SY 1001:03 Study Guide - Final Guide: Auguste Comte, Scientific Revolution, Harold Garfinkel
SY1001 EXAM STUDY NOTES
Sociology – the systematic study of human behaviour in social context
Social Structures – stable patterns of social relations
Agency – a idiidual o olletie ailit to ifluee oes o life ad to ifluee soiet
Microstructures – patterns of intimate social relations formed during face-to-face interaction. (E.g. family, friendship circles and work associations)
Macrostructures – oeahig pattes of soial elatios that lie outside oes ile of itiates ad acquaintances (Include: classes, bureaucracies and power systems)
Global structures – patterns of social relations that lie above the national level (Include: international organisations, patterns of worldwide travel and communications, and
economic relations between countries)
Social Imagination – Charles Wright Mills
Sociological Imagination is the quality of mind that enables one to see the connection between personal troubles and social structures
ORIGINS OF SOCIAL IMAGINATION:
1. The Scientific Revolution (Europe, 1550) – encouraged the view that sound conclusions about the workings of society must be based on solid evidence, not just
speculation
2. The Democratic Revolution (US & France, 1750) – suggested that people organise society and that human intervention can therefore resolve social problems
3. The Industrial Revolution (Britain, 1780s) – rapid economic transformation that involved the large-scale application of science and technology to industrial
processes, the creation of factories and the formation of a working class
Auguste Comte – coined the term sociology
Research – the process of carefully observing reality to assess the validity of a theory
The Research Cycle: Formulate a question –> Review existing research –> Design research project –> Conduct research –> Analyse data –> Write up findings
• Validity – the degree to which a measure actually measures what it is intended to measure
• Reliability – the degree to which a measurement procedure yields consistent results
When reading any research findings, we must ask three questions:
1. Would another researcher interpret or measure things in the same way?
2. Are the researcher’s interpretations accurate?
3. Do the research findings apply beyond the specific case examined?
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