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Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

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Page 1: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

Part I – The Study of SociologyChapter 1: What is Sociology?

Lecture #2

Page 2: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

What is “theory”?

“Theories involve constructing abstract interpretations that can be used to explain a wide variety of empirical situations.” (P.10)

Page 3: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

What is “theory”?

How does a thing happen?↓

Why does a thing happen?

Page 4: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

What can theories do for us?

They “help us make sense of facts.” (P.10)

They “guide” (P.10) us so that we are able to understand and explain the complexity of

societies.

Page 5: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

Theories are not…

- End-products (but, open-ended)

- Panaceas (but, limited)

Page 6: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

How must theories be?

(1) “We can only develop valid theoretical approaches if we are able to test them out by means of factual research.”(P.10)

Page 7: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

How must theories be?

(2) Diverse

“Diversity in theoretical thinking provides a rich source of ideas that can be drawn upon in research, and stimulates the imaginative capacities so essential to progress in sociological work.” (P.22)

Page 8: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

Why can we find much more African-Americans in sports, for example NBA and NFL, than any other ethnic group populations ?

Page 9: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

“Why do men commit criminal acts much more than women do?”

Page 10: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological Thinking

Biological

Socio-cultural

Economical

Political etc.

Page 11: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

- Functionalism

- Marxism/Conflict theory

- Symbolic interactionism (Constructionist approach)

Page 12: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Functionalism

“How is society possible?”Society = Human body

“Biological (organic) analogy”

- “functions”- “needs”

- “purposes”

Page 13: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Functionalism

“How does society change?”

- “Adjustment”

- “Differentiation”

Page 14: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Functionalism

“Society creates us?” Or “Society is created by us?”

- Society creates us. Because we are born in society.

Page 15: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Emile Durkheim1858 – 1917

- Social order

“organic solidarity”

“anomie”

- Social institutions

Page 16: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Marxism/Conflict theory

“How is society possible?”- “Power”

- “Domination”

Page 17: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Marxism/Conflict theory

“How does society change?”- “Conflict”

- “Competition”

Page 18: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Marxism/Conflict theory

“Society creates us?” Or “Society is created by us?”

- Society creates us. Because the way of thinking and acting of human beings are determined by his/her position in society.

Page 19: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Karl Marx1818 –1883

- Historical materialism

“History is created by men, but not in the way they

are pleased.”

- Class struggle

Page 20: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Symbolic Interactionism

“Society creates us?” or “Society is created by us?”- Society is no more than a product of human actions

(interactions).

- Individuals are not just passive learners of cultures, customs, language…etc

Page 21: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Symbolic Interactionism

“How is society possible?”- Society is a fabric of meanings and definitions provided

by its members in the process of interaction.

Page 22: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Symbolic Interactionism

“How does society change?”- Society emerges from interactions between individuals

and groups. Thus, society is all the time the subject of change depending on actions by them.

Page 23: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

G. H. Mead1863 – 1931

- Capacity of thoughts- Symbols and

language- Interactions

Page 24: Part I – The Study of Sociology Chapter 1: What is Sociology? Lecture #2

The Development of Sociological ThinkingModern theoretical approaches

Max Weber1864 – 1920

Mutual influence between individuals and society

Interactions between different institutions