SOC 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Auguste Comte, Human Science, Upper Class

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 103
• Professor: Sal Guzzo

Document Summary

Sociology: the systematic study of human society and social interaction. Sociology, like other human sciences (psychology, anthropology, economics, etc. ), attempts to help us understand and explain human behaviour. It differs from the other human sciences also called a social sciences. It attempts to explain human behaviour by focusing on how society is structured or organized. Sociology is a human science; it is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociologists focus on the groups people belong to and how these groups affect behaviour. Examples of groups: what social class you belong to: Upper class, middle class, working class: what educational group you belong to: Degree, high school, elementary school: upper income, middle income, lower income, single, married, divorced, catholic, jew, muslim, anglican, atheist, union member, non-union member, full-time, part-time, unemployed, retired, male, female, man or woman. Sociologists view human behaviour from different theoretical perspectives; the theoretical perspective affects how one interprets behaviour.