Notes to Introduction to Sociology

THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
AND THE RESEARCH PROCESS  

I.  SOCIOLOGY: DEFINITION AND IMPORTANCE

          A.  Sociology is the study of human society and social interaction (Kendall text).  Sociologists try to understand and explain individual and group behavior by using the sociological imagination and looking at environmental influences, like culture, family upbringing, and the historical time period in which that person lives. 

          B.  The Sociological Imagination:  the ability to see the societal patterns that influence individual and group life.  C. Wright Mills (1959) argued that that to understand the experience of an individual or group of individuals, one had to have knowledge of the social and historical context in which people live(d).

1.  For example, to help explain why over 40 million Americans are without any health insurance, we can apply the sociological imagination to see that one central reason so many people are without health insurance is that this country lacks affordable health care.  Also, when we want to understand a person’s values, beliefs, and behavior, we use the sociological imagination and consider their culture and family upbringing, for example, to help us understand.  Finally, recent data show that suicides amongst our military are increasing, and are higher than they’ve even been.  Is this a personal trouble, or a public issue?

II. SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS
A. Scientific method and objectivity:

1.  the Sociological Research Process

a.  Use the scientific method (define research problem; review previous research; formulate the hypothesis; develop the research design(s); collect and analyze the data; draw conclusions and report the findings

B. Research Methods for Collecting Data
1. surveys (interviews, questionnaires), experiments, secondary data, field research
a.  each has pros and cons
b.  best to use a few different methods 

C. Ethical Issues in Sociological Research
1.  maintain objectivity and integrity; maintain confidentiality and participant’s right to privacy; acknowledge research collaboration and assistance and disclose all sources of financial support

III. THREE MAJOR CONTEMPORARY THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN US SOCIOLOGY

A. Functionalist Perspectives
(Macro focus on large-scale social structures)
1.  The Functionalist perspective is based on the assumption that society is a stable, orderly system.  Like the human body with arms, legs, lungs, and the heart, all working together for the survival of the whole body, for example, Functionalists see the different elements of society, like the institutions of the family, education, religion, and government as being interdependent and created to provide specific functions necessary for the survival of the society. 
a.  Durkheim, Parsons, Merton)

B. Conflict Perspectives
(Macro focus on large-scale social structures)     
1.  The Conflict perspective sees society as made up of groups engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources (Kendall).  Conflict leads to social change. 
a.  Marx, Weber, Mills

C.  Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives
(Micro focus on small groups and day-to-day interaction and their behavior in groups)