Sociology 1020 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Canada, Structural Functionalism, Interaction
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Sociology 1020
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
The systematic study of human society and social interaction
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Sociologists study human societies and their social interactions in order to
develop theories of how human behaviour is shaped by groups life and how, in
turn, group life is affected by individuals
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We make the familiar strange
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Why Study Sociology?
Helps us gain a better understanding of ourselves and our social world
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Enables us to see how human behaviour is shaped by the social groups to
which we belong
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Sociologists strive to use scientific standards, not popular myths, in studying
society and social interactions
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Takes us beyond the personal and assists us in gaining insights into society
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They use systematic research techniques and are accountable to the scientific
community
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The goal is objectivity in searching for patterns of behaviour
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Key Ideas:
It concerns itself with theories about social relations between individuals and
groups of people within a particular society
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Sociology focuses on patterned group behaviour
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What is Sociology?
Sociology is interested in the PATTERNS that people generate as they interact,
influence, and relate to one another
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In short:
Think patterns, not people! (at least not individual people)
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Individuals and Society:
How do sociologists view the relationship between the individual and society?
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We are always influencing and being influenced by others
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Individual Bias: the focus on individuality also explains our tendency to think
that our own situation and circumstances are entirely a result of our own
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What is Sociology?
Monday, September 18, 2017
4:21 PM
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
that our own situation and circumstances are entirely a result of our own
behaviour
In this class, we will emphasize society and the individual are inseparable, like
two sides of the same coin
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Peter Berger:
"to see the general In the particular"
Identify general patterns in the behaviour of particular individuals
Unique individuals
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Categories
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Society acts
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The Sociological Imagination:
Sociological imagination is the ability to see the connections between personal
troubles and social structures
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Enables us to understand the link between our personal experience and the
social contexts in which they occur
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Developed by C. Wright Mills in 1959
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The sociological imagination is a recent addition to the human repertoire
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In ancient and medieval times, the thinking about society was no sociological
People believed that society was controlled by God and nature
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The Scientific Revolution began about 1550.
It encouraged the view that we should base conclusions about the
workings of society on evidence, not speculations.
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People would often link Scientific Revolution to specific ideas, such as
Newton's laws of motion, whereas science is more of a method of
inquiry.
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That we should use evidence to make a case for a particular point of view
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Suggested that a science of society was possible
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The Democratic Revolution began about 1750.
It suggested that people are responsible for organizing society and that
human intervention can therefore solve social problems
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Most people 400 years ago thought otherwise as they believed God
ordained social order
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The American Revolution (1775-83) and the French Revolution (1789-99)
helped to undermine the idea
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Suggested that people could intervene to improve society
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The Industrial Revolution: began about 1780.
Often regarded as the most important event in world history since the
development of agriculture and cities, refers to the rapid economic
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find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The systematic study of human society and social interaction. Sociologists study human societies and their social interactions in order to develop theories of how human behaviour is shaped by groups life and how, in turn, group life is affected by individuals. Helps us gain a better understanding of ourselves and our social world. Enables us to see how human behaviour is shaped by the social groups to which we belong. Sociologists strive to use scientific standards, not popular myths, in studying society and social interactions. Takes us beyond the personal and assists us in gaining insights into society. They use systematic research techniques and are accountable to the scientific community. The goal is objectivity in searching for patterns of behaviour. It concerns itself with theories about social relations between individuals and groups of people within a particular society. Sociology is interested in the patterns that people generate as they interact, influence, and relate to one another.
