SOCIOL 110 Lecture 1: Introduction to Sociology

• School: UMASS-Amherst
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCIOL 110
• Professor: Paul Knudson

Document Summary

Sociology - the study of human society and how social structures and social processes influence the behavior of individuals and groups. Social structures - patterned social arrangements that influence individuals, groups, and society. This happens on: macro levels, religion, gender, law, economy, social class, micro levels. Sociologists study how things outside of the individual affect people"s conditions. Sociological imagination - the ability to understand how culture, social forces, social institutions,and historical conditions impact the lives, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals and groups.