This document provides an introduction to the field of sociology. It defines sociology as the systematic study of human society and social interaction, based on scientific research rather than common sense. It discusses key thinkers in the development of sociology such as Durkheim, Marx, Weber, DuBois, Parsons, and Mills and their perspectives on analyzing society. It also outlines how sociology can help debunk social myths and understand society in a more evidence-based way.

1. INTRODUCING
SOCIOLOGY
Defining the Discipline and Its History

2. What is sociology?
Per Kendall, sociology is the “systematic study of
human society and social interaction”
 Multiple scopes of analysis (macro, micro)
 Based on scientific research, not „common sense‟,
hunches, personal convictions, etc.
It is possible to systematically to study groups of
peoples because:
 People are social beings
 People act in routine, predictable ways (most of
the time)

3. Do people act in predictable ways?
When you woke up this morning, how did you
„choose‟ to dress?
Clearly the „deck is stacked‟ in favor of people acting in
predictable ways and thus a scientific study of society is
possible!

4. Sociology helps us debunk social
myths
Answer true or false to the following statements:
1. The South was less segregated in 1950 than it
was in 1890
2. States that have legalized gay marriage have
much higher divorce rates
3. The reasons that people commit suicide cannot
be measured by anything individualistic ones
(ex. a sense of personal despair)
4. Countries with an established church (i.e. the
Catholic Church in Spain, the Church of
England) have higher rates of religious devotion
than countries without a history of an official
state church.

5. The answer to all these is
FALSE!!!
1. Jim Crow Laws didn‟t take effect until the early
1900‟s. Until then, it was quite common for white
males to get haircuts, for example, from black
barbers.
2. 5 out of the 10 states/jurisdictions with the lowest
divorce rates are part of 9 jurisdictions that
recognize/perform gay marriage (Link to article)
3. Certain social groups are more likely to commit
suicide and suicide is more prevalent in times of
social change
4. The US has never had an official state
church, yet church attendance is far higher than
in Western European countries (many of whom
still have a state church)

6. Why sociology over casual
observation?
 Common sense is not at all common, nor does
it make sense
 Our observations are biased by our own
assumptions and experiences
 What seems like individual choices might
actually be socially conditioned responses (ex.
What we wear)
“Things are not what they seem”
-Famed sociologist Peter Berger

7. The Study of the Painfully
Obvious?
Link

8. Locating Sociology Among the
Sciences
Geology
Sociology
Physics Psychology
Anthropology Political
Chemistry Science
Biology History
Physical Sciences “Hybrids” Social Sciences

9. Sociology and Biblical
Revelation
We are created in God‟s image (Gen. 1:27) and
thus, sociology teaches about ourselves and
God. Sociology is practical for ministers in that
it helps us:
 Understand society
 Understand group dynamics
 Equips to do research on people
 Helps us sift between social myths and reality
when making sense of social changes
 Separate data from interpretation

10. Sociology and Biblical Revelation,
pt.2
 Sociology has many common assumptions of
the biblical worldview, but diverges greatly in
others.
 Emphasis on structures, institutions, and
processes, rather than „ultimate meaning‟ or the
existence of God
 Sociologists do, however, study world faiths to
determine their social and subjective
significance
 While most sociologists are value-free in their
research, their pre-existing assumptions affect
the types of questions they ask and how they

11. Sociology‟s Original Sin
 Combination of Scientific Revolution (17th
century) and 18th century political revolutions
(USA, France) upended existing assumptions
of society
 In this environment, French philosopher
Auguste Comte proposed that society was
governed by scientific laws (statics and
dynamics)
 Coined the term sociology from Latin socius
(social) and Greek logos (study of)
 Sociologists would be high priests of this new
religion

12. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
 French sociologist who pioneered
the structuralist approach to
sociology
 Believed that social facts
governed society
 Made a lasting contribution to
sociological thought in his studies
of religion and suicide
 Performed the first true
sociological study

13. Karl Marx (1818-1883)
 Father of communism and greatly
influenced the conflict theory within
sociology
 Believed all societies could be divided
into the oppressed and oppressors
 Believed that the workers would
eventually overtake the rich and set up
a socialist state
 All social institutions (religion, family)
ultimately supported the „means of
production‟

14. Max Weber (1864-1920)
 Father of the symbolic interactionist
perspective in sociology-a „bottom-
up‟ approach to studying society
 Most famously know for his work
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism
 Believed the world was moving
towards an iron cage of rationality
 Was said to have „debated the ghost
of Marx”

15. W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963)
 First American-American to receive
a PhD from Harvard and first
American-American sociologist
 Known for his publication of The
Philadelphia Negro and The Souls
of Black Folk-integrating the African-
American experience of „double-
consciousness‟ into formal sociology
 Co-founder of the NAACP in 1909

16. Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)
 Most influential sociologist of 20th
century-advocated the functionalist
perspective
 Saw society as well-oiled machine
that seeks equilibrium and stability
 Each person and institution serves a
function that makes society work
together and dysfunctional parts will
bring down the whole

17. C. Wright Mills (1916-1962)
 Advocated a conflict perspective
(like Marx) but did not see a
happy ending for society
 Coined the term „sociological
imagination‟-the idea that
seemingly personal troubles are
linked to social trends
 Believed that a power elite,
comprised of military, political,
and economic elites, ruled the
nation