slides

1. The Sociological Perspective
1.1 Explain why both history and biography are essential for the sociological perspective.
• Seeing the Broader Social Context
• The Global Context—and the Local

2. Seeing the Broader Social Context (1 of 3)
• How people are influenced by their society
• People who share a culture
• People who share a territory

3. Seeing the Broader Social Context (2 of 3)
• Social Location
• Jobs
• Income
• Education
• Gender
• Age
• Race-Ethnicity

4. Seeing the Broader Social Context (3 of 3)
• C. Wright Mills
• History: Location in Broad Streams of Events
• Biography: Individual’s Specific Experiences
• External influences – our experiences – become part
of our thinking and motivation

5. The Global Context–and the Local
• The global village
• Instant communication

6. Sociology and Other Sciences
1.2 Know the focus of each social science.
• The Natural Sciences
• The Social Sciences
• The Goals of Science
• The Risks of Being a Sociologist

7. The Natural Sciences
• The Natural Sciences
• Explain and predict events in the natural
environment

8. The Social Sciences (1 of 4)
• The Social Sciences
• Examine human relationships
• Are divided into specialized fields based on their
subject matter

9. The Social Sciences (2 of 4)
• Anthropology
• Studies the totality of a people’s culture with
emphasis on artifacts, kinship, authority, and
language
• Economics
• Studies the production and distribution of goods and
services

10. The Social Sciences (3 of 4)
• Political Science
• Studies how people govern themselves
• Psychology
• Studies processes within individuals
• Sociology
• Similarities to other disciplines
• Distinctions

11. The Social Sciences (4 of 4)
The traditional version of
the blind men and the
elephant does not include
social scientists!

12. The Goals of Science
• Explain why something happens
• Make generalizations
• Look for patterns
• Predict what will happen
• Move beyond common sense

13. The Risks of Being a Sociologist
• People may object to some sociological studies; they
may
• Prefer things remain unexplored
• Want to keep secrets
• Feel threatened by information
• Sociologists
• Peer behind the scenes to get past those sugar-
coated images

14. Origins of Sociology
1.3 Trace the origins of sociology, from tradition to Max Weber.
• Tradition versus Science
• Auguste Comte and Positivism
• Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism
• Karl Marx and Class Conflict
• Emile Durkheim and Social Integration
• Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic

15. Auguste Comte and Positivism (1 of 2)
Upsetting the entire social
order, the French Revolution
removed the past as a sure
guide to the present. This
stimulated Auguste Comte to
analyze how societies change.
Shown here are women
marching to Versailles in 1791 to
confront the king and queen of
France.

16. Auguste Comte and Positivism (2 of 2)
• Auguste Comte (1798–1857), credited as the founder of
sociology, began to analyze the bases of the social order.
• Stressed that the scientific method should be applied
to the study of society, but did not apply it himself
• Wondered what held society together
• Coined the term “Sociology”

17. Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism
• Herbert Spencer (1820–1903), at times called sociology’s
second founder, thought that helping the poor was
wrong, that this merely helped the “less fit” survive.
• Disagreed sharply with Comte’s idea that sociologists
should guide social reform
• Thought there were lower and higher forms of society
• Coined the phrase “Survival of the Fittest”

18. Karl Marx and Class Conflict
• Karl Marx (1818–1883) believed the roots of human
misery lay in class conflict. Although Marx did not
consider himself a sociologist, his ideas have influenced
many sociologists, particularly conflict theorists.
• Looked at exploitation of workers (proletariat) by
capitalists, those who own the means of production
(bourgeoisie)
• Thought social change (workers overthrowing the
capitalists) was inevitable

19. Emile Durkheim and Social Integration (1
of 4)
• Emile Durkheim (1858–1917), a French sociologist,
contributed many important concepts to sociology.
• Compared suicide rates of several countries and
revealed an underlying social factor:
▪ People are more likely to commit suicide if their
ties to others in their communities are weak
(meaning they lack social integration).

20. Emile Durkheim and Social Integration (2
of 4)
Durkheim believed that
modern societies produce
feelings of isolation, much
of which comes from the
division of labor. This
photo shows U.S.
information workers in
their cubicles.

21. Emile Durkheim and Social Integration (3
of 4)
In contrast, members of
traditional societies, who
work alongside family
and neighbors and
participate in similar
activities, experience a
high degree of social
integration. This photo
shows women in Burundi
preparing soil to plant
beans.

22. Emile Durkheim and Social Integration
(4 of 4)
• Emile Durkheim
• Got sociology recognized as a separate discipline
• Studied how social forces affect behavior
• Identified “Social Integration,” the degree to which
people are tied to their social group
▪ Identification of the key role of social integration
in social life remains central to sociology today

23. Figure 1.1 Suicide of Americans Ages 18-
24
A comparison of male to female suicide rates in 18- to 24-year-olds across various
racial-ethnic groups.
Source: By the author. Based on CDC 2015a: Figure 1.

24. Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic (1 of 2)
Max Weber (1864–1920) was another early sociologist
who left a profound impression on sociology. He used
cross-cultural and historical materials to trace the
causes of social change and to determine how social
groups affect people’s orientations to life.

25. Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic (2 of 2)
• Religion and the origin of capitalism
• Disagreed with Marx’s claim that economics is the
central force in social change
• Said that role belongs to religion
• Religion is central force in social change
• Protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism

26. Values in Sociological Research
1.4 Summarize the arguments in the debate about values in sociological research.
• Sociology Should be Value-Free
• Sociology Should be Objective
• Bias has no place in research
• Research Should Involve Replication
• Goals and Uses of Sociology

27. Figure 1.2 The Debate Over Values in
Sociological Research
A pictorial illustrating value debates within sociology.
Source: By the author.

28. Verstehen and Social Facts
1.5 State what Verstehen is, and why it is valuable.
• Weber and Verstehen (“To Grasp by Insight”)
• Subjective meanings
• Durkheim and Social Facts
• Patterns of behavior
• How Social Facts and Verstehen Fit Together
• Can combine insights

29. How Social Facts and Verstehen Fit Together
Perhaps from this photo
you can see why silence
is common in homeless
shelters. An optimistic
view of life and exciting
things to talk about are
not part of the world of
the homeless.

30. Sociology in North America
1.6 Trace the development of sociology in North America, and explain the tension between
objective analysis and social reform.
• Sexism at the Time: Women in Early Sociology
• Racism at the Time: W. E. B. Du Bois
• Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: Theory Versus
Reform
• The Continuing Tension: Basic, Applied, and Public
Sociology

31. Sexism at the Time: Women in Early Sociology
(1 of 3)
• Attitudes of the Time
• 1800s sex roles rigidly defined
• Few people educated beyond basics

32. Figure 1.3 The Forgotten Sociologists
A photo wheel identifying prominent early female sociologists.
Source: Photo wheel copyright 2018 © James M. Henslin.

33. Sexism at the Time: Women in Early Sociology
(2 of 3)
• Harriet Martineau (1802–1876), interested in social
reform, turned to sociology, where she discovered the
writing of Comte.
• Became an advocate for the abolition of slavery
• Traveled widely
• Wrote extensive analyses of social life (but her work
was largely ignored)
▪ Published Society in America before Durkheim
and Weber were born

34. Sexism at the Time: Women in Early Sociology
(3 of 3)
• Jane Addams (1860–1935), a recipient of the Nobel
Prize for Peace, worked on behalf of poor immigrants.
• Founded Hull-House, a center to help immigrants
in Chicago, with Ellen Gates Starr
• Was a leader in the women’s rights movement
(women’s suffrage)
• Was a leader in the peace movement of the
era
World War I

35. Racism at the Time: W. E. B. Du Bois (1 of 2)
• W(illiam) E(dward) B(urghardt) Du Bois (1868–1963)
spent his lifetime studying relations between African
Americans and whites. Like many early North American
sociologists, Du Bois combined the role of academic
sociologist with that of social reformer.
• Obtained first Harvard Ph.D. for an African American
• Published a book a year from 1896 to 1914
• Was neglected by sociologists until recently

36. Racism at the Time: W. E. B. Du Bois (2 of 2)
In the 1800s, most people
were poor, and formal
education beyond the first
several grades was a
luxury. This photo depicts
the conditions of the
people Du Bois worked
with.

37. Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: Theory
Versus Reform (1 of 2)
• Early Sociologists in North America
• Saw society as corrupt and in need of reform
• Parsons
• Developed objective analysis and models of society
• Mills
• Deplored theoretical abstractions in favor of social
reform

38. Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: Theory
Versus Reform (2 of 2)
C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) was a controversial figure in
sociology because of his analysis of the role of the power
elite in U.S. society. Today, his analysis is taken for
granted by many sociologists and members of the public.

39. The Continuing Tension: Basic, Applied, and
Public Sociology
• Basic Sociology
• Analyzing some aspect of society to only gain
knowledge
• Applied Sociology
• Using sociology to solve problems
• Public Sociology
• Using the sociological perspective for the benefit of
the public
• Social Reform Is Risky
• Disrupting the status quo can be challenging

40. Figure 1.4 Comparing Basic and Applied
Sociology
A continuum showing the relationship of basic to public to applied sociology.
Source: By the author. Based on DeMartini 1982, plus events since then.

