Essay About Society Acts And Social Influences

Sociology – the Sociological Perspective
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SOC*1100Chapter 1; the Sociological Perspective:Seeing the General in the Particular:Peter Berger described the sociological perspective as seeing the general in the particular (sociologists identify patterns in behaviour of certain individuals)Society acts differently on various categories (child vs adult, male vs female)Ex: soldier going into afghan home and opening fire killing 16. We look at the soldier’s particular situation not at soldier himself. The behaviour of the solider must be understood in the social, cultural or structural context of military lifeSeeing the Strange in the Familiar:Society shapes what we think and do Social influences whether we pursue other options (ex: higher education)Many factors affect choices such as university (money, ethnicity, race, religion)Seeing Society in Our Everyday Lives:Society can shape our most private choices (Ex: suicide)Emile Durkheim studied this concept on suicideHe found men, protestants, wealthy people and those unmarried were more likely to take their own lives Those with strong social ties had lower chances of suicide We observe general social patterns in the most personal of actions Seeing Sociologically: Marginality and Crisis:Living on the margins of society and living through crisis help people see how society shapes lives The greater one’s social marginality, the more likely they are to use the sociological perspectiveSocial minorities see social patterns others are unaware ofPeriods of crisis make everyone feel a little off balance, encouraging use of the sociological perspective(Ex: great depression. One says “economy collapsed no jobs to be found” instead of “I can’t get a job, what’s wrong with me”Importance of a Global Perspective:Global awareness is an extension of the sociological perspective Sociology shows us that our place in society shapes our life experiences, so the position of our society in the larger world system affects those in Canada1) Where we live shapes the lives we lead (Ex:  number of kids in poorer countries)2) Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected (Ex: increase in technology. Same interests in food, clothing and music)3) Many social problems we face in Canada are worse elsewhere (Ex: poverty in other countries is more common and severe)4) Thinking globally helps us to learn more about ourselves (comparing life in various settings can lead to unexpected lessons)Sociology and Public Policy:Sociology played a role in the development of Canadian social policy (Ex: Royal Commission on Health Services 1964-65 led to Canada’s medicare system)Sociological perspective helps us to see that the operation of society can shape the fate of many peopleSociology and Personal Growth:Using sociology benefits us in 4 ways…1) Helps us asses the truth of “common sense” (sociology encourages us to question common beliefs and why they are widely held)2) Helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives (we have a say on how to play our cards but society deals us the hand. The more we understand or “size up” the world the better we achieve our goals)3) Empowers us to be active participants in our society (the more we understand about how society works, the more active citizens we become)4) Helps us live in a diverse world (encourages us to think critically about strengths and weaknesses of all ways of life, including our own)Careers: The Sociology Advantage:Sociology can benefit people who are looking to get into criminal justiceDoctors/nurses  learn about patterns of health and illness as well as the affects of race, gender etc. on human health Origins of Sociology:New industrial economy (working in farms on the middle ages → end of 18th century powers of steam/water to power machines. Changed from labouring at home to becoming part of labour force)Growth of cities (as cities grow migrants face many social problems such as crime, pollution and homelessness)Political change (growth of cities challenged traditional thinking. Writers such as Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679, John Locke 1632-1704 and Adam Smith 1723-1790. Shift from moral obligation to god → pursuit of self-interestNew awareness of societyScience and Sociology:Auguste Comte (1798-1857) coined the term sociology in 1838Comte and other pioneers seek to understand how society actually operatesComte saw sociology as product of 3 stage historical developmentTheological stage: from beginning of human history → end of European Middle AgesMetaphysical stage: seeing society as natural not supernatural Scientific stage: work of early scientists such as Copernicus and GalileoComte’s approach is positivism: way of understanding based on science  (society operates according to its own laws)Sociological Theory:Theory: a statement of how and why specific facts are related Theoretical approach: basic image of society that guides thinking and researchThe Structural-Functional Approach:Macro-level: broad focus on social structures that shape society as a wholeSees society as a complex system whose parts work together for solidarity & stabilitySocial structure is any relatively stable pattern of social behaviour Looks for a structure’s social functions: consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society as a whole (Auguste Compte, Emilie Durkheim, Herbert Spencer)Spencer compared society to the human body, one part cannot function without otherMerton expanded understanding by distinguishing different functionsManifest functions: recognized and intended consequences of any social patternLatent functions: unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social patternSocial dysfunction: any social pattern that may disrupt operation of societyThe Social-Conflict Approach:Macro-level: broad focus on social structures that shape society as a wholeSees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and changeHighlights inequality and change Look at conflict between dominant and disadvantaged categories of people Social patterns may benefit some and hurt others People who are dominant protect their power while those who are disadvantaged try to gain more Not just to understand society but to bring societal changeGender-conflict approach: focuses on inequality and conflict between men and womenFeminism: support of social equality for women and menRace-conflict approach: focuses on inequality between people of different racial/ethnic categoriesThe Symbolic-Interaction Approach:Micro-level: close up focus on social interaction in specific situationsSees society as the product of everyday interactions of individualsSociety is a shared reality that people construct through interaction with each otherReality is how we define our surroundings, obligation to others and our identities(Max Weber, George Hebert Mead, Erving Goffman)The Postmodern Approach: