Society and Social Institutions
A. Society- a collection of interacting individuals sharing the same way of life (culture) and living in the same territory.
B. Fundamental Building Blocks of Society
1. Statuses: positions in society
a. Ascribed position- status given to us at birth or involuntary assigned later in life.
Ex: race, gender, social class
b. Achieved status- status obtained voluntarily by personal ability and effort.
Ex: college, graduate with Bachelors/Master’s degree.
c. Master status- highest status a person can obtain that is determined by society.
Ex: President of the United States of America
2. Roles- patterns of expected behavior that should align with one’s status in society
a. Prescribed Role- set of expectations about how a person with a particular status should behave.
b. Role Performance- how a person actually carries out a role.
3. Group- collection of people who interact with one another and have a feeling of unity; groups form when people carry out statuses and roles.
4. Social institutions- a set of widely shared beliefs, norms, and procedures necessary for meeting the basic needs of society. Social institutions do for us collectively what we as individuals are not able to do.
***The five most important social institutions: family, education, religion, economy, and politics***
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Three Sociological Perspectives
(As stated before, this is not my work. This is notes from my teacher, and I do not know where he got them from.)
Three Paradigms/Perspectives of Sociology
1. Functional Perspective
Ideals: Focuses on social order where every part of society performs certain functions for society as a whole (all parts are interdependent and strive for homeostasis)
Supporters: Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer, Robert Mertin
**Social consensus (glue that binds together society) =social contract (what everyone is born into such as the Constitution of the United States)**
Social Consensus: the condition in which most members of society agree on what is good for everybody and cooperate to achieve it.
Types of Social Consensus: A) mechanical solidarity- much solidarity -> people who have similar beliefs, values, work and rely solely on themselves (common in traditional, rural, pre-industrial, agricultural societies.) or B) organic solidarity- people have specialized jobs and depend on others for society to function (ex: doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc. who have their own job and rely on others to do their job; common in industrial complex, urban, and post agricultural.)
Criticisms: This is a very conservative perspective, upholds status quo, focuses on positive functions of society, and ignores the negative aspects.
2. Conflict Perspective
Ideals: focuses on the ever-changing society and is marked by conflict that in the end, produces social change.
Supporters: Karl Marx (founder of the theory), and Max Weber
Basis of Theory: Struggle between the Capitalists (those who operate and control the means of production) and the Proletarians (laborers, workers)
Criticisms: Focuses on negative aspects/functions of society (the problems and injustices), not the positive and stable aspects.
3. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Ideals: focuses on the details of specific situations and interactions between people. Believes Human Behavior is always subject to change since our reactions are based upon others’ actions and our interpretation.
Supporters: George Herbert Meade (founder of theory), Edwin Sutherland, and Charles Lemert
Criticisms: Ignores the influence of larger social forces and larger issues of national international order and change.
**It is very important to understand these perspectives to fully understand sociological topics, as they are explained using these three perspectives.**
Three Paradigms/Perspectives of Sociology
1. Functional Perspective
Ideals: Focuses on social order where every part of society performs certain functions for society as a whole (all parts are interdependent and strive for homeostasis)
Supporters: Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer, Robert Mertin
**Social consensus (glue that binds together society) =social contract (what everyone is born into such as the Constitution of the United States)**
Social Consensus: the condition in which most members of society agree on what is good for everybody and cooperate to achieve it.
Types of Social Consensus: A) mechanical solidarity- much solidarity -> people who have similar beliefs, values, work and rely solely on themselves (common in traditional, rural, pre-industrial, agricultural societies.) or B) organic solidarity- people have specialized jobs and depend on others for society to function (ex: doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc. who have their own job and rely on others to do their job; common in industrial complex, urban, and post agricultural.)
Criticisms: This is a very conservative perspective, upholds status quo, focuses on positive functions of society, and ignores the negative aspects.
2. Conflict Perspective
Ideals: focuses on the ever-changing society and is marked by conflict that in the end, produces social change.
Supporters: Karl Marx (founder of the theory), and Max Weber
Basis of Theory: Struggle between the Capitalists (those who operate and control the means of production) and the Proletarians (laborers, workers)
Criticisms: Focuses on negative aspects/functions of society (the problems and injustices), not the positive and stable aspects.
3. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Ideals: focuses on the details of specific situations and interactions between people. Believes Human Behavior is always subject to change since our reactions are based upon others’ actions and our interpretation.
Supporters: George Herbert Meade (founder of theory), Edwin Sutherland, and Charles Lemert
Criticisms: Ignores the influence of larger social forces and larger issues of national international order and change.
**It is very important to understand these perspectives to fully understand sociological topics, as they are explained using these three perspectives.**
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sociology Notes
These are my sociology notes from class. I received them from my teacher, and God knows where he got them from. (I didn't copy word for word.) Oh, and I'm not purposefully plagiarizing, I do not own any rights to this, but if you wish to use it as information for yourself, Go for it!
What is sociology?
History and Development of Sociology
A. Sociology: the scientific and systematic study of human society. Sociology is based on scientific evidence, built upon observation, experimentation, verification, and generalization.
Sociological imagination, which allows us to observe in a general sense and to draw relationships between individual experiences and its affects on the outer world.
B.Reasons why we study sociology:
1. We can know ourselves better by studying others
2. We can study diversity (in race, sex, age, ethnicity, class.) to gain insight in how society works
3.Gain insight into our own society by studying other societies.
C. History and Development of Sociology
Sociology began in Europe in the 1800's after social upheaval in Europe (Industrialization). Sociology was originally developed to improve the world and apply scientific methods in a study of society.
Auguste Compte was deemed the "Father of Sociology" and coined the term "sociology" in 1838.
There are 3 stages in societal development; Theological (religious), metaphysical, and scientific. He proposed 2 branches in society. These were statics (study of the endurance of society) and dynamics (the study of a changing society)
Harriet Martineau: first woman sociologist who believed society would progress by eliminating inequality among the people (racial and gender equality specifically)
Herbert Spencer: Believed each part of the society performs its own function and contributes survival and stability of the whole and society can correct ANY problems by being left alone (survival of the fittest idea). He is a functionalist supporter.
Karl Marx: believed the primary features of society are conflict and competition. He is a conflict supporter.
Emile Durkheim: brought formal scientific methods for sociology. He is a functional supporter and originator.
Jane Addams: founder of sociology in the US; founder of the Hull house (a social and human service agency designed to help those in need who face inequality and give them an opportunity, provided childcare, job training, education, etc.)
Note: Sociology came to USA and was used in regard to solve specific problems (such as prostitution, and racial discrimination. Sociology became a major study during the 1960's with social unrest and upheaval due to the Civil Rights Movement.
What is sociology?
History and Development of Sociology
A. Sociology: the scientific and systematic study of human society. Sociology is based on scientific evidence, built upon observation, experimentation, verification, and generalization.
Sociological imagination, which allows us to observe in a general sense and to draw relationships between individual experiences and its affects on the outer world.
B.Reasons why we study sociology:
1. We can know ourselves better by studying others
2. We can study diversity (in race, sex, age, ethnicity, class.) to gain insight in how society works
3.Gain insight into our own society by studying other societies.
C. History and Development of Sociology
Sociology began in Europe in the 1800's after social upheaval in Europe (Industrialization). Sociology was originally developed to improve the world and apply scientific methods in a study of society.
Auguste Compte was deemed the "Father of Sociology" and coined the term "sociology" in 1838.
There are 3 stages in societal development; Theological (religious), metaphysical, and scientific. He proposed 2 branches in society. These were statics (study of the endurance of society) and dynamics (the study of a changing society)
Harriet Martineau: first woman sociologist who believed society would progress by eliminating inequality among the people (racial and gender equality specifically)
Herbert Spencer: Believed each part of the society performs its own function and contributes survival and stability of the whole and society can correct ANY problems by being left alone (survival of the fittest idea). He is a functionalist supporter.
Karl Marx: believed the primary features of society are conflict and competition. He is a conflict supporter.
Emile Durkheim: brought formal scientific methods for sociology. He is a functional supporter and originator.
Jane Addams: founder of sociology in the US; founder of the Hull house (a social and human service agency designed to help those in need who face inequality and give them an opportunity, provided childcare, job training, education, etc.)
Note: Sociology came to USA and was used in regard to solve specific problems (such as prostitution, and racial discrimination. Sociology became a major study during the 1960's with social unrest and upheaval due to the Civil Rights Movement.
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