SOC101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Social Distance, Microsociology, Erving Goffman

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC101
• Professor: Katie Cook

Document Summary

Sociology = systematic study of social behaviour of individuals, groups, + organizations. Has a set of terms + definitions. Try to help us understand or elucidate human behaviour. Field goes as far as it can to understand individual + group behaviour. Focuses on two aspects of the human situation to explain the behaviour of individuals + groups: people live in social groups + organizations or social structures , phenomenon of culture . Culture + social structures explain the repetitive patterns of the behaviour of individuals. One of the things that impresses sociologists ppl come to a situation w/ different self-concepts, personalities, biologies, but all behave the same in social structure or setting. Ex/ no better example than classroom differences in backgrounds/personalities not displayed in the classroom, behave similarly in class. Why bc we share same culture, grew up with definition of classroom + rules, behaviour, year after year. Norms, rules, cultures are different in each social structure.