Introductory Sociology Soc 101 Chapter 1 Sociology and

Introductory Sociology Soc. 101 Chapter 1: Sociology and the Real World

What is Sociology? The study of society n The systematic/scientific study of human society and social behavior n • from large institutions and mass culture • to small groups and individual interactions n The study of “people doing things together” (Howard Becker) 2

Howard Becker

Asking the Big Questions n Understanding social life • The role of superstition, myth, religion and tradition 4

The Origins of Sociology n The emergence of social sciences (19 th Century) • Borrow from natural sciences • Apply scientific method to the study of social world n Sociology is a relatively modern discipline • Overlap with other social science disciplines 5

The fundamental premise of sociology: Humans are social animals 7

Sociology: LEVELS OF ANALYSIS n MACRO n MICRO n Large-scale patterns n Small groups and interaction • Political, economic, cultural and other social institutions n “Top-Down” approach • Everyday life, group membership and identity n “Bottom-Up” approach 9

Studies on Power and Gender n MACRO n MICRO n Christine Williams n Pam Fishman • Women in maledominated occupations • Glass ceiling • Men in femaledominated occupations • Glass escalator • Male–female relationships through conversation • Men control topics • Women ask 3 x more questions – Strategy to provoke answers 13

The Sociological Perspective 14

“Invitation to Sociology” Peter Berger What makes a good social thinker? Passionate interest in human affairs n Intense, curious and daring in pursuit of knowledge n Cares about social issues of great importance • Also the most mundane aspects of n everyday life 15

CULTURE SHOCK n We are like “fish in water” • How to see what we are immersed in n Disorientation occurs when entering a radically different culture • How a new place impacts outsiders or foreigners n Try to make the familiar strange • Example from “Cast Away” 16

“BEGINNER’S MIND” n From Zen Buddhist tradition • Adapted to sociology by Bernard Mc. Grane n Contrast with “expert’s mind” • Filled with facts, assumptions, judgments, opinions, etc. n “Discovery is not the seeing of a new thing, but rather a new way of seeing things” 20

“I see no more than you, but I have trained myself to notice what I see” Sherlock Holmes 21

Louis C. K. “Everything’s Amazing”

“The Sociological Imagination” C. Wright Mills

The Sociological Imagination Link between personal experience and broader social forces n Mutual influence n • How society shapes individuals • How individuals shape society 24

Look at connection between: the “personal troubles of milieu” and the “public issues of social structure. ” 25

SOCIOLOGICAL VARIABLES Which of these helps to define you? n n n History Nationality Culture Politics Economics Social Class n n n Religion Race/Ethnicity Sex/Gender Education Family 26

Overview What is Sociology? n Asking the Big Questions n Levels of Analysis n • Case studies The Sociological Perspective n Starting Your Sociological Journey n 27

The Sociological Imagination The intersection between biography and history n Personal n Social n Individual n Collective n Private n Public 28

Starting Your Sociological Journey

Famous Sociology Majors

Why sociology is so radical Sociologists must: n n uncover assumptions and beliefs focus on the overlooked question everything reinterpret understandings 31