INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

DSoc 1101
Why Take Sociology 101?

Sociology
What is Sociology?

Formal definition

Content

Illustration

Comparison/Opposit
ion
Vs natural
Readings
Read
1. Invitation to Sociology (PL Berger)

2. What is Sociology? (JM Henslin)

behind the scenes/

fascination with gossip
The world is your parish
finding wonder in the familiar
culture shock minus geographic travel

social versus natural sciences

sociology versus other social sciences
structural versus interactional
Quantitative versus qualitative
What is Sociology? (Formal
definitions)
A social science that asks and tries to
Discourse on society answer questions about individual
(socio logos) behavior and about the social world

These questions can focus on

Study of human individuals but they can also focus on
behavior in relation broader groups (communities,
to society. organizations, and entire societies).

Sociology is only one of the social

Study of interactions sciences but it tends to be broader in
between people and scope and open to a variety of
society; research methods.

Some work in sociology is theoretical

but other work is practically oriented
to understanding and improving our
daily lives.
What is Sociology?
(Content)

Study societies

Study people
(Illustrations/Examples)

Important/
Macro

Trivial/ micro
Sitting Patterns in
DSoc 1101
(Illustrations/Examples)
 What is Sociology? (Comparison
I)
Natural Sciences vs Social Sciences:

Psychology
(1890)
Sociology
Economics
(1838)
(1767) 1900
1800
BiologyChemistry
1700
(1735) (1778)
1600Geology Statistics
1500 (1669) (1763)
MATHS (4th BC) 1400
Physics 1300
(1021) 1200
1100
Medicine
(1025) Social Physics A. Comte (1798-1857)
Why did Sociology Come Late?

Difficult?
Unruly subjects
Objectivity

Ethics

Icky?
# Free will
# religion and fate
What is Sociology? (Comparison
II)
Other Social Sciences:

Economics

Anthropology

Psychology
Queen of social
sciences?
Political science

History

Demography
Comparison Among Social
Sciences (Criteria)

Topics studied (specialized vs. general)

Level of analysis (individual vs. society)

Type of explanations/ perspectives

Types of Methods Used (Q versus q)

 Sociology vs. Other Social
Sciences
Topics Level of Type of Methods
analysis explanation

Economics Economic BOTH Incentives; Quantitative

behavior rational choice

Anthropology Ancient cultures MACRO Qualitative

Psychology Personality,men Quantitative

Micro tal processes

Political Political Group power/ BOTH

Science behavior BOTH interest

History Past events MACRO Other past Qualitative

events

SOCIOLOGY ALL types of BOTH Social BOTH

behavior influences
Different Theoretical
Perspectives

A Sociologist, an economist and a political scientist walk into a

bar.
 Sociology vs. Other Social
Sciences

In explaining human behavior,

Economists favorite explanation is $$$$ (cost/ benefit)

Psychologists favorite explanation is personality

Demographers favorite explanations is size and

composition of population

Sociologists favorite explanation is societal influence

(norms, group and peer pressure)
Example 0: Explaining Fashion Sense

Demographic Explanation Economic Explanation

(?) (?)

Psychological Explanation Sociological Explanation

(?) (?)
Example 1: Explaining Propensity to Crime

Demographic Explanation Economic Explanation

(?) (?)

Psychological Explanation Sociological Explanation

(?) (?)
Example 2: Explaining the Number of Friends

Demographic Explanation Economic Explanation

(?) (?)

Psychological Explanation Sociological Explanation

(?) (?)