Sociology Test 1 1 What is sociology 08 27 2014 a Sociology The systematic scientific study of human human social interactions and society interactions i One of the social sciences more abstract concepts that you can t exactly touch Ex sociology psychology Political science economics study of the human created world as opposed to the natural sciences like biology or chemistry more physical things that you can touch study the physical world observed through the senses Empirical science 1 Sociology was born in Europe and a product of the industrial revolution ii Humanities Ex language history philosophy 1 Don t always consider themselves a science iii Scientific revolution 1600 1800 Gave birth to all of the major sciences iv Industrial Revolution 1800 1920 1 Galileo 1632 considered founder of science 2 Copernicus 1543 considered founder of science a Both got in trouble with the catholic church for saying that the earth was not the center of the solar system 3 Renee Descartes 1673 psychological thinker I think therefore I am led to the scientific revolution 1 The rapid expansion of factories and industries throughout the world 2 1838 Auguste Compte Thought that you could use empirical methods to study the world developed by humans came up with the idea of sociology a Thought that sociologist would be very important in the future to a tee 3 Other thinkers 1850 1900 All in Europe and asking questions about how the industrial revolution would change society and how the future would be a Max Weber b Karl Marx c Emile Durkheim 4 American a WEB Debois racism b Jane Adams 1900s poverty 2 The origins of social science 3 The sociological perspective 08 27 2014 1 Macionis Sociological Perspective a Sociological perspective entails 3 things i Seeing the general in the particular 1 They look at the general patterns in the behavior of people sociologist seek to generalize things 2 It is bad to over generalize things but always exceptions to the generalizations ii Seeing the strange in the familiar 1 What is familiar for some people is strange for other people iii Seeing society in the our individual everyday lives most important perspective that he has 1 Society effects us everyday 2 Like to see how our own individual experiences are shaped by society 2 Mills Sociological imagination attempting to see the bigger picture a Examples of troubles i Car accident ii Divorce iii Being broke iv Death of a family member b When one person has a problem it is kinda his own but when a lot of people have the same problem it is a society issue c You can better understand things if you look at society d Normally you are in your own bubble and everything revolves around you when you get in a trouble you are not going to boast about it ex not posting on facebook about failing a class 08 27 2014 1 The sociological imagination a The ability to see how society affects our individual experiences and how we as individuals affect our society as a whole i Ex Organic chemistry kid ii Everyone does bad in organic so it is more of public issue and iii How our own experiences are shaped by the structure of not a personal issue society 1 Ex Class 2 Personal troubles public issues a Problems Illness i 1 If particular illnesses are highly effect by societal issues than it is a problem for society a Ex Lung cancers caused by smoking ii Depression iii Anxiety iv Money troubles 1 Medicare and Medicaid help to set limits on how much certain medicines cost 2 Students also have money troubles a Expenses i Cost of books ii Groceries food iii Gasoline iv Social budget v Rent bills vi Clothing vii Football tickets parking decal b Income i Not all students have jobs 1 Student role is not making money a Other people don t make money either ex children elderly and disabled ii Scholarships grant loans iii Hitting up their parents for money v Bad grades vi Hangover 3 Essay option 1 basically b Follow the outline a Pick your own trouble and relate it to why it is societies fault 08 27 2014 1 Observing society Theory methods and data a PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE A QUIZ ON MONDAY ABOUT THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND GIVE AN EXAMPLE b Picture of people in a car Observing ii i They look kind of down trodden hungry homeless worried family sick tired Interpretation of the physical observations Observation data side fact objective empirical can be more concentrate but the interpretation theory opinion side of the board assumptions subjective perspective is more mercurial Interpretation filled up super fast because everyone has a different opinion of the picture c Facts Objective knowledge about something Called being empirical can be confirmed using your senses d Inductive reasoning Going from facts to theory gather all of the facts first before you jump to conclusions e Deductive reasoning Going from theory to fact f Both happen at the same time with sociological theories a Theory Statement of how and why specific facts are related b A conceptual framework or lens that allows for the interpretation of facts a way to see the world c 3 major theories of sociology macro look at big picture micro look at the small pictures groups and individuals at the group level i Structural functional approach macro ii Social conflict approach aka conflict theory macro iii Symbolic interaction approach micro 2 Sociological theories 3 Structural functionalist theory 08 27 2014 1 Sociological Theories a Theory Data b Divorce rate i 1890 10 ii 2010 50 c Theories i Structural functional theory 1 Can be used to understand anything having to do with the society 2 Society is basically an organism 3 Society is like an organism composed of various parts each with a specific function that contributes to a well being of the whole 4 College is the higher education levels there is both lower and higher levels within the education system 5 No one division would is more important than the others in a sense 6 To understand society you need to examine both structure how the parts of society are related to each other as well as function how each part contributes to society 7 Terms a Function refers to beneficial consequences of people s action they help maintain the equilibrium of the social system b Dysfunctions are consequences that undermine the social system c Manifest consequences intended consequences i Ex public education educated kids ii Ex Cars were invented to help people get around d Latent consequences Unintended consequences i Ex Public education freed up time for