Welcome to Sociology with
Mrs Ashford
Objectives:
• Names and Introductions
• Induction work, textbook, blog –
www.stcmsoc.wordpress.com
• What is Sociology?
• What topics will you learn about
and discuss?
Sociological perspectives
Induction Task
This is due on 1st day of
term without exception !
What Sociology isn’t about
•
•
•
Sociology is not looking at an individuals
behaviour
Sociology is not a subject that has one answer for
any of the questions that it asks
Sociology is not an easy option
What is Sociology?
Sociology explores the
social world around
us.
It is the scientific
study of society and
human behaviour.
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=TFdUtCA
XAUM&feature=fvsr
C Wright Mills – The
Sociological Imagination
• The ability to see the
relationship between
individual experiences and the
larger society.
For example…Private v. Public Issues
Is linked to this...
How this...
The Sociology of Facebook
• There are more males on Facebook but on
average girls have more friends than boys, leave
more comments and chat more
• The average fb user visits 40 times a month.
• On average people only leave comments for and
chat to around 5% of their ‘friends.’
• Fb is making significant changes to the lives of
young people – good and bad !
• There is a negative correlation between time
spent on facebook and exam results
If you’ve thought about these kind of things you
will love Sociology.
• Should the government ban private schools and
tutoring to pass 11+ exams so that every child has
equal opportunities ?
• Will males and females ever be equal? Are they already
equal? Are their differences due to biology or society?
• What would be the best way to tackle crime,
preventing poverty or increasing prison sentences to
act as a deterrent?
• Is it fair that some people are rich and some are poor –
can the poor be blamed for their situation?
• Is it fair that some jobs seem easy but pay well while
other really hard jobs are poorly paid?
• Why are girls achieving higher grades in education than
boys?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXVqSS2T4H4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5RQ5YbCXs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnWsQFPM4A0
The Riots of August 2011
LO: To investigate reasons for anti- social behaviour and conflict
during August 2011
Discussion question
What are your
thoughts and
feelings regarding
these images?
Time line
Thursday August 4th
18:15 BST - Mark Duggan, 29, is shot dead by police at Ferry Lane, Tottenham.
The death occurs during an operation where specialist firearm officers and officers from Operation Trident,
are attempting to carry out an arrest.
Mr Duggan is a passenger in a minicab and is shot after an apparent exchange of fire.
A police officer's radio is later found to have a bullet lodged in it.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announces it will investigate the incident and
later says it believes two shots were fired by police.
It also confirms that an illegal firearm was recovered from the scene.
Statistics from BBC
news on August
12th 2011
Group work
Why did people
riot?
What should the police
be able to do regarding
anti-social behaviour?
Why and how did the
violence escalate to
other areas of the uk?
What was the
impact on the
communities and
society?
What was the impact
for your group
members personally?
(if any)
What should the
government be doing
regarding the situation,
(or what should they
have done at the time)?
Plenary
Sharing work, read and
review each others work
and discuss opinions.
Sociological Explanations
• The rioting helped to highlight what is wrong with our
society
• Poverty and deprivation caused by inequalities in the social
system
• Poor upbringing – deviant values of underclass youths
• Media labelling youth as criminal
• Social exclusion – communities of poorer people who feel
left out or ignored
• Gang status or peer group pressure
• Racism – the police assuming ethnic minorities are criminal
• Crowd behaviour – diffusion of responsibility
• Greed caused by a materialistic society
Functionalism
• Society is seen as a web of systems which all
rely upon each other for example the family,
the economy, law and order, politics, the
culture of society, all bind together to make it
work. If one part fails then society will
dysfunction, just like a body would if an organ
failed.
Marxism
• To Karl Marx progress and
change is driven by a desire for
profit in a capitalist system.
The richest few at the top
(Bourgeoisie) exploit the
lower classes (Proletariat) by
making a profit from their
labour. The Bourgeoisie are a
minority in society and fear
uprising and rebellion so the
masses are controlled through
institutions like education,
media and religion.
Feminism
• Feminists believe that the
main conflict in society is
not between social
classes but between
genders. They believe
that society is Patriarchal
(meaning males run
society in their own
interests). Feminists have
campaigned since the
Suffragettes in late 19th C
to gain equality for
women.
•
Interactionism
Society is created through the actions of individuals
and how we interpret the world around us (everyone
is unique and has free-will to change society for
better or worse).
Interactionists believe that some people become
negatively labelled through their dealings with
others and this can affect how they live their lives.
For example, if a teenager is labelled as a ‘chav’
this might affect how they behave in the future and
on a wider scale affect society as a whole.
Post Modernism
• None of the old perspectives are adequate to explain how
society works since it is in constant change. Changes
include, multiculturalism, globalisation, changing gender
roles, lack of trust in traditional authorities like scientists or
politicians, the shrinking of time and space through
technology, consumerism and global risks.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeoKQbT8BKs
Plenary
• What does Functionalism compare society to?
• What did Marx call the two classes battling for
power?
• What was the Feminist name for male
dominance?
• Which perspective uses the term ‘labelling’?
• Changes in modern society can be illustrated
by what social network?