social sciences
the scientific study of people
psychology
the scientific study of individual behavior
economics
the scientific study of how people get and use goods and services
political science
the scientific study of how people get and keep power
history
the scientific study of people in the past
anthropology
the scientific study of primitive people
geography
the scientific study of how the environment effects people
sociology
the scientific study of people in groups (human society & social behavior)
scientific method
1. identify a problem/topic
2. collect background information
3. form hypothesis
4. design study
5. collect data
6. analyze data
7. conclusion
historical analysis
examine materials from the past
content analysis
examine current materials
survey
collect data on attitudes and opinions from large numbers of people
questionnaires
written surveys
interviews
oral surveys
observations
observe behavior in social settings (detached vs. participants)
Hawthorne Effect
if they know they are being observed, they may change their behavior
case study
intensive analysis of a person, group, event, or problem
experiment
two or more groups are gathered, one serves as the control and gets no treatment (variable), the other serves as the experimental group and gets some treatment (variable), and then the groups are compared
social interaction
how people relate to one another and influence behavior
sociological perspective
viewing the behavior of groups in a systematic and scientific way
sociological imagination
C. Wright Mills came up with the idea of this ability to see the connection between your life and the larger world
industrial revolution
building of factories, brought people to cities
urbanization
migration to cities for jobs
Augustus Comte
founder of sociology, tried to find answers to social problems of French Revolution, identified two problems: social change (dynamics) and social stability (statics)
Herbert Spencer
(England), said society was a set of interdependent parts that work together, social change is natural, developed social darwinism
social darwinism
best aspects of society survive, scientists shouldn't try to interfere (shouldn't try to help the poor)
Karl Marx
(Germany), believed structure of society heavily influenced by the economy, those who owned means of production (bourgeoisie) controlled society, those who owned nothing but their own labor (proletariat) worked long hours for low pay in harsh conditions,
Emile Durkheim
(France), taught the first university sociology class, first to systematically apply the methods of science to the study of society, focused on the function of parts of society (positive consequences) and believed religion helped maintain order. Only stud
Max Weber
(Germany), more interested in smaller groups within society & effects of society on individual, believed scientists needed to go beyond observable events, and include thoughts and feelings, sociologists needed Verstehen, identified ideal types
Verstehen
empathetic understanding of the meanings attached to other people's actions (see through others' eyes)
function
the consequence that an element of society produces for the maintenance of its social system
ideal type
the essential/main characteristics of a social feature
theoretical perspective
general set of assumptions about the nature of things
functionalist perspective
society is a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system
dysfunction
negative consequence an element has in society
manifest function
intended and recognized consequence of an element of society
latent function
unintended and unrecognized consequence of an element of society
conflict perspective
focuses on forces in society that promote competition and change
interactionist perspective
focuses on how individuals interact with one another in society
symbol
anything that represents something else
symbolic interaction
how people use symbols when interacting
social sciences
the scientific study of people
psychology
the scientific study of individual behavior
economics
the scientific study of how people get and use goods and services
political science
the scientific study of how people get and keep power
history
the scientific study of people in the past
anthropology
the scientific study of primitive people
geography
the scientific study of how the environment effects people
sociology
the scientific study of people in groups (human society & social behavior)
scientific method
1. identify a problem/topic
2. collect background information
3. form hypothesis
4. design study
5. collect data
6. analyze data
7. conclusion
historical analysis
examine materials from the past
content analysis
examine current materials
survey
collect data on attitudes and opinions from large numbers of people
questionnaires
written surveys
interviews
oral surveys
observations
observe behavior in social settings (detached vs. participants)
Hawthorne Effect
if they know they are being observed, they may change their behavior
case study
intensive analysis of a person, group, event, or problem
experiment
two or more groups are gathered, one serves as the control and gets no treatment (variable), the other serves as the experimental group and gets some treatment (variable), and then the groups are compared
social interaction
how people relate to one another and influence behavior
sociological perspective
viewing the behavior of groups in a systematic and scientific way
sociological imagination
C. Wright Mills came up with the idea of this ability to see the connection between your life and the larger world
industrial revolution
building of factories, brought people to cities
urbanization
migration to cities for jobs
Augustus Comte
founder of sociology, tried to find answers to social problems of French Revolution, identified two problems: social change (dynamics) and social stability (statics)
Herbert Spencer
(England), said society was a set of interdependent parts that work together, social change is natural, developed social darwinism
social darwinism
best aspects of society survive, scientists shouldn't try to interfere (shouldn't try to help the poor)
Karl Marx
(Germany), believed structure of society heavily influenced by the economy, those who owned means of production (bourgeoisie) controlled society, those who owned nothing but their own labor (proletariat) worked long hours for low pay in harsh conditions,
Emile Durkheim
(France), taught the first university sociology class, first to systematically apply the methods of science to the study of society, focused on the function of parts of society (positive consequences) and believed religion helped maintain order. Only stud
Max Weber
(Germany), more interested in smaller groups within society & effects of society on individual, believed scientists needed to go beyond observable events, and include thoughts and feelings, sociologists needed Verstehen, identified ideal types
Verstehen
empathetic understanding of the meanings attached to other people's actions (see through others' eyes)
function
the consequence that an element of society produces for the maintenance of its social system
ideal type
the essential/main characteristics of a social feature
theoretical perspective
general set of assumptions about the nature of things
functionalist perspective
society is a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system
dysfunction
negative consequence an element has in society
manifest function
intended and recognized consequence of an element of society
latent function
unintended and unrecognized consequence of an element of society
conflict perspective
focuses on forces in society that promote competition and change
interactionist perspective
focuses on how individuals interact with one another in society
symbol
anything that represents something else
symbolic interaction
how people use symbols when interacting