The Sociological Point of View

Key Things in Sociology

• People are first and foremost a social being.

• Live in groups

• Constantly exposed to social interaction with others

SOCIOLOGY

•Is best defined as the scientific study of social interaction

OBJECTIVES

• To enable people to live intelligently in their social world

• To deal with social problems they encounter, especially conflict and social change.

• Examples: Survivor series, Big Brother

Shipwreck Activity

Situation• Assume that you are part of a 10-member

group that is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. The island has a plentiful supply of wild fruits and plants, insects, birds, fish, and hardwood trees. Some fresh water can be found in small island pools, but the bulk of the water is contaminated by salt from the ocean. Your group had time to rescue the following items.

Items• 2 large fishing knives

• 4 plastic gallon jugs of water

• 1 25 foot rope

• 1 large plastic tarp

• 1 set of binoculars

• 1 can opener

• 20 cans of fruit and vegetables

What to do• Establish a list of rules, procedures, and

task assignments that would allow the group to survive on the island indefinitely.

• Each group will share their list in class and explain how they came to agree on their list and whether they encountered any problems in reaching a consensus.

Remember• For society to operate efficiently, members

must work together toward common goals. To ensure that most people cooperate for the common good, societies establish rules of conduct and expectations for behavior.