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Explore the sociological perspective, theories, and methods to understand how society shapes our lives. Discover the importance of a global perspective and the advantages of sociological thinking in personal growth, public policy, and careers. Examine major theoretical approaches, including structural-functionalism, social conflict, feminism, and race-conflict. Learn about research orientations in sociology and the significance of gender in sociological research. Understand research ethics and methods in sociology.
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The Sociological Perspective LO 1.1 Explain how the sociological perspective helps us understand that society shapes our individual lives.
The Power of Society Do we simply “pick” our marriage partners?
The Sociological Perspective: Seeing Society in Our Everyday Life Durkheim • Suicide study findings and analysis still hold true in current research studies. • Differences between those who commit suicide and those who do not is social integration.
Seeing Sociologically: Marginality and Crisis • Greater marginality is related to better ability to use the sociological perspective. • Crisis or rapid change encourages use of sociological perspective (Mills).
The Importance of a Global Perspective: What Is…? LO 1.2 State several reasons that a global perspective is important in today’s world.
The Importance of a Global Perspective: Understanding Categories
Applying the Sociological Perspective: Sociology and Public Policy LO 1.3 Identify the advantages of sociological thinking for developing public policy, for encouraging personal growth, and for advancing in a career.
Applying the Sociological Perspective: Sociology and Personal Growth
Careers: The “Sociology Advantage” A sociology background • Excellent preparation for working world • Important preparation careers in teaching and research in sociology and a wide range of other professional positions • Required preparation for clinical sociologists In what ways does having “people skills” help police officers perform their jobs?
Social Change and Development of Sociology LO 1.4 Link the origins of sociology to historical social changes.
Science and Sociology Auguste Comte (1798–1857) • Was French social thinker who coined the term “sociology” in 1838 • Introduced approach called positivism • Saw sociology as product of three historical stages Stages Theological Metaphysical Scientific
Sociological Theory: What Is…? LO 1.5 Summarize sociology’s major theoretical approaches.
Feminism and the Gender-Conflict Approach The basics • Gender-conflict theory: Focus on inequality and conflict between women and men • Feminism: Advocacy of social equality for women and men linked to gender-conflict theory Theorists • Harriet Martineau • Jane Addams We can use the sociological perspective to look at sociology itself. Jane Addams was an early sociologist in the United States who founded Hull House, a Chicago settlement house where she spent many hours helping young people. LO 1.7 Identify the importance of gender in sociological research.
Sports: Playing the Theory Game • Structural-functional: Recreation and help social relationship building. • Social-conflict: Social inequality exists in sports. • Gender-conflict: Gender equality is not evident, especially in earnings and prestige. • Race-conflict: Racial conflict still exists. • Symbolic-interaction: Understanding varies by each player. “Stacking” in Professional Baseball: Does race play a part in professional sports?
Three Ways to do Sociology LO 1.6 Describe sociology’s three research orientations.
The Ideal of Objectivity • Objectivity • Personal neutrality • Value-relevant research • Topics the researcher cares about • Value-free research • Dedication to finding truth as it is, rather than as we think it should be Investigators should try to be objective in work.
Scientific Versus Interpretive Sociology • Scientific sociology focuses on action. • Scientific sociology sees an objective reality. • Scientific sociology favors quantitative data. • Interpretive sociology focuses on meaning. • Interpretive sociology sees reality. • Interpretive sociology favors qualitative data.
Research Orientation and Theory • Gender can affect sociological research in five ways • Androcentricity, over-generalizing, gender blindness, double standards, and interference If you ask only male subjects about their attitudes or actions, you may be able to support conclusions about “men” but not more generally about “people.” LO 1.7 Identify the importance of gender in sociological research.
Research Ethics LO 1.8 Discuss the importance of ethics to sociological research.
Research Methods: What Is…? LO 1.9 Explain why a researcher might choose each of sociology’s research methods.
Asking Questions: Survey Research • Survey • Subjects respond to series of statements or question on questionnaire or interview • Population • Any set of people or events from which the sample is selected and to which the study results will generalize. • Sample • Group of people or events drawn from a population. Focus groups are a type of survey in which a small number of people representing a target population are asked for their opinions about some issue or product.
In the Field: Participant Observation • Participant observation • Systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities. • Cultural anthropologists • Using “fieldwork” to study societies • Making most participant observation exploratory and descriptive Participant observation is a method of sociological research that allows a researcher to investigate people as they go about their everyday lives in some “natural” setting.
