This document provides an overview and summary of the key topics covered in Week 1 of the SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology course. The week introduced students to the basic concepts of sociology including defining the sociological imagination, the relationship between structure and agency, and the six rules of critical thinking. It also reviewed the origins and early founders of sociology as an academic discipline and the major theoretical paradigms in sociology including functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. The document concludes by previewing the topics and assignments for Week 2.

1. SOC 100
Introduction to Sociology
Instructor: Jan Chaparro, MSW
Week 1
7/5/16
DISCOVER SOCIOLOGY

2. What is Sociology?

3. Discover Sociology
Week 1 Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this week’s lesson, you will be able
to:
• Define the basic concepts used in the discipline
of sociology.
• Explain the major theoretical paradigms of
sociology.

4. Sociologist C. Wright Mills suggested that uncovering
the relationship between what he called
personal troubles and public issues calls for a
sociological imagination - the ability to grasp the
relationship between individual lives and the larger
social forces that shape them. Especially the ability to
differentiate between an individual's personal failings
and the social factors that contribute to not only that
individual, but large numbers of individuals - including
large groups of people based on age, gender, race,
ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
Structure Agency

5. Structure: patterned
social arrangements
that have an effect
on agency and that
may enable or
constrain social
action.
Structure Agency
Agency: the ability
of individuals and
groups to exercise
free will and to
make social change
on a small or large
scale.
Sociologists take a strong interest in the relationship
between structure and agency. For the most part,
sociologists understand the relationship as reciprocal; that
is, it goes in both directions, as structure affects agency and
agency, in turn, can change the dimensions of a structure.

6. In everyday life, we frequently accept things as “true” because
they are familiar, feel right, or are consistent with our beliefs; some
may refer to this as common sense.
Critical thinking takes a different approach—recognizing poor
arguments, rejecting statements not supported by evidence, and
questioning our assumptions. All arguments are not equally
valid. Those supported by logic and backed by evidence are
clearly preferable to those that are not.
To think critically, it is useful to follow the six
simple rules which have been adapted for use in
our textbook.

7. 1. Be willing to ask any question, no matter how difficult.
2. Think logically and be clear.
3. Back up your arguments with evidence.
4. Think about the assumptions and biases—including your own—
that underlie all studies.
5. Avoid anecdotal evidence.
6. Be willing to admit when you are wrong or uncertain about your
results.

8. 1
Back up
your
arguments
with
evidence
2
3
4
5
6
Think about
the
assumptions
and biases -
including
your
own - that
underlie all
studies.
Be willing to
ask any
question, no
matter how
difficult.
Think
logically
and be
clear.
Avoid
anecdotal
evidence.
Be willing
to admit
when you
are wrong
or
uncertain
about
your
results.
Each student is to choose 2 of the "gift boxes" below
that will assign you 2 of the rules of critical thinking.
Each student will develop a 4-slide PPT on their
rules, to include what they mean and how they can be
demonstrated. This activity will determine 1/3 of your
discussion/participation points.

9. Critical thinking means becoming a “critical consumer” of the
information that surrounds us. It is important to look beyond the
commonsense understanding of social life and develop a critical
perspective. Being a critical consumer of information also means
paying attention to the sources of information we encounter and
asking questions about how data was gathered.

10. The Development of
Sociological Thinking
The Birth of Sociology
Sociology’s roots can be traced to four interrelated
historical developments that gave birth to the modern
world:
• Science: The Scientific Revolution
• Progress: The Enlightenment
• Industrialization: The Industrial Revolution
• Urbanization: The Population Shift Toward Cities

11. 19th-Century Founders
Auguste Comte (1798–1857): A French
social thinker referred to as the father of
sociology. He coined the term sociology to
characterize what he believed would be a
new “social physics” or the scientific study
of society.
He argued that all sciences and societies
go through three stages:
• Theological
• Metaphysical
• Scientific Reasoning

12. Sociological Theory
• A theory is a statement of how and why
specific facts are related. Sociological
theory is a logical, rigorous framework for
the interpretation of social life that makes
particular assumptions and ask particular
questions about the social world.
• Theories that address very broad social
patterns and social structures that affect
society as a whole are said to have a
macro-level orientation.
• Theories that are more focused on social
interaction in specific situations are said to
have a micro-level orientation.

13. One Way of Looking at the
World Or Many?
Macro-level Orientation
– Structural Functional Paradigm
• Lives guided by social structures
• Social structures have specific functions
• Norms are essential to keep society in line and to be able
to identify deviance
– Emile Durkheim
– Robert Merton
» Manifest functions
» Latent functions
» Social dysfunctions
– Social Conflict Paradigm
• Social life is an arena of inequality
• Struggle over access to scarce cultural resources
– Karl Marx

14. One Way of Looking at the
World Or Many?
Macro-level Orientation
– Social Conflict Paradigm
The Gender Conflict Approach
– Harriet Martineau
– Jane Addams
– Ida B. Wells-Barnett
The Race-Conflict Approach
– Ida B. Wells Barnett
– W.E.B. Du Bois

15. Sociological Theory
Micro-level Orientation
– Symbolic Interaction Paradigm
• Society as the product of interaction between individuals
• Use of symbols to get a sense of self in relation to others.
• Important theorists:
– George Herbert Mead ( 1863-1931)
– Erving Goffman (1922-1982)
– Max Weber

16. Week One Overview
Discover Sociology
This week’s PowerPoint looks at the following:
• Sociology is an academic discipline that takes a scientific approach to
answering the kinds of questions our curious minds propose.
• Sociology is the scientific study of human social relationships, groups,
and societies.
• The Sociological Imagination is the ability to grasp the relationship
between individual lives and the larger social forces that shape them.
This includes the two concepts – agency and structure.
• Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate claims about truth by using
reason and evidence.
• To think critically, it is useful to follow six simple rules; as outlined in
our text.

17. Week One Overview
(continued)
• Critical thinking means becoming a “critical consumer” of the
information that surrounds us. Meaning it is important to look beyond
the commonsense understanding of social life and develop a critical
perspective.
• Sociology’s roots can be traced to four historical developments that
gave birth to the modern world: the scientific revolution, the
Enlightenment, industrialization, and urbanization.
• We learned the names and contributions of Sociology’s 19th-century
founders, as well as some early and mid 20th-Century U.S.
sociological theorists.
• Women and people of non-European heritage were systematically
excluded from influential positions where sociology and the other
modern social sciences originated. In spite of these exclusions, some
prominent female and minority theorists emerged.

18. • Sociologists often look at the same events, phenomena, or
institutions and draw different conclusions. A reason for this is that
they may approach their analysis from different theoretical
perspectives such as the major three of the discipline:
− Social Function Paradigm
− Social Conflict Paradigm
− Symbolic Interaction Paradigm
• The following themes will be key components in the text and
course in the weeks to follow: Power and Inequality, Globalization
and Diversity, Technology and Digital Society
Week One Overview
(continued)

19. Although the lecture slideshow attempts to cover most of the
topics for the week, it is always best for students to read the
assigned chapter for the week. This will be useful for
completing the quiz scheduled for most weeks of the course.
Professor Chaparro
Instructor Note:

20. Week Two Preview
• Chapter 2: Discover Sociological Research
• Chapter 3: Culture

21. Assignments Due
Next Week
• Quiz 1
• Critical Thinking Exercise
• Sociological Paradigm Exercise
This Week
• Quiz 2 – Chapters 2 & 3
• Scientific Method Exercise
• Culture Exercise
All assignments are due by dates and times found in the course addendum.