What is Sociology? Jon Witt: “Sociology is the systematic study of the relationship between the individual and society and the consequences of difference.” (From The Big Picture)Allan Johnson: Sociology’s Most Important Point:“We are always participating in something larger than ourselves, and if we want to understand social life and what happens to people in it, we have to understand what it is that we’re participating in and how we participate in it.” (From The Forest and the Trees)C. Wright Mills: “The Sociological Imagination”“The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society.” (From The Sociological Imagination)Conflict TheoryJon Carl: “Conflict theory is a theoretical framework that views society as an unequal system that brings about conflict and change.” (From Think Sociology)Agency: Intentional and undetermined human actionSocial Structure: The framework that surrounds us, consisting of the relationships of people and groups to one another, which gives direction to and sets limits on behaviorOur actions and interactions are structured by social forces: peers, families, communities, cultures, religious groups, schools, workplaces, economic systems, laws, governments, norms, values, social roles,