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These are the slides from my Studying Society course at Durham University's Foundation Centre. These slides are from week 1, which is a general overview of the course and introductory sociology.
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Studying Society: Week 1Dr. Nick Pearce
[email protected]@drnickpearce
Outline
Introduce courseResourcesSociety quizWhat is sociology?SocialisationFunctionalism
Studying Society
• Encourage you to think sociologically: to stimulate the ‘sociological imagination’
• Introduce a bank of knowledge, necessary concepts, theoretical approaches and suitable terminology to aid further study in the human and social sciences
• Provide you with the skills to ask critical questions about the taken-for-granted social world that we inhabit
Outline of courseTeaching Week
Title
Theme
NOTES:
1
Welcome and Introduction Defining SociologyHistory of sociology
2
Social stratification 1 Theoretical PerspectivesEconomic, Social, Cultural capital
3
Social stratification 2 Power, Education and Health
4
Race, ethnicity & nationality
5
Gender & feminisms Essay question given out
Reading Week
7
Crime & deviance 1 What is crime?How do we measure crime?
Formative: Annotated bibliography
8
Crime and deviance 2 What causes crime?Case study: serial killers
Easter Vacation 9
Media and Power 1 Media consumption Essay due
10
Media and Power 2 Media ownership and production
11
Sport Revision Sport and Society
Resources•Lots of sociology textbooks!•Libraries•Second hand market
•Online, ebay.co.uk, abebooks•Be careful about currency of book (edition etc.)•Also some topics are contentious (i.e. Marxism)
What is Sociology?
“Sociology is the systematic study of human groups and social life in modern societies” (Browne 2005)
“Sociology involves the systematic study of the character and patterns of human interaction” (Cohen and Kennedy 2007)
“Sociology is a martial art” (Bourdieu)
“Sociologists would go to a strip club and look at the audience” (Laurie Taylor, YouTube clip in playlist)
What is sociology?
• The study of society, but…– Society changes– Many societies– Sociological theories change society
• Hard to examine our own society– Looks natural– Critical stranger
Sociology/ Anthro / Psych
Sociology is Scientific-ish:
Application of Scientific theory/method to the study of groups of people.
•Benefits?–Value freedom – personal beliefs and prejudice–Objectivity
•Systematic research method•Evidence based•Checkable - Peer reviewable
• Difficulties?
• What are sociologists studying?
Individual Vs Society
• One of the key debates in sociology– Unresolved!– Complex
• Socialisation is key
Socialisation, Culture and Identity
ValuesNormsCustomsRoles
Socialisation, Culture and Identity
Values
• Generalised• Ideas about what is right and wrong• Pressure to conform to Values – often formalised into Laws• Formalised sanctions used to enforce
Socialisation, Culture and Identity
Norms
Specific – putting values into practice Social rules define ‘correct’ and ‘acceptable’ behaviourMembers of group are expected to conformGenerally enforced informally
Socialisation, Culture and Identity
Customs
Established, ritualised sets of behaviourExpressions of social valuesRe-enforce social values
Socialisation, Culture and Identity
Social Roles
• Sets of behaviour associated with individuals• Often based on relationships• Expectations• Multiple roles• Role conflict
Jane Doe
Student
Daughter
Mother
Employee
Cage fighter
Socialisation, Culture and Identity
Social Control
Conformity and Deviance
• Sanctions (reward and punishment)
•What would happen if… –a society had no norms or values?–a child had no models for behaviour (or poor models)?–a child did not undergo a process of socialisation?
Socialisation activity
• Get into 4 groups• Focus on different agent of socialisation
– How are the following reinforced?• Norms• Values• Roles• Customs
break
Founding ‘Fathers’
Early years…
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
Coined the word ‘sociology’‘Queen of the sciences’Positivist
Durkheim(1858-1917)
• First professor of sociology• A scientific sociology?• Focus on order• Functionalist
Functionalism
Society is like a living organism
How is society like a human body?
Max Weber (1864- 1920)
• Modernity and rationality– ‘Iron cage’
• Protestant Work Ethic
Karl Marx(1818-83)
• Predates the word ‘sociology’• Critically examined capitalism• “Religion is the opium of the people”• Spoke up for working class• Focus on conflict
More conflict theories
• Feminism(s) focus on gender conflict• Post-colonial studies focuses on
ethnicity/ geo politics• Queer theory focuses on sexuality• Disability studies on ability/disability
– All focus on normalisation
Summary
• Sociology is systematic study of modern society
• There are many theories which help us examine society
• This course will provide an overview of many different aspects of modern society and develop the ‘sociological imagination’