Lecture 2

Welcome to Introductory Sociology 1000U Rose Ricciardelli Agenda What is Sociology? What do Sociologists Do? Introduction to Sociological Theories Structural-Functionalist Conflict Interpretative Paradigm What is Sociology? Sociology is the systematic study of human interaction. We want to understand why members of one group may behave differently compared to members of another group Seeing the general in the particular Seeing the strange in the familiar Seeing individuality in social context United Nations – Life Expectancy (United Nations Statistics Division, 2005) United Nations – Child Mortality Rate (United Nations Statistics Division, 2005) Why is a global focus important? …even necessary? Societies are increasingly interconnected technologies, economics Canadian problems are the tip of the iceberg Thinking globally provides a diversity of perspective Sociology is wide-ranging Sociologists study: Family Work The Body Crime Organizations Politics Religion Education Technology Areas of concern/interest: Poverty Illness Community Discrimination Love Mate selection Street Gangs Cultures Origin of Sociology Who coined the term “sociology”? Auguste Comte (1798-1857) Sociology as both a science and a religion An Integrative Science French and Industrial Revolutions: The influence of social change Positivism The push away from religion to science Limitation Disagreements between the different fields (theorists and Methodologists) about how sociology should be done Premise of Sociology C. Wright Mills, 1959: The sociological imagination Awareness of the relationship between an individual and wider society Transforms personal problems into social issues SOCIOLOGY “The study of social behavior and relationships, it examines the effects of society and group membership on human behavior, as well as people’s perceptions of their social environment, and the effects of these perceptions on social interactions” (Teevan & Hewitt, 2005: 3). Invitation to Sociology Berger, 1963 Sociological consciousness “…(T)hings are not what they seem" Social reality has "many layers of meaning" Overview of The Three Main Theoretical Paradigms Structural-Functional Durkheim Conflict Marx Interpretive Paradigm Weber Structural – Functionalist Structural-Functionalist Macro level Social Structure Social Function Critique: focus on social integration; lack of focus on inequality and change Social-Conflict Paradigm Social-Conflict Paradigm Macro level Inequality Conflict Social change Critique: lack of focus on integration, thus unity; challenge of value-free Interpretative Paradigm Symbolic-Interactionism Enthnomethodology Phenomenology Micro Views society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals Critique: potentially ignores social structure STRUCTURAL - FUNCTIONALISM Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) Major Works: The Division of Labour in Society, Suicide Functionalism Function: social arrangements exist because they benefit society Equilibrium: stability based on balance among parts and consensus Dysfunctions: problems that occur Development: progress through differentiation to develop new forms and their integration (2005, Education Canada) Durkheim Society and Function Structure: society beyond ourselves there are social facts that have objective reality beyond individuals Function: how social facts help society operate as a complex system Anomie Anomie A state of norm-less-ness A vast breakdown of rules in society Remember ? society is created Anomie is a condition in society, where little moral guidance is provided to individuals Personality: society is also in ourselves We internalize social facts Society regulates humans through moral discipline Solidarity Organic solidarity Society is like a organism, a series of interconnected parts… social bonds based on specialization and interdependence that are strong among members of industrial societies Mechanical solidarity social bonds based on common sentiment and shared moral value that are common among members of pre-industrial societies Key to the change is an expanding division of labour & specialization of economic activity Durkheim’s Explanation of Suicide Others were too focused on the individual Social factors (social facts) such as gender, ethnicity, and marital status explain suicide Found the following (in 1897) more likely to commit suicide: Men, Protestants, older, and unmarried All were less integrated into groups Called these suicides egoistic (2005, Education Canada) Durkheim’s Explanation of Suicide (Cont’d) Other types of suicide Altruistic: excessively strong ties, e.g., cult members Anomic: feeling loss of limits, e.g., during rapid social change Fatalistic: feeling trapped by rules Social conditions affect suicide, but other factors are also important (2005, Education Canada) Next Class We will continue with: Conflict Theory and Marx Feminist Theories Interpretative Paradigm Symbolic Interactionism and Weber