2013 Chapter Outlines



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Getting started.

In chapter one you will find some interesting but unfamiliar terms. Now would be a good time to think about these because they'll be around often as we go through the book this semester. For example:

anomie, 3 major sociological perspectives (conflict, functional, interactionist), sociological imagination,

research methods (participant observation, surveys, secondary, ethnography, experimental, qualitative / quantitative, etc.),

famous sociologists (Comte, Spencer, Durkheim, Marx, etc...)

Know what the sociological imagination is and how to apply it to particular social problems. Be able to explain why it is important. How does it differ from common sense?
What's the importance of industrialization, science and urbanization? How did they play a role in the development of the discipline of sociology?
Know the main contributions of some of the dead sociologists mentioned in the early part of the book. Don't forget the link I've provided on my home-page!
Know the major assumptions behind the major perspectives. Know how to apply them to social phenomena.
Know the major research methods and the conventional process ("wheel of science").
Know the terms surrounding research, such as, validity, reliability, deductive, inductive, quantitative, qualitative. What are the types of research? Be familiar with some of the ethical concerns research has raised in our discipline.
Functional
1 - various parts of society have functions or positive effects that maintain the stability of the whole.
2 - economics, politics, the family.... all are interrelated and most people agree on basic values within institutions
3 - the balance of the system is delicate so too much rapid change is problematic.
4 - society is an independent entity, greater than the individual. Thus, what's good for society is good for the individual.

To summarize: If all the parts are functioning properly, society is in a "normal" state. If change is too rapid, our roles in institutions unclear, the norms that guide us too loose, society is in a "pathological" state. Relationships between and within social institutions should compliment one another, having both intended (manifest) functions and unintended (latent) functions. For example, remember from our readings, Parson's notion of expressive tasks and instrumental tasks for marriage partners. Other institutions, such as religion, economics, education, should compliment this kind of division of labor. Finally, the balance of these highly interrelated systems is delicate.
Some sociologists associated with Functional perspective include: Comte, Spencer,(both social philosophers) Durkheim, Parsons, and Merton (who considered not only how particular institutions function but also the dysfunctions).

Conflict
1 - change is good and conflict is inevitable.
2 - society and its institutions consist of groups competing over scarce resources (e.g., wealth, power, prestige, authority, ownership of means of production).
3 - social arrangements benefit some at others' expense.
4 - society is not an independent entity greater than the people in it

Some sociologists associated with this perspective include: Karl Marx, Max Weber(who added, both conflict and order are derived from social power) , Ralph Dahrendorf (all relations that include authority and "absence of" have inherent conflict), and C.W. Mills (a small elite group make most of the important decisions that dictate much of our lives).

Symbolic Interaction
1 - society is like a stage -- people learn and relearn their roles through interaction. Society is the sum of those interactions.
2 - observation of everyday life is key to seeing how people define their situations
3 - meanings are derived from symbols. symbols allow communication.

Some theorists associated with Symbolic Interaction are: G.H. Mead (role-taking), C.H. Cooley (looking glass self), Herbert Blumer (coined the term, symbolic interaction)

Things to ponder from our early discussion of the "sociological imagination"....

Why do most people tend to view their problems as personal troubles?
How are public issues related to personal troubles and who's responsible for public issues?
From lecture and your book -- know the various research methods(surveys, experiments, ethnogrpahies) Know the difference between qualitative and quantitative, between inductive and deductive.

LECTURE REVIEW FOR TEST 1

(review includes some items from the text but students are responsible for textbook and required readings -- PLEASE do not rely on lecture notes alone)


Sociology differs from common sense - but how?
Like all sciences, sociology uses observations to formulate hypotheses and test theories (what are the 6 approaches? e.g., surveys, etc.)
Qualitative versus Quantitative / Inductive versus Deductive
Who was the first to use scientific methods?
C.W. Mill's "sociological imagination"
Comte -- father of sociology
Spencer -- known for "Social Darwinism" -- what is that?
Marx -- Conflict and bitter economic struggles. What else?
Durkheim -- functional perspective and what else? and how about Weber -- power, prestige, and economics
What is Verstehen?
Jane Addams (workman's comp, SS), W.E.B. DeBois -- Double consciousness,
Robert Merton (dysfunctions, manifest, latent)
Talcott Parsons
G.H. Mead. C.H. Cooley? "I am not who you think I am. I am not who I ....." What is the interactionist perspective?
Three major perspectives and how to apply
Macro - versus - Micro
What is the sociological imagination? How might one apply it?

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