SOC 1101 Lecture 4: Midterm Notes - SOC.1
19 Dec 2019
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Sociologists
Social Patterns!•
Recognize that personal experiences are affected by sex, age, class, ethnicity, race, religion and sexual ◦
orientation !
Investigate and challenge social patterns other people perceive (I.e. all male nurses are gay)!◦
!
Social Issues!•
Research allows discussion of same-sex marriage in informed and critical manner !◦
Help understand how socializing influences shape opinions !◦
Challenge perceptions (stereotypes)!◦
!
Social Science !•
Share interest!◦
psychology: human mind, social and biological influences !‣
anthropology: comparative study of human societies and cultures and the way they developed!‣
philosophy: thinkers and turns of thought, major questions of life!‣
Social work: understanding society and individuals applied to improving people's well-being!‣
economics: production and consumption of wealth, including distribution of goods and services among ‣
individuals and groups !
political science: systems of gov't and how they serve citizens !‣
Unique through its history, vocabulary and set of tools !◦
!
!
Sociology !
Definition!•
social science that studies the development, structure and functioning of human society !◦
Better to explain what sociology does than what it is !◦
Look for and at social patterns in !◦
Social variables (age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexual orientation)!‣
Social instituions!‣
Social interactions !‣
To achieve greater understanding of !◦
Social world (practices, attitudes, institutions)!‣
Yourself (how you relate to social patterns)!‣
Others in a multicultural and diverse Canada!‣
Nations and their institutions !‣
!
Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills!•
Society is 1º focus, not individuals !◦
understand individuals' circumstances as shared by social forces !◦
Understand connections between the political and personal - they're interlinked !◦
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Origin!•
Ibn Khaldûn: first to carry out systematic study of sociological subjects !◦
Book "Introduction to History": develops systematic approach to studying various types of societies ‣
and their histories, cultures and economics !
As societies become more affluent, they also become more soft and senile and fall into demise !‣
Development in Europe: 19th century!◦
Became academic interest in France, Germany, and Britain as response to dramatic social change: ‣
Industrialization, Urbanization, Population increases!
Modern Sociology: Max Weber!‣
German sociologist!•
Described how Protestantism and religion's values, specifically Protestant work ethic and •
accumulation of capital through thriftiness, led to the development of modern capitalism!
no sociological evidence that capitalism developed primarily in Protestant countries or that other •
religions do not display a similar work ethic!
Latin American scholars argue that capitalism is rooted in colonialism and colonial exploitation!•
Spread to North America: late 19th / early 20th century !◦
understand rapid social changes linked to European immigration !‣
University of Chicago’s sociology department is one of the oldest in the United States!‣
Development of Canadian Sociology !◦
First founded in 1922 by Carl Addington Dawson at McGill !‣
sociological tradition of political economy emerged at the University of Toronto!‣
Wasn't significant area of study until 1960s-1970s!‣
Unique focal points !‣
relationship between English and French Canada!•
development of the Canadian West!•
relationship between class and ethnicity!•
close collaboration with anthropology!•
!
Vertical Mosaic!•
John Porter examined the relationship between social class and ethnicity !◦
Term describes hierarchical stratification of racial, ethnic, and religious groups due to systemic ◦
discrimination !
Anglo-Saxon Protestants at top of the hierarchy, followed by French-Canadians while racially marginalized ◦
groups concentrate at the bottom!
!
Women and Writing of Gender in Canada!•
Annie Marie MacLean (1870–1934): first Canadian woman to obtain a PhD in sociology (U of Chicago)!◦
Aileen Ross (1902–1995): First woman hired as a sociologist at a Canadian university (U of T)!◦
Helen C. Abell (1917–2005): Founder of rural sociology in Canada!◦
!
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Schools of Sociology !
Diversified into different schools rather than develop uniformly !•
Macrosociology: big pictures of society and its institutions !•
SF, C, F, PM!◦
Microsociology: plans, motivations, and actions of individuals and small groups !•
SI!◦
!
Structural Functionalism !•
Uses organic or biological analogy for society !◦
Identifies structures of society (I.e. family) and describes the functions the structures performs to ‣
maintain social system and product social cohesion !
Explain social stability over conflict and social change !◦
Fallen out of favour amongst most practicing sociologists !◦
Émile Durkheim: Social Fact!◦
patterned ways of acting, thinking and feeling that exist outside of any individual but exert social control ‣
over people!
examine larger social forms rather than focusing on individuals !‣
Has 3 essential characteristics !‣
Developed prior to and separate from you as an individual !•
Can be seen as characteristic of particular group!•
Involves constraining or coercing force that pushes individuals into acting a particular way!•
Treated suicide as social fact in his book !‣
Certain groups are more likely to commit suicide: military, Protestants, unmarried people!•
Correlation between suicide and degree of connection and commitment of individuals to society !•
Strong dedication = more suicidal !◦
Weak connection to society (integration) could produce suicide too !◦
Robert K. Merton: 3 functions that any structure can produce!◦
Manifest functions: intended and easily recognized !‣
(I.e. Religion fulfills spiritual and emotional needs)!•
Latent functions: unintended and unrecognized !‣
(I.e. Religion creates a support network )!•
Latent dysfunctions: unintended and produce socially negative consequences !‣
(I.e. Religion provides justification for judging outsiders negatively)!•
Talcott Parsons!◦
Document Summary
Recognize that personal experiences are affected by sex, age, class, ethnicity, race, religion and sexual orientation. Investigate and challenge social patterns other people perceive (i. e. all male nurses are gay) Research allows discussion of same-sex marriage in informed and critical manner. Share interest psychology: human mind, social and biological influences anthropology: comparative study of human societies and cultures and the way they developed philosophy: thinkers and turns of thought, major questions of life. Social work: understanding society and individuals applied to improving people"s well-being economics: production and consumption of wealth, including distribution of goods and services among individuals and groups political science: systems of gov"t and how they serve citizens. Unique through its history, vocabulary and set of tools. Definition social science that studies the development, structure and functioning of human society. Better to explain what sociology does than what it is. Social variables (age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexual orientation)