41. Unanticipated Public Sociology: Studying Job Discrimination
Figure 1.5 Call-Back Rates by Race-Ethnicity and Criminal
Record
As shown in this graph, a study
showed that even whites with
criminal histories were called
back more than African
Americans.
Source: Courtesy of Devah Pager.

42. Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
1.7 Explain the basic ideas of symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and
conflict theory.
• Symbolic Interactionism
• Functional Analysis
• Conflict Theory
• Putting the Theoretical Perspectives Together
• Levels of Analysis: Macro and Micro

43. Symbolic Interactionism (1 of 2)
• How people use symbols in everyday life
• Applying symbolic interactionism
• Changing meaning of symbols affects expectations
▪ The meaning of marriage
▪ The meaning of divorce
▪ The meaning of parenthood
▪ The meaning of love

44. Symbolic Interactionism (2 of 2)
George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) is one of the founders
of symbolic interactionism, a major theoretical
perspective in sociology. He taught at the University of
Chicago, where his lectures were popular. Although he
wrote little, after his death students compiled his
lectures into an influential book, Mind, Self, and Society.

45. Figure 1.6 U.S. Marriage, U.S. Divorce
Line graph depicting changes in U.S. marriage and divorce rates over time.
Source: By the author. Based on Statistical Abstract of the United States 1998:Table 92 and 2017:Tables 82,
141; earlier editions for earlier years. The broken lines indicate the author’s estimates.

46. Figure 1.7 Western Marriage
Chart illustrating the shift in priorities that has taken in place over time within
marriages in the West.
Source: By the author.

47. Functional Analysis (1 of 3)
• Society is a whole unit made up of interrelated parts
that work together
• Functionalism, structural functionalism
• Robert Merton and functionalism
• Manifest functions
• Latent functions
• Latent dysfunctions
• Applying functional analysis

48. Functional Analysis (2 of 3)
Robert K. Merton (1910–2003), who spent most of his
academic career at Columbia University, was a major
proponent of functionalism, one of the main theoretical
perspectives in sociology.

49. Functional Analysis (3 of 3)
Sociologists who use the functionalist perspective stress how industrialization and
urbanization undermined the traditional functions of the family. Before
industrialization, members of the family worked together as an economic unit, as in
this photo of a farm family in Nebraska in 1886. As production moved away from the
home, it took with it first the father and, more recently, the mother. One consequence
is a major dysfunction, the weakening of family ties.

50. Conflict Theory
• Karl Marx and conflict theory
• Conflict theory today
• Feminists and conflict theory
• Applying conflict theory

51. Putting the Theoretical Perspectives Together
• Each approach a lens
• Focus on different features, leading to distinct
interpretations
• Combination
• A more comprehensive picture of social life

52. Levels of Analysis: Macro and Micro (1 of 2)
• Functionalists and conflict theorists − macro level
• Symbolic interactionists − micro level

53. Levels of Analysis: Macro and Micro (2 of 2)
Table 1.1 Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
Theoretical
Perspective
Usual Level of
Analysis Focus of Analysis Key Terms
Applying the Perspective to the
U.S. Divorce Rate
Symbolic
Interactionism
Microsociological:
examines small-
scale patterns of
social Interaction
Face-to-face interaction,
how people use symbols to
create social life
Symbols
Interaction
Meanings
Definitions
Industrialization and urbanization
changed marital roles and led to a
redefinition of love, marriage,
children, and divorce.
Functional
Analysis (also
called
functionalism
and structural
functionalism)
Macrosociological:
examines large-
scale patterns of
society
Relationships among the
parts of society; how these
parts are functional (have
beneficial consequences)
or dysfunctional (have
negative consequences)
Structure
Functions
(manifest
and latent)
Dysfunctions
Equilibrium
As social change erodes the
traditional functions of the family,
family ties weaken, and the
divorce rate increases.
Conflict Theory Macrosociological:
examines large-
scale patterns of
society
The struggle for scarce
resources by groups in a
society; how the elites use
their power to control the
weaker groups
Inequality
Power
Conflict
Competition
Exploitation
When men control economic life,
the divorce rate is low because
women find few alternatives to a
bad marriage. The high divorce
rate reflects a shift in the balance
of power between men and
women.
Source: By the author.

54. Trends Shaping the Future of Sociology
1.8 Explain how research versus social reform and globalization are likely to influence
sociology.
• Sociology’s Tension: Research versus Reform
• Globalization

55. Sociology’s Tension: Research versus Reform
• First phase of sociology
• Sociological research improves society
• Second phase of sociology
• Sociological research develops abstract knowledge
• Third phase of sociology
• Sociologists find ways to apply their research findings

56. Globalization
• Broaden our horizons
• Consider global issues
• Universal principles