Sociology

SOC 1301, Introduction to Sociology 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Recognize key sociological concepts. 1.1 Recognize foundational sociological concepts including sociological imagination, common

sense, social science, globalization, and the three major sociological perspectives. 1.2 Recognize sociological concepts of prominent founding sociologists. 1.3 Recognize sociological research terms and concepts.

Required Unit Resources Chapter 1: The Sociological Imagination Chapter 2: Sociological Research In order to access the following resources, click the links below. Discovery Education (Producer). (2012). Theoretical perspectives (Segment 3 of 6) [Video]. In Introduction to

sociology: Sociological theory and research methods. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=117903&loid=429708

The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database. Soc Media Films (Producer). (2019). Sociological perspectives [Video]. Films on Demand.

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=189819

The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

Unit Lesson In this unit, you will learn foundational concepts and the history of sociology. This foundational knowledge is needed to further study, recognize, and understand the relationship between individuals and society. You will also learn how sociologists study society, using theories and scientific research methods.

Sociological Imagination Sociological imagination is an important sociological concept introduced by sociologist Charles Wright Mills (Witt, 2020). Sociological imagination encourages you to look outside of yourself and to recognize that the groups and institutions you belong to in society shape who you are, what you think, and how you feel. For example, if you belong to a religious group, this will affect your beliefs about an afterlife. If you grew up in a Hindu household, you might believe that the afterlife includes reincarnation. If you grew up in a Christian household, you might believe the afterlife includes heaven. Your family group often has a big impact on your individual life choices and opportunities. For example, if your family did not encourage you to go to college or if your family did not have the money to send you to college, this could have a significant influence on your choice to attend college after high school. While it is up to you

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE

Sociological Imagination, Theory, and Research

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to make your own choices in life and create your own direction, it is important to acknowledge and understand how the social forces around you shape your choices. This will help you make even better choices for your future.

Thinking Like a Sociologist Sociology can be used at home, at work, and in your community. You can use sociology to help you view society in a different way. We are highly influenced by family, peers, and the media. We often make assumptions about people and things based on our own limited knowledge or experience. Sometimes, we use the term common sense to describe these assumptions. However, social research has found that the actual behaviors of a society are not always the same as some common views or beliefs held by parts of the society. For example, you might have the misconception that most suicides are committed by teens; however, the research shows that the suicide rate is highest among middle-aged people (Witt, 2020). Understanding why there is a disconnect and understanding what truly is happening in society is vital to being able to address societal problems effectively.

Sociological Perspectives and Theories Three perspectives dominate sociological thought and practice. They are functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist views. These three perspectives dominate sociological practice and are used to test hypotheses about behaviors.

The functionalist view and conflict view study society and the individual in macro terms. The functionalist view focuses on how society has structures that all work together like parts of a system to create social order. The conflict view contends that human behavior is dominated by the struggle (conflict) over resources and power. When we study macro interactions, we study broad patterns of behavior, such as unemployment rates, immigration patterns, and even purchasing behaviors. The interactionist view, on the other hand, focuses on the creation of shared meaning through everyday interaction, as it is the study of micro aspects of self and society (Witt, 2020). When we study micro interactions, we study behavior on a smaller scale, such as the effects of losing one’s job or the significance of the goodbye kiss to one’s relationship. Theories and theoretical perspectives help us understand our behaviors. Theories are not simply opinions. Sociologists use hypotheses to create theory. They test these hypotheses to find support. Sociologists test and retest hypotheses so that we might use theory to explain the social world.

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Early Sociological Thinkers Finally, Karl Marx, a social philosopher of the 19th century, lived during a time of turmoil when people were either very wealthy or very poor. He noticed that among the poor, many groups competed for the few resources that trickled down from the wealthy. Marx witnessed the tension between these groups and worked toward a theory to explain why the wealthy rule and the poor fight among themselves. By controlling the means of production in a society, the wealthy controlled the society. The poor only controlled their own labor and were unable to leverage this labor in a way that gained control of other things beyond a paycheck dictated by the wealthy. Marx’s work led to what we now know as the conflict perspective (Witt, 2020).

Sociological Research As with any type of science, sociologists use the scientific method to research society. The five steps of the scientific method are as follows: define the problem, review the literature, formulate the hypothesis, collect/analyze data, and develop the conclusion. The following video segment "Developing Sociological Hypothesis" does a thorough job explaining how the scientific method applies to sociology. It also explains the process of formulating the hypothesis. The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database. Sociologists who conduct quantitative studies primarily use surveys to answer the questions they have about the social world. Surveys use a series of self-report questions with predetermined answers on a Likert scale to gather data from many respondents. Perhaps our hypothesis is that race or gender moderates the relationship. To determine this, we will need to ask our respondents their gender and race. By measuring these, we can then test to see if one’s gender or race changes the strength of the relationship between poverty and mental health. Sociologists who conduct qualitative studies are interested in describing and understanding social phenomena. These sociologists tend to use methods such as participant observation and in-depth interviews to pull out information that is otherwise overlooked. For example, we may want to understand the day-to-day lives of minimum-wage employees. We could choose to get a job making minimum wage and observe those around us. Alternatively, we may want to understand how these employees fare on the paychecks they receive. We could continue with the observations, or we could choose to interview people and even follow them during a typical week. Consider the different types of data each of these methods would bring.

References Armando, M. (2020). Emile Durkheim [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C3%89mile_Durkheim.jpg Witt, J. (2020). SOC 2020 (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Suggested Unit Resources In order to access the following resource, click the link below. Review the following presentations to learn more about concepts learned in this unit.

• Chapter 1 PowerPoint presentation (PDF version of the Chapter 1 PowerPoint presentation)

• Chapter 2 PowerPoint presentation (PDF version of the Chapter 2 PowerPoint presentation)

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Review the following video segment for a brief look into the history of sociology. Discovery Education (Producer). (2012). Origins of sociology (Segment 1 of 6) [Video]. In Introduction to

sociology: Sociological theory and research methods. Films on Demand. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=117903&loid=429706

The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database.

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

Activity 1: SOCThink Review the SOCThink pop-out boxes found throughout Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 in your textbook. After reflection of each question, note your thoughts in a personal journal.

Activity 2: Check Your Knowledge Review the concepts presented in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 as you complete the Unit I Check Your Knowledge activity (PDF version of Unit I Check Your Knowledge activity).