What is Sociology Sociology The scientific study of human social life groups and societies Theory abstract interpretations that can explain a wide variety of situations gives us a framework to pin things on Just because one society does something different than your own society doesn t mean they are wrong Global perspective where you live shapes your life Social problems in US are different than other countries they still are social issues though Thinking globally helps us learn about ourselves Helps you reflect on why you do certain things ex how society views Obtain cultural awareness helps with the job market and finding jobs parenting What can sociology do for us Understanding social change Policy assessment Self enlightenment Origins of Sociology Originated in the mid 1800 s when European social observers began to apply scientific methods to test their ideas Heavily influenced by the Industrial Revolution ex more women getting jobs moving from farms to cities etc Before most people had a lot of children to help out on the farm Afterwards people started working in factories more skilled jobs 3 theories Structural functional approach We all have our own place in society and it helps us keep moving Promotes order and stability Shines a positive light on society Ignores the bad parts of it 2 types Manifest function Latent function Social conflict approach Inequalities in resources some have them and some don t Power capability of groups or individuals to make their own concerns or interests count even when others resist Ideology ideas of the powerful are used to justify the actions of the powerful minds Karl Marx second major sociological theorist Symbolic interaction approach Microtheory all about communication you have with others meanings you put with symbols something that stands for something else Symbolic thought frees us from being limited to what we actually see hear or feel Too small scale doesn t take into consideration a lot of things ex where you re from your gender etc Rational choice approach self interest I m going to do what s best for me Society now is more based off of this Self interest is the best single variable to explain society 3 ways to do research on Sociology good quiz question Positivist Study of society based on scientific observation of social behavior Doing the research experimentation collecting data and understanding data Used to dispel common myths about people ex more lower class people commit crimes more often than higher class people Interpretive Study of society that focuses on discovering the meanings people attach to their social world Watching people s interactions to understand Ex researcher joining a tribe in Africa to observe their interactions Critical Study of society that focuses on the need for social change Social work of Sociology working to fix the issue How do we help What should we do to change this issue Qualitative vs Quantitative Qual concepts categories Quant numbers hard fact Reliability vs Validity Reliability consistency how to get around the same value Validity getting what you intended to observe Correlation vs Cause and effect Cause and effect one variable causes another Correlation related but doesn t always mean one variable determines another variable Objectivity vs Subjectivity Objectivity no bias Subjectivity bias Research ethics protecting people who are participating in an experiment Informed consent statement of research for the participant to understand what will happen during the experiment Institutional review board IRB board that looks at one s study to ensure it is ethical Research methods Research process Select a topic Experiment investigating cause and effect under controlled conditions Survey interview or questionnaire Participant observation systematically observe while joining them Using available data secondary analysis Define the problem typically one that has a gap in understanding Review the literature familiarize yourself with existing research on a topic