1/23Sociology and he field of study- The systematic study of human society and social interactions. Society represents a large social grouping that share same geographical area, political authority, and cultural expectations- Social structures are enduring and regular social arrangements (ones social class or occupation)o Change slowly- Social processes are human practices in the social world (life, habits, employment, tasks)o Change more rapidlyC. Wright Mills- We can critically question the world around us, by connecting our own “personal troubles” to the “public issues” of the day- The sociological imagination as critical thinking 1/28Enlightenment & Social Revolution1. “Age of Reason”a. Rational pursuit of “truth”b. Knowledge is empirical NOT based on revelation or pure argumenti. Importance of sensory experiencec. Scientific knowledge is cumulative and progressive 2. French Revolution: overthrown of monarchiesa. Rise of modern “nations” and democracyIndustrial Revolution1. The practical application of scientific researcha. Rise of capitalismb. Harness energy, technology and social changec. Urbanization and megacitiesd. Building of “artificial words, even life itself”Globalization1. Globalization is defined by increasingly fluid global flows and the structures that expedite and impede these flows2. No contemporary change is as important as globalization3. The “butterfly effect” – small scale change can have far reaching implications Consumption1. The process by which people obtain/utilize goods and services a. Postindustrial society and conspicuous consumption2. Consumption and globalization are deeply intertwineda. Cheap goods and exploitation but we are mired in debti. $856.9 billion in credit card debtii. Average credit card debt: $15,270iii. Average student debt: $32,258iv. Total American debt: $11.36 trillionSociology’s Three Paths1. The scientific view: Academic or scholarly study of the social world2. The social reform view: policy orientation toward solving social problems3. Public sociology view: Advocate for a wide audience, mostly outside the academy Thinking Sociologically1. Theory: a set of interrelated ideas that attempts to describe, explain and occasionally predict social eventsa. Telling the sociological “story”2. Perspective: a general “viewpoint” that allows the development of theory August Comte: coined “sociology” seeing it as the “Queen of Sciences”- Positivism: the social world can be understood scientifically and is seem as orderly ad progressive Herbert Spencer: coined “survival of the fittest” - Argued the “law” of evolution organizes societyo Social Darwinism: only the BEST adaptHarriet Martineau: Morals and manners were essential ways of understanding society- In the U.S. women and slaves were treated the sameEmile Durkheim (1858-1917)- Held the first chair in societyo Social facts are pattered ways of acting, thinking and feeling that exist as “forces” outside the individual. They are Sui Generis (unique)o Modern society is held together by a collective conscious (common beliefs) but social change can result in anomie (loss of purpose) One result was suicide Karl Marx (1818-1883)- Critic of capitalism and social inequalityo Society is a product of human struggle and class conflicto Conflict is between the capitalists (own the means of production) who exploit the Proletariat (the workers)- Social theory should be used to promote revolutionary change1/30Max Weber- Recognized the importance of rationality: The motivations (meaning) for human behavior and social interaction?o Verstehen – empathetic understanding - Believed the modern world had great promise (science and reason) and pitfalls (impersonal business)- Known for his work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Other Early Theorists 1. Georg Simmel (1858-1918; German)a. Interested in social interaction and group dynamics2. Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929; American)a. Conspicuous Consumption: how the leisure class display their status to others 3. W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963; American)a. Racism forces oppressed groups develop a “double consciousness” (conflict being Black and Americanb. “The Problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line”. Sociological PerspectivesStructural Functionalism1. Society is a system made up of interrelated institutions and social structures2. Every structure has a function a. Manifest (obvious) and latent (subtle/hidden)b. Dysfunction results in social problems which threaten a social system’s equilibrium3. Structuralism: Focus on structures which are hidden or underline the social world Conflict perspective1. Groups in society continuously struggle for control of scare resourcesa. Haves and have-nots2. Conflict can be organized arounda. Social class and power “The Power Elite”b. Gender (feminism and patriarchy)c. Raced. Sexuality (queer theory)e. Culture, or the use of media as propaganda “Culture industry”Symbolic interactionism1. Focus on how people create meaning, communicate, and understand the world through social interaction2. Society is the sum of the interactions of individuals and groupsPostmodern Perspective 1. Postmodernity is a new type of society based on: rapid change, hyper-consumption, and the ubiquity of pop culture 2. Recognizes that social behavior can be: spontaneous, irrational and diverse (based on difference)3. Jean Baudrillard: Everything is a simulation: “Simulacra” we no longer know what is real a. Disneyland; Las Vegas; Digitized Video games Sociological Theory and Sport 1. Functionalist: Sport reinforces cultural values 2. Conflict: Sport is big business that exploits players 3. Interactionist: Association with sport creates meaning4. Postmodern: Fans loose “who they are” in sport Doing Sociological Research- Research is the process of systematically collecting information for the purpose of testing an existing theory or generating a new onePillars of Scientific Knowledge1. Theory2. Research The Scientific Method- A systematic way to find answers to questions about the worldo Should be empirical: gathering of information (data) using one’s senseResearch Methods1. Are specific strategies or techniques for systematically gathering data to conduct research 2. The research wheel a. Theory  1. Select topic 2. Focus question 3. Design 4. Collect data 5. Analyze data6. Interpret data 7. Inform others Types of