This summary contains a review of all the topics from the course sociology for psychology students. It is based on the lectures and includes relevant information from the book. The format of the summary makes it so that it can be used as a review but also doubles as flashcards. The notes in this ...
Why a course in sociology ? ● Understand what sociology entails.
● Develop a sociological view
● Learn to look at contemporary society with this sociological view
Differences with ● A) Type of problem
psychology → Psychology states the problem at the individual level.
→ Sociology states problems at societal level.
● B) Type of explanation
→ Psychology gives individual explanation ( Psyche)
→ Sociology gives a social explanation
Emile Durkheim ● Says we want to belong to a group. Types of suicide , the most individual act
imaginable, but he see’s it by being strongly influenced by society ( integration
and regulation).
● Margaret thatcher: ‘ there is no such thing as society: there are individual men
and women , and there are families.’ believed in independent responsibility.
( even though most people seem to do the same kind of things which suggest
societal behaviors).
,Sociology ● Tries to explore the systematic human society.
● Explores human patterns of thinking, feeling and social action.
● Tries to see the particular in the general
● Pro’s and con’s of sociology:
→ Debunking: not everything we think is true. Sociologists like to look at
all kinds of standard ideas of how we do things and ask ourselves is that
normal.
→ Understanding: better understanding of the situation we’re in ( and
why).
→ Empowering: shows disadvantage for certain groups. Which can be
mobilising( e.i cause change).
→ Recognition: recognising behaviors.
→ Changes: everything always changes.
→ Distance and closeness: sociologists are people too and need to keep a
distance in order to get an objective view.
→ Sociology is everything you see around you in society.
Durkheim : the individual ● Man is double, you have the individual being and a social being. In so far as he
in mass society belongs to society, the individual transcends himself. The things you are a part
of continue to exist without you.
1
,What is sociology ? ● Interaction between people.
● Analyse and study society, the way people live together and everything that
happens in society raise questions for sociologists.
● Looking for the general elements in social behavior
→ Categorize individuals ( based on general elements of behavior)
→ Looking for similarities and differences between these categories.
→ Solving riddles or dilemma’s. For example: Why collective goods when
everybody strives for their own pleasures.
→ Improve society and social interaction : Malleable society- e.i the fact that
we are capable of using rules, regulations and laws to make society the way
we want to. By understanding problems we might be able to help them.
● Conclusion: there are many definitions for sociology but the most
straightforward one is the “ science of society “ - a) science B. Society
( societal problems).
Social problems vs ● The most famous distinction is by C. W Mills in ‘ The sociological imagination’
personal troubles ( C. W . when 3 out of 300 are unemployed= personal, But if 100/300 unemployed=
Mills) societal. This can still seem vague to some, it could still be a lot of personal
troubles.
● Examples of social/ society problems : delinquency, terrorism,migration, self-
enrichment, poverty, divorce extreme-right voting.
● Sociological problems: logical and objective. ( not every sociological problem
Sociological vs Social has to be a social problem)
problems ● Social problems: problems relating to the issue of valuation: “it is bad that
people ..” or issue of action- something should be done.
→ A social problem usually becomes a sociological problem)
2
, ● Sociologists say what everybody already knows, in such a way that nobody
Sociology= common sense understands it anymore.
● Sociology vs common sense: zygmunt bauman differentiates between the two
● Zygmun bauman: sociology vs common sense
→ 1. Responsible speech ( rules of responsible arguments) if we say
something as an academic it has to be a responsible argument.
→ 2. Size of field: transcending your own social world. I.e not just
discussing matters that affect you.
→ 3. Making sense: explaining and interpreting human behavior by looking
at the different figurations and institutions which people are embedded in.
→ 4. Defamiliarize: the ability to discuss/question the familiar and the
obvious.
Sociology in human ● Human life and language is constantly changing. Same behavior has a different
language perspective.
Sociology: 3 levels ● Micro: Family and friends.
● Meso: Office and university.
● Macro: Government and country.
● And there are interactions between the three levels.
Key questions of 1. Social inequality: to what extent are scarce resources unequally distributed.
sociology 2. Social cohesion: to what extent do members of society live peacefully
together?
3. Rationalization ( or culture): to what extent is a society rationalized?
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