Topic: “The Social Matters” - An Introduction to Sociology Aim: How can we look at our world with a Sociological

Imagination?

Today’s Agenda

1. Syllabus (intro, college credit, etc.) 2. Assignments 3. Begin actual learning of Sociology (do you hate the 1st day as much as I do??)

Sociology is…(fill in the blank)

…the scientific study of behavior and human groups, focusing on social relationships: how those relationships influence people’s behavior; and how societies (the sum total of those relationships) develop and change.

Perennial Questions of Sociology

What drives human behavior?

How do individuals engage with their society?

How are power relationships Structured in society?

What role do class, race, gender, Sexual orientation play in The organization of society?

Who benefits from these Relationships, and who is harmed by them? How are individual’s Personal experiences Reflective of the larger Society in which they live?

A few takeaway points before we even start:

• Anything can be analyzed and studied sociologically from macro issues of racial and gender inequality, to the social meaning behind the filters you use on Instagram (or not, #nofilter) • The goal here is not just the work, but the work as a means to encourage you to challenge the world around you, and look at social interaction and purpose in a different way than you did before.

Unit 1: The Sociological Imagination

An awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society, both today and in the past (Mills, 1959). Key aspect is ability to view one’s own society as an outsider would.

Do you believe that… …in a general sense, you can fall in love/marry whoever you choose That you have the greatest amount of choice in your selection of a partner? A sociologist would say not as much as you think…the rules of endogamy will tell you to marry within your cultural group, the rules of homogamy will direct you towards similar personal traits to your own, the status of your family will direct you towards people of a certain socioeconomic status, your religious affiliation will push you towards others of that same religion, and so on…

Meet Thomas…he’s white, heterosexual, upper-class(from a successful two parent, conservative Republican home) a very religious Protestant, college educated, born in 1950, and highly ambitious and career driven… Now, describe to me the type of woman who Thomas is most likely NOT going to marry and have children with one day…

• The sociological imagination allows us to go beyond personal experiences and observations to understand broader public issues.

Discussion: -Analyze how divorce reflects BOTH personal and societal issues… -What have you heard about divorce rates?

I want you, in your notebook to list 5 reasons/scenarios that a person might commit suicide - you may say anything (or describe any situation you like) Speak freely Do the majority of the reasons/scenarios have a theme that you can identify? What is that theme? Now consider a different question - why is the suicide rate, per capita, higher in California versus Ohio? Do the majority of the reasons/scenarios have a different theme that you can identify? What is that theme?

The Sociological Imagination & Suicide

Matthew K. Nock, director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Research at Harvard University, is one of the most original and influential suicide researchers in the world (Resource

- “The Suicide Detective, New York Times, 6/26/2013)

4 types of suicide: 1. Egotistic – feel isolated, alone 2. Altruistic – high solidarity – killing for betterment of group (Kamikaze pilots, suicide bombers, cult members/leaders) 3. Fatalistic – low social control, people feel future is bleak and nothing will make it better (terminally ill people, prison inmates, depressed people) 4. Anomic – People who cannot deal with social chaos (9/11, Stock market crash of 1929, etc) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/magazine/ the-suicide-detective.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Major Theoretical Perspectives:

Functionalism (Macro) Conflict Theory (Macro)

Think of society as a living organism in which each part contributes to its survival what function does each part of society serve to the overall stability of society?

Extension of Marxism - assumes social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power, resources, access, and political representation

Interactionists (Micro)

Focus on everyday forms of social interaction to explain society as a whole.

focus on material things, actions, Relationships, and symbols. Sometimes Referred to as symbolic interactionists.

An example of analyzing micro sociological interactions…

React to the following video YouTube “I Forgot

My Phone”

Analysis of Major Theoretical Schools

Discussion - how would a functionalist explain the prohibition of consuming beef in Hindu based cultures?

Resource - “The Cultural Ecology of India’s Sacred Cattle” (Harris,1966)

The Feminist Perspective

Embraced in the 1970’s with advent of second Wave feminism. Views inequality in gender As central to all behavior and organization. View Women’s subjugation as inherent to capitalist societies .

Manifest and Latent Functions (Merton, 1968) :

Manifest Functions: Open, stated, conscious functions of institutions.

Think of education…what are the manifest functions of going to school?

Latent Functions: unconscious, sometimes unintended functions that reflect hidden purposes of an institution.

Think of education…what are the latent functions of going to school?