SOCI 205 1nd Edition Lecture 1 Outline of Current Lecture II. Defining SociologyIII. Developing a Sociological PerspectiveIV. Ethics in ResearchV. Early TheoristsVI. Neglected FoundersCurrent LectureII. What is Sociology?a) Peter Bergera. Suggests that sociology should debunk common sensei. E.g. Salem witchcraft trialsb. Sociology offers a different perspective from the powerfuli. E.g. results in sociology departments getting closed down due to differing viewsb) Sociology is the scientific study of the connection between the individual and social structure a. C. Wright Mills: coins the idea of the sociological imaginationb. Social Structure: underlying patterns in human behaviori. Hockey roster organized by birthday and the advantages of early birth monthsIII. Developing a Sociological Perspectivec) Social Constructiona. What people do is a product of the culture and historyb. How are things that we take to be natural socially constructed?i. E.g. ear size for admission, restricting amount of jewish people in university population, etc.d) Social Ordera. social order can be reproduced (assigned to seat  students are upset; not assigned  students naturally sit in same seat)b. How is social order possible?i. Society’s tendency toward order is most apparent when order is disrupted These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.ii. Social order is taught in younger years by using a reward/punishment system (don’t raise hand to speak  don’t get to go to recess)iii. Socialization: where we learn how to behave in societyiv. The sharing of beliefs and valuese) Agency and Structurea. Does the individual matter? (Or is it all determined by the “lottery of birth”? – Kristof’s article)i. Sociological explanations are probabilistic ii. Individuals have the capacity to deviate from patterns (1st generation college student deviates from family history)f) Social Changea. De Tocqueville: Americans as joiners (join voluntary organization and are very active in the lives of the community)b. Current question: Is this participation from Americans changing? Social life is dynamic and is in a constant state of change.g) Intelligence and How We Get It (book)a. Nisbett: Intelligence and Raceb. Black-White IQ gapi. Gap has narrowed over last 50 years due to improved standard of living for allii. Smaller gaps continue due to interactions in families (esp. vocabulary) (and not race)IV. Ethics in Researcha) 3 Rules of Conducting Researcha. “Do no harm.” – Individual should not encounter more harm than they would in everyday life.b. Informed Consent – Individuals participating in a study have a right to know that they are participating in a study and what the study entails.c. Voluntary Participation – Always have the right to leave. d. Discussion question: Is deception acceptable? Some, as long as you are not doing any harm and following 3 rules.b) Stanley Milgram’s Obedience (video)a. Shocking as a punishment for getting an answer wrong and the shockers responsesc) Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (1932-72)a. 400 black men from Tuskegee, AL who already had syphilisb. ended because the media made it more controversiald) Guatemala: 1946-48a. 5,500 Guatemalans subjected to diagnostic testedb. Inoculated Guatemalans with diseases to study the disease and effects of penicillinc. More than 1300 exposed to venereal disease from exposuree) Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) Report:a. Main criticisms of the above studiesi. Lack of informed consentii. Lack of penicillin (1960s)f) Brandt’s notations on studiesa. Research and Objectivityi. Tuskegee scholars values (racism) shaped the project from beginning to endb. Informed Consenti. Research subjects thought they were receiving treatmentc. Researchers denied earlier treatments (before penicillin) that may have provided reliefg) A lasting consequence of Tuskegeea. Undermining trust between African Americans and Medical fieldV. Early Theoristsa) August Comtea. 1798-1857; French philosopherb. Sociology: scientific study of human behavior and societyi. Suggests that sociology should intervene to improve societyb) Herbert Spencer a. 1820-1903b. Social Darwinism: survival of the fittestc. Social Scientists: study society (and not intervene) [unlike Comte]c) Emile Durkheim a. 1858-1917b. Durkheim and functionalism i. saw society as a set of interdependent parts c. Solidarity: Trusti. Organic solidarity: interdependence of society’s different parts and shared values d. Study of suicide: during times of rapid social change, suicide rates increase i. Anomie (French term): life is meaninglessd) Karl Marxe. 1818-1883f. Marx and Conflict Approachi. Much more likely to see conflict as a realityii. Developed a materialist conception of history – emphasized economics asthe driving source of changeg. Capitalism: conflict between capitalists and workersi. Conflict will bring social changeii. Dramatic transition necessary in order for conflict to be resolvede) Max Weberh. 1864-1920i. Religion (not economics) and Social Changej. Conflict Approach (and Symbolic Interactionist)k. Rationalization of societyi. Social, economic, and cultural life was becoming organized according to principles of efficiencyl. The bureaucracyi. A new, rational form of social organizationm. Rationalization and Secularizationi. Expansion of science led to “disenchantment”1. Disenchantment led to a decline in the authority of religious explanationVI. Neglected Foundersa) Harriet Martineaua. 1802-1876b. translated Comte’s writings to make them available in englishc. Abolitionistd. Expanded Scope of Sociology: women, children, marriage, racee. Major study: compared democracy in US and Francei. Success reflected contextb) W.E.B. DuBoisa. 1863-1963b. “double consciousness”i. simulatenously, African americans see the world through their eyes, but also through the eyes of a world that demeans themc. argued that “the color line” persisted after slaveryd. advocate of social reform and founding member of the