SOC 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Symbolic Interactionism, Scientific Method, Class Consciousness
23 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Americans live in a free country; unlike other nations, they have freedom of choice. However our freedom to think and act is constrained at least by some degree by society"s standards and expectations and by the many aspects of our social backgrounds. Society shapes our attitudes and behaviors, but does not determine them altogether. Our freedom is limited by society"s expectations. Life chances - our chances of being healthy, wealthy, and well educated and more generally, of living a good, happy life. Social environment - social backgrounds and other aspects of sociology. Sociology - the scientific study of social behavior and social institutions. *sociological perspective - the belief that people"s backgrounds influence their attitudes, behaviors and life chances. Society - a group of people who live within a defined territory and who share a culture. According to the sociological perspective, social backgrounds influence attitudes, behavior and life chances. Social backgrounds influence, but do not totally determine attitudes and behavior.
