SOCIETY AND

CULTURE

Prepared By: Rhinalou Cervantes-Salamat

What to Expect in This

Chapter...
Defining the Sociological Perspective
Sociology
Imagination
and and
Common
Sense
Sociological
Sociology
Science

Sociology and the Social Sciences

Development of Sociology

Sociology and Theoretical Perspectives

Howard
Becker
Reminder
Sociology
is the scientific
study
Defining
the
Sociological
Perspective
What
makes
sociology
LEVELS
ofand
Understanding
The
study
of
people

that
society
the
individual
are
of human Drug
society
and
social
Use
inherently
connected,
and each
scientific?
doing
things
together
interactions.
depends on the other.

Refers to ...the vivid awareness

Sociological Imagination
of the relationship
between
Sociologists
study this
link: how
society
the individual
private affects
experience
and the
and how
the individual
affects
wider
society.
C. Wright
Mills
society.

Sociology
seeks to: research might
While sociological

the
premises
on which

use
a
broad
range
of
carefully
selected
usually
based
on
limited
confirm
common
sense
observation,
Sociology
common
sense
are
andassumptions
Common Sense
observations;
and
observations
its
broader
base
and and
theoretical
seldom
examined
theoretically understand
explain those
rational
provide a stronger basis for
observations.
conclusions.

The Scientific Method

Science is ...a body
of systematically
arranged
knowledge
As
Sociology
and
Science
a science,
sociology
employs
theshows
scientific
that
the method
operation of general
laws.

Social Sciences are the disciplines

that use the scientific method to
examine
Sociology
the
Social
Sciences
the and
social
world,
in contrast
to the natural sciences, which
examine the physical world.

Focused on two
aspects of society:

Set out to
The Development develop
the
of Sociology
science
man
Socialof
Statics
that would
be
(forces
which produce
time
ofempirical
great
based
orderon
and
stability)
19th century
social
upheaval
observation
Social
Dynamics
(forces which contribute
to social change)

Authored the first

Most well known for
sociology text,
proposing a doctrine
Principles of Sociology
called Social Darwinism

Suggested that people who

could not compete were poorly
adapted to the environment
and
inferior
This is an idea commonly
called survival of the fittest

Father of Conflict Theory

Saw human history in a

Bourgeoisie
continual
state(capitalists)
of conflict
between two
major classes:
versus

Predicted
that revolution
Proletariat
(workers)
would occur producing first a
socialist state, followed by a
communist society.

He moved sociology
fully into the realm of an
Most wellscience.
known
empirical
empirical study is
called Suicide,
where he looks at
the social causes of
suicide.

Emile Durkheim

Founder of Functionalist
Theory

Functionalist
Theoretical Perspectives
Perspective
Functionalism sees
society as a
Functionalist
Perspective
system of highly interrelated
parts that work together
Harmoniously.
Conflict
Perspective

Symbolic Interactionist

Each part of society works together

Perspective
for the benefit
of the whole much like a
living organism.

Conflict
Interactionist
Perspective
Perspective

Society is understood to be made up

Conflict theory
focuses
heavily
on vie
of conflicting
interest
groups
who
Focuses on how individuals make
inequality
differential
distribution of
forand
power
and privilege.
sense of and interpret the world
power and wealth.

Comparing Theoretical Perspectives

Perspective
StructuralFunctionalism

Scope of
Analysis
Macro Level

Point of View
1.
2.
3.

Conflict Theory

Macro Level

1.
2.
3.

Interactionist

Micro-Level

1.
2.

Focus of Analysis

Various parts of society are

interdependent
Social systems are highly stable
Social life governed by
consensus & cooperation

Functional and
dysfunctional aspects
of society

Society accommodates between

competing interest groups
Society unstable and prone to
change
Social life conflict-laden

1. How social
inequalities produce
conflict
2. Who benefits from
social arrangements

Actions have symbolic

meanings
Meanings can vary

How people make

sense of their world