Welcome to Sociology with Mrs
Ashford
Objectives:
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Who am I?
Who are you?
Induction work, textbook, blog
What is Sociology?
Debate some hot topics and get to know each
other.
Sociological perspectives
Induction Task
This is due on 1st day of
term without exception !
What is Sociology?
Sociology explores the
social world around
us.
It is the scientific
study of society and
human behaviour.
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 male members of 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.’
The Sociology of mobile phones
• Until recent years more males owned mobile
phones than females but the girls have now
caught up!
• On average teenage girls use their mobile
phones for texting and calling more than boys.
• Boys on the other hand are more likely to
explore new technologies offered like apps.
Questions !!
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What makes you angry about society?
Banker’s bonuses
What makes you glad about society?
Tolerance, human rights laws which
protect us, movies
• Your turn !!
In groups – Debate in as many different ways as
you can the following things.
Should the government ban private schools and tutoring to
pass 11+ exams so that every child has equal opportunities
in the uk?
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? Do people choose to commit crimes of their
own free-will?
Would more people work for a living if benefits were
reduced? Is it fair that some people are rich and some are
poor – can the poor be blamed for their situation?
Do investment bankers deserve £million bonuses? Is it fair
that some jobs seem easy but pay well while other really
hard jobs are poorly paid?
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.
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Interpretivism
Interpretivists are different to all the others because
they believe that society is created through the
actions of individuals and how we interpret the
world around us (everyone is unique and has freewill 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?