Part One
The Study of Sociology
Chapter 1
What Is
Sociology?
Anthony Giddens
Mitchell Duneier
Richard P. Appelbaum
What Is Sociology?
Sociology is the scientific study of
human social life, groups, and societies
with emphasis on modern, industrialized
systems
Developing a Sociological
Perspective
What Is the Sociological Imagination?
– What we believe to be true or “natural” is
strongly influenced by historical and social
forces
– Thinking imaginatively and detaching from
preconceived ideas about social relationships
• Putting things in a wider context
• Seeing daily activity as a reflection of larger social
issues
Developing a Sociological
Perspective
Developing a Global Perspective
– American society is influenced everyday by
globalization
– We are connected to people all over the world
• Our actions have consequences for others and
vice versa
The Development of Social
Thinking
Theories and Theoretical Approaches
– Sociology not only explores how things
happen by also why they happen
– We need theories to help us make sense of
facts
– Sociologists disagree about how to study
human behavior and how to interpret results
The Development of Social
Thinking
Early Theorists
– Auguste Comte
• Invented the word sociology
• Sociology should contribute to the welfare of
humanity by using science to understand and
predict human behavior
The Development of Social
Thinking
Early Theorists (cont)
– Émile Durkheim
• “Study social facts as things!”
• The continuation of society depends on
cooperation
Organic solidarity—specialized systems must
function as integrated whole
• Societies exert social constraint over members’
actions
• Division of labor expands, people become more
dependent on each other
The Development of Social
Thinking
Early Theorists (cont)
– Karl Marx
• Social change is mainly prompted by economic
influences
• Society is not cohesive; it is divided by class
differences
• Capitalism breeds conflict
Ruling class seeks to exploit workers and working
class seeks to overcome exploitation
The Development of Social
Thinking
Early Theorists (cont)
– Max Weber
• Ideas and values have as much impact on social
change as economic factors
• Advance of bureaucracy inevitable
Society becomes more efficient but poses problems
for democratic participation
The Development of Social
Thinking
Neglected Founders
– Harriet Martineau
• Sociology must include analysis of women’s lives
• Focused on ignored issues including marriage,
children, religious life, race relations
– W. E. B. Du Bois
• Established identity through the lens of African
Americans
• Traced problems facing African Americans to
social and economic history
• Connected social analysis to social reform
The Development of Social
Thinking
Modern Theoretical Approaches
– The main theoretical approaches in sociology
are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
symbolic interactionism
functionalism
Marxism
feminism
rational choice approach
postmodernism
The Development of Social
Thinking
Modern Theoretical Approaches
– Symbolic Interactionism
• Study of language is crucial
• Symbolic thought frees us from our limited
experience
• All interactions involve an exchange of symbols:
we look for clues on how to behave and how to
interpret others’ behavior
The Development of Social
Thinking
Modern Theoretical Approaches (cont)
– Functionalism
• The study of functions of social activity to
determine the contribution to society as a whole
• Moral consensus helps maintain order and
stability in society
• Manifest functions are intended by participants;
latent functions are consequences participants do
not know about
The Development of Social
Thinking
Modern Theoretical Approaches (cont)
– Feminism
• Gender relations and gender inequality are central
to study of society
• Intersection of gender, race, and class
– Rational choice theory
• Self-interest is best variable to explain society
• Rational approach is useful but cannot explain
emotional responses, such as love
The Development of Social
Thinking
Modern Theoretical Approaches (cont)
– Postmodernism
•
•
•
•
Idea that history leads to progress has collapsed
Dominated by “new media”
Disconnected from the past
Overall narratives of history or society do not
make any sense
The Development of Social
Thinking
Microsociology vs. Macrosociology
– Microsociology is the study of everyday
behavior during face-to-face interaction
• Illuminates broad institutional patterns
– Macrosociology is the analysis of large-scale
social systems
• Essential for understanding institutional
background of daily life
Is Sociology a Science?
Sociology Is a Science
– Employs systematic methods of investigation
– Evaluation of theories based on evidence and
logical argument
– Not modeled on the natural sciences
– Studying humans is fundamentally different
How Can Sociology Help Us?
Sociology Helps Us:
– See the world from many perspectives
– Write better, more informed policies
– Assess effects of policies
– Increased self-understanding
Review Questions
1. How is the sociological imagination key to the
study of sociology?
a)
It helps us imagine how people in other cultures function in daily
life.
b)
It helps us develop hypotheses that we can test with statistical
data.
c)
It helps us get beyond our personal beliefs and circumstances
in order to examine things from a broader perspective.
d)
It helps us understand the broad array of theoretical
approaches that can be used to study sociological phenomena.
Review Questions
2. How did Emile Durkheim think that the division
of labor contributes to organic solidarity in
modern societies?
a)
Durkheim claimed that the division of labor creates more
isolation in the work place as people’s jobs become more
specialized, but that this in turn makes people invest more in
remaining connected to one another outside of work, which
overall helps strengthen society.
b)
Durkheim claimed that the division of labor teaches people the
importance of cooperation and coordination which helps
strengthen social cohesion.
c)
Durkheim claimed that the division of labor is a key social
structure that helps bring order to a chaotic world by
constraining social behavior.
d)
Durkheim claimed that people become more dependent on one
another as the division of labor expands and that this
interdependence provides social cohesion.
Review Questions
3. According to Max Weber, _______ ideas and
values shape society as much as ______ factors
do.
a)
democratic; economic
b)
cultural; economic
c)
economic; religious
d)
capitalist; cultural
Review Questions
4. Examining the interactions between people
with a focus on how the people talk, dress, and
use body language is an example of which
theoretical approach to sociology?
a)
symbolic interactionism
b)
postmodernism
c)
feminist theory
d)
functionalism
Review Questions
5. Which two theoretical approaches share the
belief that sociological theory must be linked to
political and social action?
a)
postmodernism and Marxism
b)
feminist theory and symbolic interactionism
c)
Marxism and feminist theory
d)
rational choice theory and postmodernism
Review Questions
6. According to some postmodern theorists, such
as Jean Baudrillard, how has the spread of
electronic media affected society?
a)
It has disconnected us from real people and places and led to
greater social isolation as we respond to signs and images that
often have little to do with our everyday lives.
b)
It has made us more aware of cultural differences as we are
exposed to a wider range of ideas and values.
c)
It has led to ever greater levels of consumerism as people are
constantly reminded of things they don’t have that they would
like to own.
d)
It has provided new ways for people to connect and create
community.
Review Questions
7. How can sociology have practical implications?
a)
Sociology can suggest new ways of evaluating major social
transformations in history.
b)
Sociological studies are often used to assess the success, or
failure, of policy initiatives in areas ranging from education to
housing to sex discrimination.
c)
Sociology can shed light on the importance of social actors
whose roles were previously ignored.
d)
Sociology empowers larger social institutions, not individuals, to
alter conditions of inequality and injustice.