Sociology

• sociology: the study of groups and how groups affect behavior
• sociological perspective: focusing on groups
• Sociological imagination: 


  the ability to see people and understand
• Social Structure: 


  Organization of groups in a society
• How is psychology different from sociology?

  • Psychology: the scientific study of mind and behavior; individual
  • Sociology: to help groups of people
• Example an example of how individual and group behavior differ and explain why this is the case.

  • Individuals: Don't have to be pressured and may not do certain things
  • Group: social pressure
• Why do people feel in need to conform?

  People like to fit in and not stick out
• Sociology is "an empirical discipline." What does this mean?

  Based on fact + data
• Sociology can be unsettling because....

  Certain information may make people uncomfortable. Data about certain groups may be difficult to learn.
• Georg Simmel suggests that sociologists must maintain a critical distance.

  Someone has to check our work to prevent bias.
• Where, when, and why did sociology get started?

  About 100 years old. Early 20th century. Started in France. Lots of social dislocation in the industrial era.
• Theoretical perspective: 


  a scientific point of view
• Functionalist perspective: 


  Society is a bunch of little pieces working together to make a working whole
• Manifest function: 


  intentional (ex reduce hunger)
• Latent function: 


  unintentional (Ex overpopulation)
• Dysfunction:


  bad; element w/negative consequences (sometimes in the long run it can turn out good)
• Conflict Perspective: 


  Competition and change are certain to happen
• Coercion: 


  use of power to get people to do things
• Symbolic interactionism:

  • Study of symbolic behavior

  ex: wedding ring on ring finger has a symbolic meaning
• Microsociology vs Macro

  • Microsociology: cultural behaviors that are part of a society (small groups in everyone's day-to-day lives)


  Macrosociolgy: larger cultural groups; culturally universal
• Social instruction:

  -give meaning to something
• Feminist Theory: 


  a form of sociology that focuses on women's issues
• What is the difference between primary and secondary research?

  • Primary: you do the research


  Secondary: using somebodies else's research
• Outline the steps of the Scientific Method

  Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Collect and Interpret Data, Conclusion
• What is the difference between Quantitative and Qualitative research in sociology?

  • Quantitative: counting numeric data 


  Qualitative: takes longer to interpret; gets more information
• What is the difference between Closed and Open-Ended survey questions? What are the pros and cons of each?

  • Closed: multiple choice; (ex. t or f, multiple choice) 

  • Open-Ended: written response
  • Closed Pros and Cons: limited amount; you have to pick and choose


  Open-ended Pros and Cons: subjective; you interpret more
• What type of information does a Closed Ended Survey provide (quantitative or qualitative) and why is this the case?

  • Quantitative


  The responses can be counted
• Representative Sample: 


  A sample statistically large enough; a WHOLE group
• What is the best way to get a representative sample?

  Randomly choose from the group to get a representative sample
• Why are representative samples imporant for surveys and what does the information from such samples allow sociologist to do?

  allows sociologist to make generalization (ex. most will....)
• What are the three most common ways sociologists conduct surveys?

  Questionnaire, polls, and interviews
• Identify two major sources of data for secondary analysis.

  • US Crime Report


  Pew Research
• Case Study:


  Research paper on a specific topic
• Participant observation 


  researchers becomes part of the group
• Research tools for Quantitative research:

  polls; questionnaires
• Qualitative research: interviews; case studies; and participant observation
• Correlation 


  connection between two variables; relationship
• Independent variable: 


  a change (will change first)
• Dependent variable


  will change if the independent variable changes
• intervening variable:


  changes the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable