socio

INTRODUCTION TO

SOCIOLOGYJenelyn T. DemagajesSOCIETY and CULTURE

June 25, 2015

• Systematic and scientific study of human behavior, social groups and society.

• Sociologists examine the structural and institutional forces that shape our everyday lives, behaviors, and social values and look at how we help create those social structures and institutions

SOCIOLOGY

Social Science that focus of human behavior:

Psychology – deals with individuals; their adjustments and personalities

Anthropology – traditionally, examining artifacts and remains of long-extinct communities, or by living with and studying tribes and societies. The study of culture is the central importance in anthropological analysis.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCE


Economics – patterns of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It studies price and market theories, consumers’ behavior, merchandising and selling practices, money banking and credit, and economic growth and development.



Political Science – studies the characteristics and patterns of political systems, principles and conduct of government. It includes political parties, elections, systems of government, foreign policy, and the comparative structure of governments.



Sociology – focuses on the patterns of behavior in society, how humans create structures in society, patterns of behavior and interaction that occurs within the structures


3 Major Perspectives in Sociology:

1. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

2. STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM

3. CONFLICT THEORY

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE IN SOCIOLOGY

• Views social meaning as arising through the process of social intervention

• Engages in micro-level analysis, which focuses on the day-to-day interactions of individuals and groups in specific social situations.

PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY1. Symbolic Interactionism

3 Major Concepts:

1) Meaningful symbols – sounds, objects, colors, and events that represent something other than themselves, and are critical for understanding social interaction.

Language - one of the most important and powerful meaning symbols human have created; it allows us to communicate through the shared meaning of words.


3 Major Concepts:

2) Definition of the situation – refers to the idea that ”if [people] define situations are real, they are real in their consequences”. Simply put, people define social reality through a process of give-and-take interaction. Once a definition is established, it shapes all further interactions.


3 Major Concepts:

3) Looking-glass self – refers to the idea that an individual’s self-concept is largely a reflection of how he or she is perceived by other members of society. Society is used as a mirror to reflect a feeling of self-pride, self-doubt, self-worth, or self-loathing.


2 Types of Symbolic Interactionism:

1. Dramaturgical Analysis – uses the analogy of the theater to analyze social behavior

2. Labeling Approach – contends that people attach various labels to certain behaviors, individuals, and groups that become part of their social identity and shape others’ attitudes about and responses to them.


It shifted the focus from the study of day-to-day social interaction to a macro-level analysis, which examines broader social structures and society as a whole.

(Comte, Spencer & Durkheim)

PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY2. Structural Functionalism

This perspective emphasizes primarily social structure and order. It views society as a system of interdependence and inter-function, which thereby contributes to the overall functioning of the entire system.


Society has a structure consisting of a variety of important components like basic social institutions: Family Religion Education Politics Economy


3 Basic Concepts:

1) Manifest Functions – anticipated or intended consequences of social institutions

2) Latent Functions – unintended or unrecognized consequences of social institutions


3 Basic Concepts:

3) Dysfunctions – threaten to disrupt social stability and order. “Functional” and “Dysfunctional” do not represent value judgments and are not synonymous with “good” and “bad”.

Rally can be viewed as dysfunctional in that it threatens social order, hurts people, and costs society a lot of money.


Whereas structural functionalist perspective focuses on balance, harmony, and cooperation, the conflict perspective sees societal structure as much more diverse and characterized by competition and conflict. It views society as composed of diverse groups with conflicting values and interests. In virtually any society, these groups have differential access to wealth, power, and prestige.

PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY3. Conflict Theory

Most important aspects:

1) Marxian Approach (Karl Marx)

Focuses on economic determination and importance of social class. The values and interests of different groups directly conflict with one another.




Those conflicts are primarily determined by economics and are based on social class, and the struggle between the different values and interest of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat is inevitable.




Dominant group attempts to force its values and ideology on less powerful groups: domination and exploitation of the masses (the proletariat) by the rich and powerful members of society (the bourgeoisie).



2) Neoconflict Approach

Focuses on differential power and authority. Class conflict in industrialized countries is not so much a struggle over the means of production as a result of the unequal distribution of authority (Danrendorf).


Landis, Judson. 2001. Sociology Concepts and Characteristics. Eleventh Edition. Wadsworth Thomson Learning. USA.

Thomson, W. & Hickey, J. 2005. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. Fifth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. USA.

REFERENCES

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