Sociology and the other sciences

Intro to Sociology

Understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context.How groups influence people, especially how

people are influenced by their society-a group of people who share a culture and a territory.

“The sociological imagination (perspective) enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography.” ~C. Wright Mills

Social Perspective

By history, Mills meant that each society is located in a broad stream of events . Because of this, each society has specific characteristics-such as its ideas about the proper roles of men and women. By biography, Mills referred to each individual’s specific experiences.

People don’t do what they do because of inherited internal mechanisms, such as instincts. Rather, external influences-our experiences-become part of our thinking a motivations. The society in which we grow up, and our particular location in that society, lie at the center of what we do and how we think.

Social Perspective

Sociologists also look at social location, the corners in life that people occupy because of where they are located in society.JOBS, INCOME,

EDUCTION, GENER, AGE, RACE-ETHNICITY

Social Perspective

What makes up human behavior?

What do you associate yourself with: gender, country, county, city, race, social class, music, clicks, body image?

How do these make you feel: What are the perceptions you have with each?

How does this relate to dating, marriage and family?

Society, social location, and culture determine human behavior.

Sociology is a social science-examines human behavior

Goals of ScienceExplain why something happensTo make generalizationTo predict what will happen in the future in the

light of current knowledge

Sociologists move beyond common sense- “what everyone knows”ie: the world is flat, Whites are better , etc.

Sociology as a Science

Ancient peoples tried to figure out social life: why war exists, power struggle, rich vs poorBut they based their answers on superstition , myth,

astronomy. However never tested their research.Grew out of social upheaval during the Industrial

RevolutionWhere people lived, nature of their work, how they

viewed life, and their interpersonal relationshipsAmerican and French Revolutions encouraged people

to rethink social life=individuals possess inalienable rightsTraditions and religion no longer provided the

answers to questions about social lifePeople started to apply scientific method to these

questions

Origins of Sociology

Developed Positivism: application of the scientific approach to the social world and coined the term sociology.

This new science would discover social principles and apply them to social reform

Insisted that we must observe and classify human activities to uncover society’s fundamental laws

Auguste Comte and Positivism

Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism

Disagreed with Comte that sociology should guide social reform

Societies evolve from Barbarian to civilized forms

Believed in the survival of the fittestCharity and helping the

poor was wrongSocial Darwinism

People should try to change society

Class conflict is the engine of human historyBourgeoisie (rich/powerful) are

locked in conflict with the proletariat (exploited workers)

This bitter struggle can only end when members of the proletariat unite in revolution and throw off their chains of bondage. Creating a classless society

Karl Marx did not create communism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karl Marx and Class Conflict

His goal was to get sociology recognized as a separate academic discipline.

Identified social integration-degree people are tied to their social group as a key social factor in suicide

Human behavior cannot be understood simply in individualistic terms; we must always examine the social forces that affect people’s lives.

Emile Durkheim and Social Integration

Weber believed religion was the central force in social change.

Theorized that the Catholic belief system encouraged followers to hold onto traditional ways of life, while the Protestant belief system encouraged its members to embrace change

Looked for “signs” that they were in God’s favorFinancial success was a major sign of God’s favor

Started living frugal lives and investing to make more money

Start of capitalism

Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic

How did Protestant views influence America?

What are the roles of values in research?

The purposes of Social Research

To advance understanding of human behavior

VERSUS

To investigate harmful social arrangements

The uses of Social Research Can be used by anyone for any

purpose

VERSUS

Should be used to reform society

Research findings should be value free, that the researcher’s values and beliefs should be set aside in order to permit objective conclusions.

According to Weber, to understand why people act as they do, sociologists must try to put themselves in their shoes. He used the Verstehen, “to grasp by insight,” to describe this essentially subjective approach.

Although not denying the importance of uncovering social facts, objectives social conditions that influence how people behave.

Contemporary sociology uses both approaches to understand human behavior.

How do sociologists use Verstehen and social facts to study human behavior?