Sociology 1101Introduction to SociologyTextbook – You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like A Sociologist (3rd ed) by Dalton ConleyNotes Section One – Introduction- Sociology : the scientific study of human societyo First coined by August Comte in 1838 sociology – a younger academic discipline according to Comte, it is the application of scientific rules and principles from “hard sciences” (i.e. Physics, Biology, Chemistry, etc.) to the study ofhuman behavior and society (Positivism; Social Physics)- Three major events which gave birth to sociology:o Industrialism (change in nature of work from Agrarianism)o Urbanization (change from rural areas to urban areas to find work)o Individualism (emphasis on “wage labor” makes people more individualistic)- The Sociological Perspective : Peter Berger in Invitation to Sociology outlines two key principles:o Seeing the General in the Particular – Identifying general patterns of behavior in particular individuals around us. The demographics we belong to (race, ethnicity,gender, class, education level, religious beliefs, etc.) affect how we behave individually.o 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. Basically: society is a puppet master.o Berger argues that marriage and falling in love are two examples of how society “arranges” the people we fall in love with. We tend to love/marry people that we look like socially (similar ethnicities, race, affluence, religious beliefs, etc.)- C. Wright Mills : Those experiencing Social Marginalization (being an outsider) are more aware of their sociological perspective.- The Sociological Imagination : viewing individual problems in terms of societal problems. We can only understand ourselves when we locate ourselves in society. Thinkingsociologically and becoming aware of how society affects our behaviors does not absolve any individual of responsibility of their actions. Rather, it empowers the individual to make choices in his or her life, free from societal constraints, and at the same time changing society for the better.- Emile Durkheim – Le Suicide (1897) **An excellent example of society shaping an individual’s choiceso 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).o He defined integration and regulation using such factors as stability of familial relationships, religious affiliation, employment, and devotion to common goals.o Balance is the key Too little integration (Egoistic) and too little regulation (Anomic) leads to suicide (alternately, too much of both – not having any control, being completely controlled by outside forces – can also lead to suicide, although it’s not as strong a factor as too little of both)- To prove this theory: Suicide Rates per 100k population, US Vital Statistics 2012 (**Note: numbers are RATES within each subheading, i.e. 19.9% men commit suicide out of 100k pop.)o Gender: Men – 19.9, 80% Women – 5.2, 20% Men typically have less regulation (more freedom) than women, leading to them feeling less integrated and therefore more likely to commit suicide.o Race: Non-Hispanic White – 16.0 African-Am. – 5.1 Hispanic – 5.9 Similar to above, non-Hispanic white typically have more freedoms and are less socially integrated. This pattern continues…o Intersection Race/Gender: white male: 26.0; white female: 6.5; black and Hispanic male: 11.5; black and Hispanic female: 2.5o Geography: Suicide is higher in Western states (13.6), followed by the south (12.6), Midwest (12.0), and Northeast (9.3) The west and south typically have the idea of the “frontier” person, or someone out on their own to make a living; this idea creates too little regulation and integration, leading to more suicides.o Class: Upper (HIGHER) Middle Lowero Religion: Protestant (HIGHER) Catholic Judaism **Note: Religion in any form is a regulating and integrating factor. No religion leads to higher rates of suicide.o Age (rates): 15-24 (10.5) 25-34 (12.5) 35-44 (16.0) 45-54 (19.1) 55-64 (16.4) 65+ (14.7 Highest rates found among the “old old” with 85+ males (45.5); rates for teens 15-19 (7.0) vs. 20-24 (12.5) THIS IS BECAUSE: While still living at home, teens have a more structured,integrated lifestyle. Once they’re out on their own, rates tend to increase as they’re faced with more responsibilities and freedoms, chances to integrate/not integrate. Nursing homes are basically a social death sentence, as the “old old” are completely and suddenly marginalized (shunted to the edges of society with no structure and no societal integration).o Education: Some College (HIGHER) College deg. High School Those who have a high school or college degree know what they’re doing and where they’re going; they have a better chance of becoming integrated and having regulations. Those who leave college because it isn’t for them (or other reasons) have less of a plan and therefore too much freedom and little integration.o Marital Status: Single (HIGHER) Cohabiting Married- There is a social profile to something even as individualistic as suicide: males who are single, white, of affluence, Protestant (or non-religious) background, with some college and