introduction to sociology - glmw.info.pptVIP

SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH HISTORY, CONCEPTS AND METHODS THE CREATION OF MODERN SOCIOLOGY AUGUSTE COMTE(1798-1857) -OFFICIALLY COINED THE TERM “SOCIOLOGY” -FELT THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF SYSTEMATIC DATA COLLECTION OR OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS IN SOCIAL THOUGHT COMTE COMTE’S BASIC PREMISE WAS THAT RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSPHICAL SPECULATION ABOUT SOCIETY DID NOT PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO SOLVE SOCIETY’S PROBLEMS. COMTE WANTED TO USE SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO ADDRESS TWO BASIC QUESTIONS: “WHAT HOLDS SOCIETY TOGETHER AND GIVES RISE TO A STABLE ORDER RATHER THAN ANARCHY” / “WHY IS THERE CHANGE IN SOCIETY” COMTE SOCIETY DIVIDED INTO 2 PARTS: SOCIAL STATICS(ASPECTS OF SOCIETY THAT GIVE RISE TO ORDER, STABILITY AND HARMONY) SOCIAL DYNAMICS(CHANGE AND EVLOUTIION IN THE PARTS OF SOCIETY AND IN SOCIETY ITSELF OVER TIME) THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES MICRO-LEVEL THEORIES SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM-concerned with how people give meaning to the events, objects and individuals in their everyday lives; focuses on how one defines and responds to events and situations Symbolic Interactionism Groups form from interacting individuals; through interactions, people learn what to expect from others and learn to share common understandings through the use of symbols; through symbolic communication people learn to socially construct a world of meaning. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISTS George Herbert Mead Interested in how humans define their situations and how we learn our social roles MACRO-LEVEL THEORIES Structural Functionalism-assumes that all parts of the social structure, culture and social processes work together to make the whole society run smoothly and harmoniously FUNCTIONALISTS COMTE ROBERT MERTON-manifest and latent functions functionalists TALCOTT PARSONS- -all the parts of the social system are interrelated and each performs some task or function necessary for a society’s survival FUNCTIONALISTS EMILIE DURKHEIM(1858-1917) -individuals conform to the rules of societies because of a co