Warm-Ups Jan. 8-Jan. 18
#1
Q. What would you do about people who talk
excessively in class?
A.
#2
Q. What is your definition of society? What
holds it together? Explain.
FORMAT for the Notes
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TOPIC
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Information about the
topic
Information about the
topic
Information about the
topic
Information about the
topic
Intro to Sociology
What is Sociology?
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Sociology is the field of science that studies social
life, social change, and the social causes and
consequences of human behavior.
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Sociologists can study very small social relationships (such
as family);
They can explore large social connections (such as
government institutions);
They can also explore specific issues that shape human
interaction (such as gender, poverty, race, etc.)
They can also studies human interaction as a whole (such a
globalization).
Society and People
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The common denominator in sociology is PEOPLE!
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Society shapes:
 What PEOPLE do;
 How PEOPLE do it; and
 How PEOPLE understand what others do.
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“In the game of life, we may decide how to play our cards,
but it is society that deals us the hand,”
Macionis and Plummer
Bias and Prejudices
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All people have a bias and/or prejudice
concerning social issues (including
Sociologists).
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Sociologists attempt to avoid allowing their
personal values from influencing their research.
The goal is to remain neutral.
Sociologists tend to study controversial social
issues so that people can see that there are other
perspectives other than their own, so new ideas
can be created, and we can learn from humans
have done in the past.
Sociology and You
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Students of Sociology will need to learn to
agree to disagree.
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There are many perspectives and everyone will
not share the same view.
The point of studying Sociology is gaining a new
perspective even if it isn’t the same as yours.
“Those who danced were thought to be quite
insane by those who could not
hear the music"
-- A. Monet
Debunking
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Sociologists want to debunk commonly accepted
notions of society.
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Debunking is the process of questioning actions and ideas
that are usually taken for granted.
It refers to looking behind the scenes to find patterns and
processes that shape human behavior.
Skepticism is fundamental to Sociologists.
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They must question commonly accepted conceptions of
human affairs.
 Ex. Are Drugs bad?
Are Drugs Bad?
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Society tells us: YES
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It impairs our judgment;
It can shorten our life;
It can lead to death; etc.
Society tells us: NO
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Prescription drugs (if used properly) can save lives;
Some drugs are legal (U.S. is a huge exporter of
tobacco);
The Father of Sociology
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Auguste Comte:
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He coined the term sociology.
He sought to discover the laws that governed the evolution of
the mind. He framed his “law of three states.”
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First, people seek a theological (super-natural) explanation (i.e. God
controls all);
Second, people seek a metaphysical (abstract) explanation (i.e. law of
man controls all);
Third, people seek a positive explanation (i.e. the individual controls
his/her actions).
He created the theory of Positivism. Positivism is the idea that
the highest power that controls the individual is him/herself.
Achievement is largely based on free will.
Major influences of Sociology
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Herbert Spencer: He argued that our mind develops
from the influences of nature around us. That
sociologist should study family, religion, politics…
Karl Marx: Greatly influenced how we view the
influence of economic classes.
Emile Durkheim: Founder of modern Sociology. He
believed that Society is the great influence on the
individual.
Max Weber: He believed that bureaucracies were the
greatest influence on the development of the human
mind.
The Scientific Method
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Step One: Find a Concept (Define the problem).
Step Two: Review the Literature (read up on other
similar studies).
Step Three: Hypothesis (State an educational
guess about the relationship between the two
phenomena or variables that can be tested).
Step Four: Select a Research Design (This is
where you will collect and analyze your data).
Step Five: Develop a Conclusion (Either your
hypothesis was correct, incorrect, or may need to be
looked at again using a different research design)
Variables
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Variables are measurable traits or characteristics
that are subject to change under different
conditions. Researchers must suggest how one
aspect of human behavior influences or affects
another.
Independent Variable: This is the variable that will
affect another variable.
Dependent Variable: This is the variable affected.
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Example: The higher education you have (independent
variable) will influence your income level (dependent
variable)
Research Design
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Once a researcher has developed their
question(s) about society they must decide a
method of analysis and a method of
gathering data
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Methods of Analysis: individuals, birth rates,
votes, nations, business establishments. (They
must also decide if they will study one time period
or several points in time.)
Methods of Gathering Data: surveys, interviews,
field research (observation), document study (ex.
marriage certificates), experiments.
Surveys
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When a survey is given you can interview someone
or give them a questionnaire. (What are the
advantages and disadvantages of each?)
Observation allows researchers to look at whole
settings, which would not be able to be investigated
through other techniques.
Experiments allow researchers to manipulate
variables to be able to view the outcome.
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The researchers assign subjects to two groups:
 The experimental group is exposed to the independent
variable;
 The control group is not
Hawthorne Effect
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In some experiments, the presence of a social
scientist or other observer may affect the behavior of
the people being studied.
Western Electric conducted an experiment in the
1920s and 1930s at their Hawthorne plant to
determine how to improve productivity.
Researcher manipulated lighting and working hours
to see the impact. Every setup had a positive
impact, even steps that would seem to lessen
productivity.
Why did productivity improve? Their behavior was
apparently influenced by the greater attention being
paid to them not the experiments.
