Sociology is the scientific study of human social life, groups, and societies. It uses the scientific method to make verifiable observations about social phenomena. Sociologists examine social structures and how they are constantly changing due to human actions. They also study social issues from a global perspective and use different theoretical perspectives like functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Key early theorists who helped develop sociology include Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber. Sociologists conduct research using various methods and ask questions to better understand social phenomena at different levels of analysis.

1. ANTHONY GIDDENS ● MITCHELL DUNEIER ● RICHARD APPELBAUM ● DEBORA CARR
Slides created by Shannon Anderson, Roanoke College
Third Edition
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Chapter 1: What is Sociology?

2. What Is Sociology?
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Sociology is the scientific study of human
social life, groups, and societies.

3. Social Science and Common Sense
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Social Science Vs
 Not just looking at things.
 Use of scientific method.
 Verifiable evidence.
 Factual observations.
Common Sense
 Just looking at things.
 No scientific method.
 No verifiable evidence.
 No factual observations.

4. The Sociological Imagination
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C. Wright Mills (1959) coined this phrase, which
explained the need to move away from viewing
problems as personal troubles and toward
recognizing them as public issues.

5. Autism, a
medical
condition, is
also a social
issue, and as
sociologists, we
can examine it
as such.
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6. Social Structure
Social structures are dynamic. Societies are always
in the process of structuration, which means they
are constantly being affected by human actions.
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7. A Global Perspective
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 Globalization affects all of us every day, both as
individuals and as members of nation-states,
economic markets, and more.
 A global view offers insight into worldwide
connections, as well as a point of comparison.

8. Social Change
 Sociology is a discipline that was born of dual
revolutions.
 Many early social thinkers dedicated their research to
better understanding the massive social change they
witnessed.
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9. Early Theorists
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Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
 French philosopher who is credited with giving the
discipline its name.
 Believed in creating a science of the social world to
be used for improving people’s lives.

10. Early Theorists
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Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)
 Durkheim set out to study social facts. These are
those aspects of social life that shape individual
action.
 Saw society as a body that needed all its parts to
function in harmony.

11. Early Theorists
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Karl Marx (1818-1883)
 Marx was a revolutionary who wanted the
capitalists to relinquish their power.
 He wanted a classless society to emerge.

12. Early Theorists
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Max Weber (1864-1920)
 Weber saw power, not only in the economy, but also in
ideas and values.
 He studied the structure of bureaucracies.
 Studied many other aspects of social life, including
religion, law, and power.

13. Perspectives in Sociology
 Symbolic Interactionism
 Functionalism
 Marxism
 Feminist theory
 Postmodern theory
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14. Perspectives in Sociology
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Symbolic Interactionism:
 The exchange of information between individuals
via symbols in social interaction that helps us give
meaning to the experiences in our lives.
 This exchange may be through language, but may
also be non-verbal.
 Small-scale interactions of individuals, not society
as a whole.
 Key figure: George Herbert Mead

15. Perspectives in Sociology
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Functionalism:
 It sees society as a complex system whose parts work
together to promote solidarity and stability.
 Seeing society as a whole in terms of the function of its
constituent elements namely: norms, customs, traditions
and institutions.
 This perspective is derived from Comte and Durkheim.
 Modern figures: Talcott Parsons, Robert K. Merton

16. Perspectives in Sociology
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Marxism:
 Those working under this approach derive their
approach from Marx, most significantly as regards
concerns about power, conflict, and ideology.
 This perspective is most commonly applied to
capitalism and economic systems.

17. Perspectives in Sociology
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Feminist theory:
Feminist theory focuses on analyzing gender inequality.
Themes explored in feminism include discrimination,
objectification, oppression, patriarchy and stereotyping.
Postmodern theory:
Social life is not based on any kind of linear history, but is
rather always in flux. The media is often seen as a key
player in how people understand their lives. Postmodern
society is highly pluralistic and diverse.

18. Research Methods: Questions
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 Sociology, as a social science, must take an
empirical approach to answering questions about
the world.
 Sociologists ask four primary types of questions:
 Factual (what happened?)
 Comparative (did this happen everywhere?)
 Developmental (has this happened over time?)
 Theoretical (what underlies this phenomenon?)

19. Research Methods: Seven Steps
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1. Define the research problem.
2. Review the evidence—do a literature review.
3. Make the problem precise—specify your hypothesis.
4. Work out a research design.
5. Carry out the research—collect your data.
6. Interpret the results—analyze your data.
7. Report the findings—publish or present them.

20. Figure 1.1 Theoretical Approaches in Sociology
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

21. Levels of Analysis
Macro sociology: Macro sociology looks at society
from a large-scale perspective.
 Functionalists and Marxists.
Micro sociology: Goes into great detail to examine
society at the individual, behavioral level.
 Symbolic interactionists.
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22. Role of Sociology in our Lives
 Understanding Social Circumstances.
 Awareness of Cultural Differences.
 Assessing the Effects of Policies.
 Self-Enlightenment.
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