2Review: What is Sociology ? the scientific study ofsociety (people living as a community)and human behavior
3The What & How of Sociology What (do sociologists study)?Main interest – how people relate to one another and influence each other’s behaviorFocus on groupsHow (what strategies do sociologists use)?Sociological perspective:an unbiased way to view the familiar, the unfamiliar & ourselvesviewing group behavior in a scientific, systematic way (common sense= unreliable)
5How & when did you develop your standard of beauty? What do you think?How & when did you develop your standard of beauty?There is something inside each of us that shapes our tastes, our likes and dislikes, what we feel is and is not appropriate behavior.That something is society.The sociological perspective allows us to step outside ourselves, passed our biased social lens through which we ordinarily view the world and see things more objectively.
6Your main goal for this class… Develop your sociological imagination:idea developed by C. Wright Millsthe ability to see the connectionbetween the larger world andyour own personal life
7The Urinal Game (a.k.a. Sociology is EVERYWHERE) Entry DoorUrinal 1Urinal 2Urinal 3123
8Why did you pick THAT urinal? Scenario 1BUT WAIT!Why did you pick THAT urinal?A man enters an empty restroom. Which of the following urinals does the man use?Entry DoorUrinal 1Urinal 2Urinal 3123
9Why did you pick THAT urinal? Scenario 2BUT WAIT!Why did you pick THAT urinal?A man enters the restroom but finds it occupied with an individual in the far left urinal. Which of the following urinals does the man use now?Entry DoorUrinal 1Urinal 2Urinal 3123
10What made you say that answer? Scenario 3BUT WAIT!What made you say that answer?A man enters the restroom but finds it occupied with an individual in the far left urinal AND the far right urinal. What does the man do now?Entry DoorUrinal 1Urinal 2Urinal 3123
12Describe a time when…You did something you were not comfortable with because someone else told or asked you to.ORYou did something just because everyone else was doing it.
13What’s their story? “I was only following orders.” Adolf Eichmann “There was a sign 'to disinfection'. They opened the door, threw the children in and closed the door. There was a terrible cry. The bodies were loaded on a rough wagon and taken to a ditch. After that I didn't look at my wife for four weeks.”Testimony of SS Private BoeckWhat’s their story?
15Describe a time when…You made an assumption about someone that turned out to be totally wrong.ORYou were unfairly or inaccurately judged/described by someone who didn’t know you at all.
16- http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/ “I once heard a story about a homeless man on Hollywood Blvd who really thought he was invisible. But one day a kid handed the man a Christian pamphlet. The homeless guy was shocked and amazed, “what! You can see me? How can you see me? I’m invisible!”-What’s their story?
17Sociology is a SOCIAL SCIENCE Social Science – studying human social behavior or the institutions and functions of human society in a scientific mannerOther social sciences: Anthropology, Psychology, Economics, Political Science, & History
19Sociology developed in the 1800s… Your small group will be assigned one of the following timeline items. On your piece of paper, write (bullets are fine) a brief description of your item and create an illustration that represents your item.Factors that led to the development of sociology as a distinct field of study (pg. 9-10)Auguste Comte (pg. 10)Herbert Spencer (pg )Karl Marx (pg. 12)Émile Durkheim (pg )Max Weber (pg. 14)
20Factors that made people wonder about the effect of society on the individual hmmmm…… Industrial RevolutionRapid growth of urban populations = social problems (crime, unemployment, pollution, urban life)American & French RevolutionsDemands for freedom and rightsScholars question traditional explanations of lifeInfluence of science (learn through observation, experiments & data collection)
35Some children worked in the mines producing the coal that powered the factories.
36French philosopher August Comte founder of sociologyfirst used science methods to study social lifeTwo focus areas: social order & social changeSocial statics hold society together & social dynamics cause changeAnti-other people’s ideasFrench philosopher August Comte
37English sociologist Herbert Spencer Influenced by Darwin’s evolution theoriesSocial DarwinismSociety - set of interdependent parts that work together to keep the system goingSocial change & unrest naturally occur as a society evolves towards stability & perfection = good, “survival of the fittest”English sociologist Herbert Spencer
38German philosopher Karl Marx Society is influenced by how the economy is organized2 social classes:Bourgeoisie = wealthy capitalists; ownersProletariat = workersPower imbalance would cause a workers’ rebellion; workers would win & create a society without social classesConflict causes social changeGerman philosopher Karl Marx
39Émile DurkheimAgreed: Society - set of interdependent parts that work together to keep the system goingBUT he focused on the function (benefits; what it offers to keep the social system going) of each part (esp. religion)Study only observable thingsFrench sociologistÉmile Durkheim
40Max Weber Interested in separate groups rather than society as a whole Studied the effect of society on the individualStudy feelings & thoughts (not just observable things)Verstehen – put yourself in the place of others & see the situation through their eyesIdeal type – a good example of something; a basis for comparisonGerman sociologistMax Weber