What is Sociology?
Part One: Intro to Sociology and Development of the
Sociological Imagination
Agenda
Objective:
1. To develop a preliminary
understanding of what sociology
is and what sociologists do
Schedule:
1. Discussion of articles & what is
sociology
2. Discussion of what sociologists
do
3. “Body Ritual” article and
discussion
Homework
1. None!
What is Sociology?
• What were some of
the articles you
brought in?
• What made them
“sociological”?
• What common
trends do you notice
across the articles?
• What is sociology?
“Defining” Sociology
• Sociology is the study of
social life, social change,
and the social causes and
consequences of human
behavior.
• Sociologists investigate
the culture and social
structure of groups,
organizations, and
societies in order to better
understand how people
interact with and within
these contexts.
“Defining” Sociology
• Sociology sheds a new
light and understanding on
the social world in which
we already live.
• Sociology looks beyond the
“taken-for-granted views”
of reality to provide a
deeper, more illuminating
and challenging
understanding of social life.
“Defining” Sociology
• In short…Sociologists study the relationship between
the individual and society.
– What is an individual?
– What is society?
• Think about the SATs…
how is your performance
shaped by you as an
individual and how is your
performance shaped by your
place in society?
What Do Sociologists Study?
• The subject matter of sociology is diverse…
– Family
– Religion
– Race
– Class
– Gender
– Crime
– Education
– Work/Occupations
– Sport
How Do We Do Sociology?
Sociologists Conduct Research!
• Sociology is a social science. As such sociologists
apply scientific reasoning and methods to studying
the social world.
• To study the social world, sociologists use a variety
of research methods including:
–
–
–
–
Interviews
Surveys
Participant Observation
Analysis of Census Data
• Just as medical scientists use science to help cure
diseases like cancer, sociologists use science to
help study and alleviate social problems.
What is Social Theory?
• Sociology relies on
social theory to guide
social research.
• Social theories are
ideas about society,
social functioning, and
social change.
• These theories are
used to design
research and then are
tested based on data
analysis.
Example Sociological Questions
• Why is the divorce rate ten times higher in the United
States than it is in Italy?
• Why is it that half of the families living in poverty in the
United States have at least one family member who
works 40 hours every week?
• Why is it that young girls are encouraged to play with
dolls and young boys are encouraged to play with
trucks?
• Why are African American males incarcerated at a
higher rate than White males?
Sociology IS NOT…
• The study of the mind, the
personality, or the individual in
isolation
(Psychology)
• The study of people, ideas,
institutions, and social
movements in the past (History)
• The study of government and
government structures (Political
Science)
• The study of artifacts, group
structure, values, and language
of pre-industrial groups
(Anthropology)
Sociology As…
• A Passport
– Sociology is an invitation to look behind the scenes of
the social world--a passport, as it were, to a different
way of viewing life.
• A Look Under the Mask
– Sociology peers behind the masks that individuals and
organizations wear revealing a reality that is often
quite unlike the one that is so carefully devised and
put forward for public consumption. Once you have
peered behind the scenes and viewed life in a new
light, it is nearly impossible to revert to complacent
assumptions.
• X-Ray Vision
– Sociology allows you to see through social contexts
and social forces to understand what motivates human
Understanding Sociology
• Read “Body Ritual
Among the Nacirema” by
Horace Miner
• Answer the following
question with a partner:
– How would you describe the
main values and beliefs of
these people? Write 2-3
sentences that present your
interpretation
(thesis/argument) or the
Nacirema.
• Whole Class Discussion
Understanding Sociology
• Scene from Pulp Fiction
• Take this scene along with the “Body
Ritual”: What is Sociology?