Introductory Sociology - Lecture notes - Lec1 PDF

Preview

Summary

Download Introductory Sociology - Lecture notes - Lec1 PDF

Description

LECTURE 1 - MAY 5, 2014 First exam Friday May 9, 2014 CLASSROOM 6-212 Ravelli and Webber 2013, Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective (2nd Cdn Edition) Each class equals to a month of the course All exams and final exam are cumulative 30% of first exam, 30% of second exam and 40% of final exam Theory - Chapter 2&3 What sociology is about Sociology? Page 3 of text: Systematic study of human groups and their interaction Studying of people Apply systematic studies of people and how they interaction Suggests that they have something to do with each other Being in a group causes something, understanding the interaction of people in the particular group What IS sociology? (PG 12+13) Auguste Comte invented sociology in 1830 Socius Logos Socius (Latin) social: ‘being with others’ Logos (Greek): ‘study of’ Sociology = ‘the study of being with others’ a.k.a the study of relationships Page 19 of textbook Durkheim (Psychologist) - He wrote a book, non-psychologial factors of suicide Durkheim thinks physical, attitudes and actions that called these things social facts, How the three fit together, or they don’t What you think, how you do, who you are Attitude, how you define yourself, thoughts Why are some people impacted by others and why some aren’t To what extent do people in relationships effect what you do and how you define yourself NEXT TWO QUESTIONS: When is ‘being with others’ potentially relevant? ALWAYS relevant with very small exceptions Role of others is always relevant because you’re not alone May do things by yourself, but overall being others is always relevant

All relationships are passive congenial But is it important? When is ‘being with others’ actually important? Is coming to class important? If its not then you’re just sitting there If date is the same as all the others then its just relevant but may not important Try to make relationships important if we THINK it is important And we measure this importance by how we think, who we are and what we do The three factors measures the difference between relevance and importance Thinking that you’re all alone Are you really alone? Someone has impact on you even though you recognize it or not Where does money come from, theres a relationship between the family or work or government Page 4 of textbook Sociological Imagination The ability to understand the dynamic of relationship between individual lives and the larger society Positivism All understanding to be based on science (PG14) 1. There exists an objective and knowable reality 2. Since all sciences explore the same, singular reality, over time all sciences will become more alike 3. There is no room in science for value judgement Anti-Positivism Considers knowledge and understanding to be the result of human subjectivity 1. While hard science may be useful for exploring the physical world, the social world cannot be understood solely through numbers and formulas. 2. All sciences will not merge over time and no single methodological approach (ex science) can reach a complete understanding of our world 3. Science cannot be separated from out values Values: Cultural assessments that identify something as right, desirable, and moral Macrosociology: the study of society as a whole Microsociology: the study of individual or small-group dynamics within a larger society Every field of study tells you theres a scientific method There has to be a system to measure things, and the three social factors is the system. Who you are physically, how you think and what you do, when combined then you know it is important, otherwise you are just… there.

The importance of the relevance ***Potentially Objective Sociology Data*** (FORMULA, NEED TO KNOW FOR EXAMS, LONG ANSWERS, MUST BE 100% CORRECT TO PRODUCE CHART) Contexts Vs Relevant Measures Physical Condition: tangible features of individual(s) and their environment(s) (is tangible because of impact of environment) Includes demographics Difference between nurse now and past, dress the same. Cannot direct read physical conditions Subjective: intangible thoughts and attitudes (what you’re thinking) If you can’t direct read the physicals, you can’t direct read the subjective PG 15 - Value Judgement Taken value of the stand alone measure of what they are doing Determines who you are and what somebody may be doing People are jolly = value judgement Using the subjective only to define what is important about the physical and behavioural contexts Behavioural: tangible actions and activities (have to be tangible or we won’t know its real) “chart/ label as you go” Stop sign - You really gotta stop - people can’t tie between the tangible 21% boom at International thanks to campaign to ‘stop Calgary habit’ Catholic students get top marks in provincial tests Why being catholic that might give you the attitude for higher test scores Less students, (class sizes are smaller) A quarter of U.K obese women in denial: study They don’t think they are obese, they are in denial Behaviour of weight control is very minimal Physical doesn’t tie to the subjective, so it is not important Crowd looks on as girl, 15, gang raped, police say Why don’t people do anything If theres no behaviour then physical and subjective isn’t there Theres no physical (no action is taken), theres no subjective (voice may make things worse, or others will do it, or they will get attacked too) Weight-loss seekers fooled by ‘side-salad illusion,’ study finds Ticketed right away then receiving in mail Why its not effective with mailing a ticket?

Time - physical Authority Figure - physical, effects subjective Unimportance if they receive in mail - subjective On every exam, PART 2 of exam: (KNOW IT, FORMULA, EVERY EXAM, WORD FOR WORD, 100% CORRECT) ***Meaningful Human Interaction (MHI)*** Dealing with people, one or more persons can be influenced immediately or a long term influence or state of mind and reaction Meaningful - Gives it action One person(s) OR other animate being(s) OR inanimate object(s) tangibly influences OR conditions the state of mind AND overt actions of another person(s) About how this applies to different areas Relationships are either important or not, interaction with others are meaningful or not **On exams, must show your understanding by reproducing Potentially Objective Sociology Data chart and MHI chart and apply to question to explain how it is meaningful.** CHAPTER 5 VERY IMPORTANT READ CHAPTER 1, 2, 3...