestige, formal schooling, and social connections that are passed on from one generation to the next

Functionalist Perspective

Society is a living organism

Each part contributes to survival (can you cut off your head?)

Talcott Parsons was key developer of theory

Greatly influenced by Durkheim, Weber and others

Manifest Functions - open stated, conscious – involving intended consequences within society

Latent Functions – Unconscious, unintended – hidden purposes

Dysfunction – element/process disrupts society

Conflict Perspective

Social world is in continual struggle

Karl Marx – views this as inevitable because….
The exploitation of workers under capitalism

W.E.B. Du Bois – Race- was first African American graduate from Harvard and helped form National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Feminist Perspective –Gender- many FP theorists says inequality in all patriarchal societies are inevitable

Macro sociological viewpoints…

Ida Wells-Barnett explored what it meant to be black and female… one of the first feminist theorists

Interactionist Perspective
a.k.a. Symbolic Interactionism

Fundamental/everyday forms of interaction including symbols & nonverbal communication

George Herbert Mead is founder of theory (U.S.)

Erving Goffman’s Dramaturgical Approach

Performance in everyday life…

Micro level has now become the focus of many sociologists as this perspective brings great interests to analyzing phenomena

It is critical to understand these theories and their place within the social construction of society. The relationship between society and the indvidual and society is what we will look at over the next 16 weeks. Please contact me for more assistance on these theories or ideas. The DB's are critical use of how to apply these theories to your everyday life.

HERE WE GO!!!!