Unformatted text preview:

KrohnSociologyJanuary 8 2014Sociology: The scientific study of the human society.First coined by Auguste Comte in 1833, making Sociology one of the younger academic disciplines.- According to Comte, Sociology is applying scientific rules and principles of “hard sciences” (i.e, Physics, Chem, Bio) to study human behavior and society (Positions; social physics).Three major events which gave birth to Sociology:- Industrialism: Change in nature of work from Agrarianism- Urbanization: Move from rural areas to urban areas to find work- Individualism: Emphasis on “wage labor” makes people more individualisticThe Sociological Perspective: Peter Berger in “Incitation to Sociology” out lines two principles- Seeing the General in the Particular : Identifying general patterns of behavior inparticular individuals around us. The demographics we belong to (race, gender, class, etc) affect how we behave.- Seeing the Strange in the Familiar : The familiar idea in American society is “individualism.” We are taught that as individuals we make choices in a vacuum, independent of others and their wishes. The strange idea that Berger writes of is that in actuality, and thinking sociologically, our thoughts, actions, and deeds are more dictated by society than by individualism.o Berger argues that marriage and falling in love are two examples where society actually “arranges” the people we fall in love with.o C.Wright Mills: Those experiencing social Marginalization (being an outsider) are more aware if their sociological perspective.The Sociological Imagination: Viewing individual problems in terms of social problems. We can only understand ourselves when we locate ourselves in society.Thinking sociologically and becoming aware of how society affects our behaviorsdoes not absolve any individual of responsibility of their actions. Rather, it empowers the individual to make choices in their life, free from societal constraints, and at the same time changing society for the better.Emile Durkheim – Le Suicide (1897)- Durkheim theorized that suicide is an act of social deviance. People commit suicide based on levels of social integration (integrated into your group or community) and societal regulation (control, rules guiding your day to day life).He defined integration and regulation using such factors as stability of familial relationships, religious affiliation, employment, and devotion to common goals. Balance is key. Too little integration (Egoistic) and too little regulation (Anomic) leads tosuicide.(Rates are per 100,000 pop. U.S vital Stat – 2012)Gender Men Women (19.9; 80%) (5.2; 20%)Race White African American Hispanic(16.0) (5.1) (5.9)Intersection Race/Gender: White male suicide rate (26.0), white female (6.5), African American and Hispanic male (11.5), African American and Hispanic female (2.5).Geography: Suicide is higher in western states (13.6) followed by the south Midwest (12.0) and Northeast (9.3).Class Upper Middle Lower (Higher)Religion Protestant Catholic Judaism(Higher)Age 15-24 25-35 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ (10.5) (12.5) (16.0) (19.1) (16.4) (14.7)Highest rates are found among the “old old” with 85+ males (45.4); rates for teens 15-19 (7.0) v 20-24 (12.5)Education Some College College Degree High School (Higher)Marital Status Single Cohabiting Married (Higher)There is social profile to something as individualistic as suicide: males who are single, white, of affluence, protestant background, with some college and younger/older- Women attempt suicide at a rate three times higher than men, white women at a rate twice as high as African American


View Full Document

UGA SOCI 1101 - Sociology

Download Sociology
Our administrator received your request to download this document. We will send you the file to your email shortly.
Loading Unlocking...
Login

Join to view Sociology and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view Sociology 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?