SOA 108 1st EditionExam # 1 Study Guide Lectures: 1 - 6Lecture 1 (January 15)Critical thinking in sociology- Learning how to think for yourself What is critical thinking?CLASS RESPONSE:- In depth>considering complexity of issues- Outside the box>creative thinking- Evaluating- Observation and analysis (data, using senses)- Challenging status quo and yourselfPROFESSOR’S RESPONSE- Thinking about thinking>explaining your reasoning- Purposeful, self-regulatory judgment resulting in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, andinference- Problem solving process (Dewey)- Reflective thinking that ends up resolving- Correct assessment of statements- “For myself, I found that I was fitted for nothing so well as for the study of Truth; as having a mind nimble and versatile enough to catch the resemblances of things … and atthe same time steady enough to fix and distinguish their subtler differences; as being gifted by nature with desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and as being a man that neither affects what is new nor admires what is old, and that hates every kind of imposture.” –Francis Bacon*Critical thinking is a skill involving knowledge of content, concept formation and analysis, reasoning and drawing conclusions, recognizing and avoiding contradictions and other essential cognitive activities- Creative thinking: outside the box- Constructive thinking: out of personal experience- Practical thinking: learn how to use and applyApplication of critical thinking- 4 stage process1. Understanding: comprehend content and intent of text through reading and listening2. Evaluation: do you accept views presented? Conclusions valid?3. Reasons for the evaluation: invoke higher levels of reasoning to support or refute authors views4. Creative resolution: if views are wrong, what suggestions can be offered? If views areright, what additions can be offered?Lower level reasoning: not questioning, just acceptingHigher level reasoning: questioning, thinkingWhat is sociology?- The study of human social behaviour, mainly deals with how individuals are shaped by social groups, families, etc. and in turn how these groups are created and maintained by individuals who compose them*Groups are very important - Sociology is very concerned with patterns and explains similarities and differences of social phenomenon regardless of time and space (social order, family socialization)- Groups, patterns, global perspectiveBasic principles of sociology- People behave differently in groups- People obey socially constructed rules- Some people have more say so in making rules- There are rewards for following rules and penalties for breaking them- The rules of society can be studied scientificallyLecture 2 (January 20)Sociological imaginationThese are the basic principles of sociology**from previous lectureScience is data. Science is observable. Science is theory.What do sociologists do?- Monitor societal change/conditions through research- Interpret social conditions from the sociological perspective- Provide suggestions for changeC. Wright Mills: sociologist who introduced the phrase sociological imagination (insight offered by sociology)1. Personal troubles of Milieu-biographya. Local environmentb. Personal relationshipc. Individual abilityd. Personal choice2. Public issues of social structure-historya. Institutional structure (economy, education, politics, religion)b. Global environmentc. Social structureLecture 3 (January 22)Introduction to social problems: 4 Questions to ponder (Charon)1. What is a problem?a. Determined by valuesb. Perceived effect on functioning of societyc. Something very difficult to identify2. What is a social problem?a. To the extent that the cause is social (social origin)b. Seriously harms large number of people (harmful)c. Threatens continuity of societyd. Agreement that it’s wrong and must be changed3. What causes social problems?a. Caused by the nature of societyb. Social structures and culture create conditions for social problems4. How can we solve social problems?a. Society is always changing, bringing about new problems to be addressedb. Social problems are highly complexc. No societal consensus about what constitutes a social problem and its solutiond. Social problems can be solved is myth. Why harmful? If you know it can’t be solved,you might not even try to improve or mitigate conditionsLecture 4 (January 22)Thinking about social problems sociologicallyWhat is a social problem?- No definition- Objective element: the existence of a social condition that undermines the well-being society- Bias (without)- Data (empirical)- Measurable- Subjective element: the belief that a particular social condition is harmful to society or to a segment of society and that the condition should and can be changed- Feelings- Beliefs- Values- Social problems vary within society, across society, and across historical time periodsElements of social structure- Refers to the way society is organized- Society is organized into- Institutions - Social groups- Statuses- Roles - A set of relatively stable roles - Roles or patterns of relationships among status- Enduring- Constraining- Predictable- ConsistentInstitution: an established and enduring pattern of social relationshipFive traditional institutions- Family- Religion- Politics- Economics- EducationSocial Groups- Any two people who have a common identity, interact, and form a social relationship*Primary groups are intimate and informal*Secondary are task orientedStatuses- A social position that a person occupies within a social group*Ascribed status: status assigned on the basis of factors with no control (ethnicity, gender)*Achieved status: status assigned on the basis of some characteristics over which the individual has control (college grad)- A persons master status is considered most significant- Occupational status regarded as master statusRoles- The set of behaviours and rightsElements of culture- Beliefs - Definitions and explanations about what is assumed to be true- Values- Social agreements about what is considered food and bas, right and wrong, desirable and undesirable- Norms- Social rules about what is considered acceptable in a certain situation1. Folkways: casual norms, customs, and manners of society2. Laws (not as important): formal norms backed by society3. Mores: norms against unjustified assaults on other