Sociology in Our Times
Diana Kendall
7th Edition
Chapter 1
The Sociological Perspective
Putting Social Life into Perspective
The Importance of a Global Sociological Imagination
The Origins of Sociological Thinking
The Development of Modern Sociology
Contemporary Theoretical Perspectives
Comparing Sociology with other Social Sciences
Putting Social Life Into
Perspective
Sociology is the systematic study of
human society and social interaction.
A society is a social grouping that shares the
same geographical territory and is subject to
the same political authority and dominant
cultural expectations.
Putting Social Life Into
Perspective
Sociologists study societies and social
interactions to develop theories of :
How human behavior is shaped by
group life.
How group life is affected by
individuals.
Why Study Sociology?
Helps us gain a better understanding of
ourselves and our social world.
Helps us see how behavior is shaped by
the groups to which we belong and our
society.
Helps us look beyond personal
experiences and gain insight into the
larger world order.
Understanding Behavior
Commonsense knowledge guides ordinary
conduct in everyday life.
A myth is a popular but false notion that may
perpetuate certain beliefs even with evidence
to the contrary.
The Sociological Imagination
The ability to see the relationship
between individual experiences and the
larger society.
Distinguishes between personal
troubles and social issues.
Fields That Use Social
Science Research
Race, Ethnicity & Class
Race is used to specify groups of people
distinguished by physical characteristics such
as skin color.
Ethnicity refers to the cultural heritage or
identity of a group and is based on factors such
as language or country of origin.
Class refers to the relative location of a person
or group within the larger society, based on
wealth, power, prestige, or other valued
resources.
Sex and Gender
Sex refers to the biological and
anatomical differences between females
and males.
Gender refers to the meanings, beliefs,
and practices associated with sex
differences, referred to as femininity and
masculinity.
The Age of Enlightenment
In France, the Enlightenment was dominated by
philosophers, including Montesquieu,
Rousseau, and Turgot.
They believed human society could be
improved through scientific discoveries.
The Enlightenment produced an intellectual
revolution in how people thought about social
change, progress, and critical thinking.
The Age of Revolution,
Industrialization, and Urbanization
The Industrial Revolution occurred in the
19th and 20th centuries when economic,
technological, and social changes
occurred as technology shifted from
agriculture to manufacturing.
Urbanization is the process by which an
increasing proportion of a population lives
in cities rather than in rural areas.
Theoretical Perspectives
Theory View of Society
Composed of interrelated
Functionalist parts that work together to
maintain stability.
Society is characterized by
social inequality; social life is
Conflict
a struggle for scarce
resources.
Sociology and Anthropology
Anthropology seeks to understand
human existence over geographic space
and evolutionary time.
Sociology seeks to understand
contemporary social organization,
relations, and change.
Sociology and Psychology
Psychology is the study of behavior and
mental processes - what occurs in the
mind.
Sociological research examines the
effects of groups, organizations, and
institutions on social life.
Sociology and Economics
Economists attempt to explain how the
limited resources of a society are
allocated among competing demands.
Economists focus on economic systems
such as monetary policy, inflation, and the
national debt.
Sociologists focus on a number of social
institutions, one of which is the economy.
Sociology and Political
Science
Political scientists concentrate on
political institutions.
Sociologists study political institutions
within the context of other social
institutions, such as families.
