Exam 1 Sociology us the scientific study of the connection between the individual and social structure examine the underlying patterns in human behavior and our relationships with one another C Wright Mills 1959 coined the term the sociological imagination Developing a sociological perspective 1 2 3 How are things that we take to be naturally sociologically constructed a People often see their own way of thinking and doing as natural b What people see as natural sociologists see as created by humans c What people think and do are products of culture and history How is social order possible a Sociology doesn t take order for granted it asks why and how people conform to rules or behave in patterned ways b Explanations focus on interests socialization values and beliefs Does the indocility matter a To what extent is an individuals life determined by social forces b Sociological explanations are probabilistic c Individuals have the capacity to deviate from patterns to go against the odds Social Theory Conflict and Social Change Comte Conceptualizing Sociology Marx Weber What stimulated the development of sociology in the 19th Century Widespread disease o Plagues The industrial revolution o Created a greater hierarchy of class Immigration waves in Europe The rise of nation states o We have gotten progressively more aggressive It all comes down to MODERNITY Roots of Social Theory Rooted in questions about o Social Change o Social Conflict o Social problems Early Social Theorists Auguste Comte 1798 1867 Not father of sociology French philosopher Positivist o Have a question answer over and over Coined the term sociology How do societies overcome chaos Scientific knowledge can be used to improve peoples lives Karl Marx 1818 1883 German philosopher and economist Described and analyzed capitalism o Predicted credit Materialist conception of history o Economics is the driving force for social change and source od conflict in society under capitalism will bring social change communist society brought on by the exploitation of the poor by the rich o Class conflict Says group A gets power group B gets screwed Social conflict can change up whos in the groups o Has a concept of end human history would be communism must deal with morality Contemporary Theory Conflict Theory Conflict is a normal feature of society Power The world is a collection of conflict Individuals and groups use power to promote their interests is exerted through forces rules laws and ideologies Max Weber 1864 1920 German philosopher and political economist Values and ideas drive social change o T hey help us construct reality Protestant Ethic Christian beliefs Capitalism Rationalization of society organized according to principles of efficiency social economic and cultural life was becoming The bureaucracy a new rational form of social organization o A M Google and the government are all beaurachracy Verstehen the study of social meaning Social Theory Solidarity and Interaction Durkhein Solidarity Simmel Symbolic Interactionism David Durkheim 1858 1917 First official professor of sociology French lawyer Organic Solidarity parts and shared values comes from the interdependence of society s different Study of suicide examined the anomie that comes when social constraints break down during periods of rapid social change discovery of social facts o Gay marriage is a perfect example of anomie Mechanical Solidarity pre modern o People are very similar look the same have the same responsibility so they can all survive Organic solidarity modern o People of all different backgrounds o People look different o People have different jobs Mechanical Solidarity Organic Solidarity o Traditional society o Based on similarity o Low division of labor o Little interdependence between social units o Modern society o Protect by dividing o High division of labor o High interdependence between social units How did Darwin s Origin of Species influence social Theory a b c d It forced scientist to give up all religion It made social sciences less valuable than natural sciences It signaled a transition away from universal applications of theory It debunked the social theories of the time Was Darwin really opposing universal power George Simmel German sociologist and philosopher Antipositivism o We don t need to test a theory or experiment o We can instead just look and observe society Symbolic Interactionism o Exchange of symbols through social interaction o One s sense of self develops through interactions with others o Interactions with others teach individuals how to act what to say and what to think Social Theory Completing the whole picture Marx Economy Drives Social Change of pie chart Weber Culture Drives Social Change of pie chart Durkheim Society Organic Ecosystem of pie chart Other Theories of pie chart Simmel and Symbolic Interactionsim o Ground level analysis in the center of the matter o In the center of the pie They look at everything Grand Theory Universal sun Marx clouds Durkheim clouds Weber clouds Midrange Theory under the clouds Conflict theory and Beurachracy and Rationalization rain under that How are the times in which we live different from the times that came before Social life is dynamic Understanding the present rests on understanding the past Sociological Imagination an Intro Paradox Variables may be related to each other BUT may not be responsible for Asking and Answering Sociological Questions 1 Correlation change in another Controls 2 Help screen out other influences Independent Variables X Y Z 3 Produces an effect on the other variable 4 Dependent Variable Affected by the independent variable Variable we are trying to understand The one that changes Types of Correlation Positive Correlation o Line goes from bottom left to upper right o Ex Free pizza and people showing up Negative correlation o Line goes from upper left to No correlation o Random dots everywhere o Things that aren t related at all You can calculate the slope to find the correlation Example Independent Variable race and gender Dependent variable survival rate Women seem to have a higher survival rate of cancer than men Asking and Answering Sociological Questions Microsociology Studies face to face interactions Example Symbolic Interactionism Macrosociology Studies social institutions political and economic systems industrialization and globalization Examples Functionalism Conflict Theory Research Methods Surveys o Ordered series of questions o Strengths