Code of Ethics
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The professional society of the discipline, the ASA,
public the first Code of Ethics for Sociologists in
1971
It puts forth the following basic principles:
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Maintain objectivity and integrity in research;
Respect the subject’s right to privacy and dignity;
Protect subject from personal harm;
Preserve confidentiality;
Seek informed consent when date is collected;
Acknowledge research collaboration and assistance;
Disclose all sources of financial support (Why?)
Confidentiality
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Sociologists occasionally find themselves subject to
questions from law enforcement because of the
knowledge they gained.
In May 1993, Rike Scarce, a doctoral candidate in
Sociology at Washington State University, was jailed
for 159 days because he decline to tell a federal
grand jury what he knew about the University
Research laboratory by animal rights activists.
Scarce was conducting research for a book on
environmental protestors.
The ASA, or American Sociological Association,
supports the right of scholars to preserve
confidentiality, however there is no legislation
protecting researchers today.
Issues in the Approach
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Reliability: Results are not always consistent.
Validity: Is the researcher measuring exactly what
he/she says she is measuring.
Generalization: Often types sampling will not
accurately represent the whole group.
Objectivity: It is difficult to research a topic without
having any opinion. This opinion may influence
results.
Research Ethics: Because it can be dangerous to get
some results the researcher must not risk their lives
and true results may not come about.
Benefits of Sociology
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The benefits of studying Sociology are:
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Allows one to recognize patterns and trends in
society;
Allow the development to be critical thinkers;
Encourages good research skills in data
collection;
Enhances management skills.
Sociological Research
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There are numerous topics that are taught in Sociology classes
and Sociologists will spend their lives researching.
 Some popular subjects include:
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Culture;
Socialization;
Gender Roles;
Race/Ethnicity;
Social Deviance and Violence;
Human Sexuality;
Work and the Work Place;
The Group Mentality;
Religion;
Family;
Criminology;
Death and Bereavement;
Globalization;
Third World Countries; etc.
Sociology Careers
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Sociologists can find a wide range of jobs which
include:
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Marketing and Publicists (How to sell new consumer
goods to society)
Researcher (Companies/Governments will pay
sociologists to study trends)
Government (Working for the Census Bureau, DMV, Law
Enforcement, Social Worker, …)
Human Resources Management (Working for large firms
to solve inter-office conflict)
Psychology (Working to solve personal conflict of
individuals/families)
Teaching 
Homework: Jan. 8- Jan. 11
#1
Ch. 1 Section 1 Review p. 8
2. Identify and explain C. Wright Mills
3. Comparing (compare sociology with the
social sciences)
4. Why is a sociological imagination important
in sociology?
Warm-Ups Jan. 8-18
#6
What I think keeps society intact is… (write four
more sentences.)
#7
Define “norm”
A norm in our society that tells us what we
should do is…
#8
High school traditions… (write four more
sentences).
Norm
definition: are group-held beliefs about how
members should behave at a given time and
place; they allow us to see what the group
considers to be necessary for survival;
purpose is to create conformity
Example: Wearing a team uniform
appropriately.
Custom
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definition: a set of agreed norms that may
become enforced through laws, but are
sometimes unwritten
Example: showing deference when a national
anthem is played (standing, removing hat,
placing hand on heart, singing, bowing head,
etc)
Traditions
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definition: a belief or behavior passed down
within a group or society with a symbolic
meaning or special significance with origins in
the past.
Example: lawyer wigs, mortar boards,
Institutions
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definition: abstract structures, patterns, or
abstract mechanisms that lead to social order
and cooperation; these govern the behavior
of individuals to preserve social stability
Examples: marriage, family, religion,
education, research institutions, medicine,
law, military, police, mass media,
entrepreneurship (business), civil society
(social progress organizations)
Functionalist View of
Graduation Ceremony
Institution (education)
 American Education System
Tradition
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Commencement
Custom
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Moving the tassle from one side to the other upon
graduation
Norm
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Everyone wears the same color gown
Notices/Reminders
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Tomorrow
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Functionalism Poster due
Tuesday
 Quiz on the crossword
 Globalization
 objectivity
 Hawthorne Effect
 functionalist perspective
 observation
 theory
 independent variable
 control group
 Durkheim
 the first step to sociological research
 Crossword, Rice, and Introduction to Soc. Notes due
Functionalism Overview
Institutions:
Crucial element
(they create order)
Traditions:
Crucial element
(patterns/symbolic behaviors
that are handed down)
Custom:
Crucial element
(legality; a crime (or semi-crime)
when not practiced
Norm:
Crucial element
(it creates uniformity)
The Meaning of Food
Title of episode:_______________________
Institution?:
Tradition?:
Customs?:
Norms?:
Summarize Food’s Role in this episode (5 sentences):
Conflict Theory Today
Book p. 16
1. Describe “conflict theory”:
2. It is associated with ___________.
3. It focuses on competition between _____________
4. They compete over ____________
5. When one group gains control over these things they
establish __________________
____________ in order to _________________
6. Conflict leads to social _________.
Video
Conflict Theory Today
Video
1.
2.
3.
4.
The groups competing are …
The scarce resources involved are…
The group in control of these resources are…
Examples of rules and procedures that support
their power are…
5. I think the social change that will come from this
conflict is…(write at least 4 sentences)