SOC 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Macrosociology, Microsociology
Document Summary
The third and most abstract way that sociologists divide up their discipline is to distinguish between different levels of analysis. Roughly speaking, depending on the level of analysis used, a sociologist might be doing microsociology or macrosociology. Microsociologists generally focus on the interactions of individuals and the context of those interactions. Macrosociologists, on the other hand, focus on broader social phenomena, such as whole social structures, systems, and institutions. A sociologist who studies the family from a microsociological perspective might ask questions about the relationships between family members. A sociologist who studies the family from a macrosociological perspective might look at the impact of economic change on divorce and birth rates in a particular society. Although most sociologists tend to do either macrosociological or microsociological research (rather than combine the two), nearly everyone realizes that both kinds of work are important.
