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Introduction to Sociology
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Notes introduction to sociology, first 1 university of Amsterdam
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Week 11.1
Sociology is the systematic study of human society. Society meaning people in a defined
territory and shared ways of living. Sociological perspective: seeing the general in the
particular. Social integration: the better results in a lower suicide rate. freedom results in
less social integration meaning higher suicide rates.
Social marginality: bevinden op de grens van twee groepen of samenlevingen met
verschillende (sub)culturen. The bigger the better at using sociological perspective.
1.2
Global perspective: the study of the larger world and our society’s place in it.
Global perspective
High income Middle-Income Low-income
countries: countries: countries:
Highest overall About average lowest standard of all
standards of living standards of living. mostly poor people.
5 pinpoints
1. Where we live shapes the lives we lead. (to understand how countries differ).
2. Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected.
3. What happens in the rest of the world affects life here.
4. Many social problems here are far more serious elsewhere
5. Thinking globally helps us learn more about ourselves.
1.3
Public policy: laws and regulations that guide how people in communities live and work.
helped shaped by sociologists. (Eg: Lenore Weitzman discovered newly divorced women
experience dramatic income loss. Helped states passing laws to help.
Using sociology for personal growth helps us in four ways:
1. Helps us assess the truth of ‘’ common sense’’.
2. The sociological perspective helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our
lives. In the game of life society deals the cards, we play the hand.
3. The sociological perspective helps us live in a diverse world.
4.
1.4
Origins of sociology
3 kinds of changes were important.
1. A new industrial economy: workers became part of a large anonymous
labor force → this took people out of their homes and weakened traditions.
2. Growth of cities: Cities grew and urban migrants (like farmers) faced many social
problems. They faced a news and impersonal social world.
, 3. Political change: Cities' grew traditions came under attack, a new political climate.
‘’ personal liberty & individual rights’’. new discipline of sociology was born in
EN,FA,DU. French Social thinker Auguste Comte coined the term sociology in 1838
The three stages of development:
❏ Theological stage. (Church in the middle ages)
❏ Metaphysical stage → society ‘’ natural’’ rather than ‘’supernatural’’.
❏ Scientific stage. (Modern physics, chemistry, sociology)
1.5
Theoretical approach: basic image of society that guides thinking and research (3
approaches) (Page 47 Macionis)
1. Structural functional approach Macro-level
The framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work
together to promote solidarity and stability. Points to social structure - any relatively stable
pattern of social behaviour - looks for social functions.
Gives manifest functions: The recognized and intended consequences of any social
pattern. And Latent functions: The unrecognized and unintended consequences of any
social pattern.
A social dysfunction is any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society.
2. Social Conflict approach Macro-level
Sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and pain. Shows how
inequality creates conflict and causes change. Society is a system of social inequalities
based on class, gender and race. Society operates to benefit some categories of people and
harm others. Social inequality causes conflict that leads to social change.
3. Symbolic-Interaction approach Micro-level
Society is an ongoing process. People interact in countless settings using symbolic
communications. The reality people experience is variable and changing. Studies how
people, in everyday interaction, construct reality.
1.6
Applying the approaches: the sociology of sports.
The functions of sport: structural-functional approach looks at how sports help society
function smoothly. Manifest functions of sports include providing recreation, a means of
getting in physical shape, and a relatively harmless way of letting off steam. Latent
functions: building social relationships and creating thousands of jobs.
Sports and conflict: The social-conflict approach looks at the links between sports and
social inequality. Historically, sports are more beneficial for men than for women. Race-
conflict theory highlights the existence of racial discrimination in professional
Sports as Interaction: The social-interaction approach looks at the different meanings and
understandings people have of sports. Within a team players affect each other’s
understanding of sport. The reaction of the public can affect how players perceive their sport.
, Stereotype: A simplified description applied to every person in some category.
Week 2
sociological perspective: seeing the general in the particular, seeing the strange in the
familiar, seeing society in everyday life
social interaction: people reacting to each other, the action of one directly relates to the
action of others. consequences
sociological imagination: seeing sociologically, turning the private into the public.
sociological perspective: Page 31 macionis. sociological perspective: seeing the general in
the particular, seeing the strange in the familiar, seeing society in everyday life
sociological imagination:
sociological approach: challenging the truths about
3 theoretical approaches: apply to gossiping
structural functionalism: how social structures/patterns of behavior work together to help
society operate. example: Christianity gossiping about not following rules
social conflict: how inequality creates conflict and causes changes.
starts with words and moves over to action
symbolic interaction: how people in everyday interaction constructs reality. The class system
hasn't changed for years and still has a hierarchy, harder to be accepted.
positivist sociology: studies society by systematically observing social behaviour
different research methods participant interpretive sociology
positivist sociology experiment one they take place in a controlled environment. they are
simply observing.
Week 3
part 1
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