Introduction to sociology

• Sociology


  The study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behaviour
• Sociology


  • Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts
  • Sociology is the scientific study of society and human behaviour
• Social structure


  Patterns of social interaction and social relationships that have great influence on who we are as individuals
• People are social beings more than they are individuals. Our thinking and motivation are largely shaped by our life experiences as we interact with one another
• Social structure influences our behaviour, our attitudes, and our life chances
• Auguste Comte


  Founder of the discipline of sociology and of the doctrine of positivism
• Positivism


  • Positive knowledge is based on natural phenomena and their properties and relations
  • Information derived from sensory experience, interpreted through reason and logic, forms the exclusive source of all authoritative knowledge
• Comte developed the positive philosophy in an attempt to remedy the social malaise of the French Revolution, calling for a new social doctrine based on the sciences
• Comte's 3 stages were: Theological stage, Metaphysical stage, Positive stage
• Theological stage


  Man blindly believed in whatever he was taught by his ancestors and believed in a supernatural power
• Metaphysical stage


  Involved the justification of universal rights as being on a higher plane than the authority of any human ruler to countermand, although said rights were not referenced to the sacred beyond mere metaphor
• Positive stage


  People could find solutions to social problems and bring them into force despite the proclamations of human rights or prophecy of the will of God. Science started to answer questions in full stretch
• Comte's law of three stages was one of the first theories of social evolutionism
• Principles of sociology


  • Human society involves people entering into forms of relationship with each other
  • Patterns of human relationship become institutionalised in the course of their reproduction over time and may therefore be referred to as 'social institutions'
  • The reproduction of social institutions has increasingly incorporated global influences and exchanges but local influences remain important
  • In order to participate in society human beings maintain an understanding of their relationships with others and of the institutions in which they participate, whatever the scale
• Areas of specialisation for sociologists

  • Economy, Work and Organisation
  • The Conjunction of Biological and Social Relationships: the Family and Gender
  • Social Identity: Age, Class, Gender and Race
  • Social Inequality
  • Social Norms and Deviance
  • Religion and Belief Systems
  • Organisations and Bureaucracy
  • Society and the Environment
  • People, Health and Sociology of the Body
• Sociology is a science every bit as much as biology or chemistry. Social sciences, like natural and biological sciences, use a vigorous methodology
• Functionalism is an approach that focuses on how society functions and maintains stability.
• Sociologists use the scientific method, which involves observing phenomena, developing hypotheses, testing them through experiments or surveys, analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating findings.
• Conflict theory emphasizes power struggles between different groups within society.
• Symbolic interactionism explores how individuals interact through symbols and communication.
• Theories are explanations that attempt to explain why things happen as they do.
• Marxist theory emphasizes class conflict and economic inequality as driving forces behind societal change.
• Symbolic interactionism explores how individuals interact and communicate through symbols and meanings.
• Postmodernism challenges traditional ways of thinking about society and culture.
• Feminist perspectives focus on gender inequality and women's experiences.
• Functionalism focuses on understanding how social institutions work together to maintain stability and promote cooperation.
• Feminist theories focus on gender roles and their impact on social structure.
• Functionalism focuses on the interdependence of social institutions and their contribution to maintaining stability in society.
• Feminist theories challenge traditional gender roles and explore issues related to women's experiences.
• Emile Durkheim believed that suicide rates were influenced by societal factors such as religion and social integration.
• Conflict theory highlights power struggles between different groups, such as classes or races.
• Social constructionism challenges the idea of objective reality and argues that our perceptions are shaped by cultural norms and values.
• Symbolic interactionism explores the ways people construct meaning through communication and interpretation.
• Primary socialization occurs during childhood and involves learning basic skills and values from parents or caregivers.
• Socialization is the process through which people acquire values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors from others.
• Marxists argue that class conflict is central to understanding society, while Weberians emphasize the role of bureaucracy and rationalization.
• Durkheim argued that individuals are shaped by society, rather than being independent actors.
• Symbolic interactionism explores the meanings people give to objects and actions through communication and interpretation.
• Marxism emphasizes class conflict as a driving force behind societal change, with economic factors playing a significant role.
• Interactionism is concerned with individual behavior and its relationship to social context.