Class notes
Sociology
- Course
- Institution
Lecture notes of 15 pages for the course SOCIOLOGY at UNAV (Class notes)
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
mariafructos
Content preview
SOCIOLOGYINTRODUCTION
Augusto Comte (1798-1857)
● science whose object is society:
➔ rigorous, systematic student
➔ natural sciences vs. social sciences
➔ the subject matter is very diverse: religion, gender and racial stratification,
social processes (revolution, group formation…), social institutions
(corporations, family…), etc.
➔ social forces mold us
Molded by society: the stranger
´ξένος (xénos) = stranger, guest
● “an adult individual of our time and civilization who tries to permanently be accepted
or at least tolerated by the group he approaches” (immigrant, student, freshman,
rookie…)
Thinking as usual
Recipes, schemes of interpretation and assumptions:
➢ social life will continue to be the same as it has been so far.
➢ we may rely on the knowledge handed down to us.
➢ ordinarily, it is sufficient to know something about the general type of situation.
➢ recipes and schemes are not a private affair.
Crisis
“natural conception of the word” is not natural.
● two stages of knowledge, passive and active, like in language
➔ individuals, not performers of typical functions: pseudo-intimacy,
pseudo-anonimity and pseudo-typicality
● stranger´s “objectivity” and doubtful loyalty
The sociological perspective
“seeing the general in the particular” (P. berger)
● new eyes: look for the general patterns in our individual actions
“suicide” (Durkheim)
● men, protestants, wealthy people, unmarried people
● social integration
➔ strong social ties vs. individualistic life
➔ social causes of experiences of “inner loneliness” and “anxiety”
● division of labor and happiness
, 1. Origins of sociology (19th century)
Striking changes:
● industrial revolution: labor force working in factories
● urban growth: new, impersonal social world
● political change: french and american revolutions, decline of the idea that social order
is ruled by God.
Other factors: positivism
● three stages of society: theological, metaphysical and scientific
● positive facts, not speculations
● search for invariant laws
2. Concerns
Classical problems: origin and formation of capitalism, experience and social consequences
of urbanization, modernity and social progress…
Beyond the classical problems: totalitarianism, identity politics, environmental crisis…
3. Empirical research
Limitations:
● complexity of human behavior, interference with the observed subjects, change in
social patterns, difficulty to stay neutral and also to enter the “worlds” of meaning.
Looking for cause and effect: beware of spurious correlations
Surveys, participant observations, existing sources… quantitative vs. qualitative methods
4. Three major approaches
Structural-functional approach
● society as a complex, interconnected system
➔ many interrelated parts working together to promote solidarity and stability
➔ like a human body (pathologies, disruptions of society's operations)
➔ social structure as a relatively stable pattern of social behavior: keeps society
going.
● social functions of institutions (consequences)
➔ ´Merton: manifest (recognized and intended) and latent (unrecognized and
unintended)
But, what about inequality and conflict?
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller mariafructos. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.77. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67096 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now