Sociology Notable Sociologists o Auguste Comte n n

Sociology

Notable Sociologists o Auguste Comte n n He is seen as the father of Sociology He coined the term Sociology in reference to the new science of society

Terms o Sociology n Behavioral science that studies human society and social behavior. o Society n Group of mutually interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity o Social interaction n How people relate to one another and influence each other’s behavior

Terms o Culture n The beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects that constitute a peoples' way of life o Socialization n Lifelong social experience by which individuals develop their human potential and learn patterns of their culture o Personality n A person’s fairly consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving n Socialization has a strong influence on one’s personality

Five Components of Culture 1. Physical objects – Artifacts n Material culture p n Automobiles, clothing, books, buildings, cooking utensils and computers Non-material culture p Language, ideas, beliefs, rules, skills, family patterns, work practices, and political and economic systems

Five Components of Culture 2. Symbols n Anything that stands for something else.

Five Components of Culture 3. Language n n n The organization of written and spoken symbols into a standardized system The way a society expresses ideas and communicate with each other Includes non-verbal symbols 4. Values n Shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable

Five Components of Culture 5. Norms n Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations p Folkways – norms that do not have great moral significance attached to them n n p Informal ways of doing things Folkways do not endanger the society Mores – norms that have great moral significance attached to them n n Violation of mores endangers the society Laws – written rules of conduct

Factors that Affect Personality o Is personality learned or are you born with it? o There are three main factors that affect the development of our personality n n Nature vs. Nurture Birth order Parental characteristics – education, religion, economic status, cultural heritage occupation The cultural environment – U. S. competitiveness, assertive, individualism, male vs. female, etc.

Agents of Socialization o Family n Most important socializing agent, especially up to age 5 or 6 n Family based socialization is not all intentional. (environment is important) n Research shows attention is very important p Examples: physical contact, verbal, nonverbal o School n Major socializing agent for ages 6 -13 n Hidden curriculum – activities that teach students key cultural values p Example: achievement, success, moral values

Agents of Socialization o Peers n Major socializing agent for ages 13 -20 n This is a time of breaking away from direct adult supervision. p Peers develop social relationships on their own p Develop a sense of identity apart from their families n During this time: p Peers may guide short-term goals such as dress and music p Parents still maintain greater influence over longterm goals such as educational aspirations

Agents of Socialization o Mass Media n Impersonal communications directed at large audiences. p Examples: n n n TV – average household has a television on for 7 hours a day. Music Books – content analysis Magazines Radio – DJs, talk show hosts