Sociology Ch.2
Seeing and Thinking Sociologically
Rwanda
Ordinary, well-balanced people – teachers, social workers, priests and nuns devoted to the ideals of charity
and mercy, and physicians trained to heal and save lives – had changed, almost overnight, into cold-hearted
killers
oHow – because individual behavior is largely shaped by social forces and situational contingencies
oCircumstances of large-scale ethnic hatred and war have the power to transform well-educated,
“nice” people into cruel killers
Social circumstances create opportunity for brutality
oAND motivated ordinary people to engage in astounding acts of heroism
How Individuals Structure Society
Society – population living in the same geographic area who share a culture and a common identity and
whose members are subject to the same political authority
oSame ethnic heritage or of hundred of different groups who speak a multitude of languages
Auguste Comte: 19th century French philosopher
oAll societies, whatever their form, contain both forces for stability (“social statics”) and forces for
change (“social dynamics”)
But sometimes people use the term society only to mean a “static” entity – a natural, permanent, and
historical structure
oTalk about society “planning” or “shaping” our lives and describe it as a relatively unchanging set
of organization, institutions, systems, and cultural patterns into which successive generations of
people are born and socialized
Sociological imagination also encourages us to see that each individual has a role in forming a society and
influencing the course of its history
To fully understand society, must see it as a human construction made up of people interacting with one
another
oCommunication is important – talking about a matter, people give shape and substance to society’s
ideals and values
oEven talking about the past/historical events can change its meaning and relevance
Structural (macrolevel) societal and historical processes vs microlevel everyday phenomena we experience
as individuals
Social Influence: The Impact of Other People in Our Everyday Lives
People tend to like what other people like.
Contact with people is essential to a person’s social development
The presence of other people may motivate you to improve your performance
Our personal contentment and generosity can be linked to others as well
oJust knowing someone who is happy significantly increase your own changes of happiness
Even our physical well-being is affected by those around us
oRisk of heart attack is 3x higher among women who live with their husbands and his parents than
among women who just live with their husbands
Our eating tendencies reflect the social cues around us
oEating with others, we adjust our pace to theirs; and eat longer – and more
Stanley Milgram – Ordinary People and Cruel Acts
Wanted to know how far people would go in obeying the commands of authority – shock generator 15-450
volts
65% complied with the experimenter and proceeded to the max 450 volts
Societal Influence: The Effect of Social Structure on Our Everyday Lives
Statuses, roles, groups, organizations, and institutions are the building blocks of society. Culture is the
mortar that holds these blocks together
Statuses and Roles
oStatuses – the positions that individuals within the society occupy
Ex. cook, daughter, anthropologist, husband, computer nerd, Facebook friend, etc
1
, Sociology Ch.2
We all occupy multiple statuses
Ascribed Status – social position we acquire at birth or involuntarily later in life
Ex. race, sex, ethnicity, teenager
Achieved Status – social position we take on voluntarily or acquire through our own
efforts and accomplishments
Ex. student, spouse, engineer
Important sociologically because they all come with a set of rights, obligations behaviors,
and duties that people occupying a certain position are expected to perform
oRoles – the expectations that come with status
Ex. role of “professor” is to teach, answer questions, grade, etc.
Role restrain – situations in which people lack the necessary resources to fulfill the
demand of a particular role
Ex. when parents can’t afford to provide their children with adequate food,
clothing, shelter
Role conflict – when people encounter tension in trying to cope with the demands of
incompatible roles
Ex. a mother (who is also a prominent sociologist) may have an important
conference to attend on the same day as her 10y.os performance
Groups
oGroup – set of people who interact more or less regularly with one another and who are conscious
of their identity as a group
Their structure defines the relationship among members
oCan be powerful force behind one’s future actions and thoughts
In-groups – where we belong and feel sense of loyalty
Out-groups – don’t belong and feel sense of antagonism
oBeing in a group comes with expectations – a person’s actions within a group are judged according
to a conventional set of ideas about how things ought to be
oDyad (2 – smallest): most meaningful and intense connections; but unstable
oTriad (3): more stable; but potential for coalitions (2 individuals pair up and perhaps conspire
against the third)
oCan also be classified by their influence on our everyday lives
Primary group – small number of members how have direct contact with each other over
a relatively long period of time
High emotional attachment; intimate knowledge of each other’s lives
Ex. families and networks of close friends
Secondary group – established for a specific task
More formal and impersonal; highly structured; can endure changing membership
relatively easily
Organizations – networks of statuses and groups created for a specific purpose
oLarge, formal organizations are often characterized by a hierarchical division of labor
Each person in an organization occupies a position that has a specific set of duties and
responsibilities, and those positions can be “ranked” according to power and importance
Social Institutions
oWhen stable sets of statuses, roles, groups, and organizations form, they provide the foundation for
addressing fundamental societal needs
These enduring patterns of social life = social institutions
oPatterned ways of solving the problems and meeting requirements of a particular society
oFamily – introduces new generation
oEducation – young taught what it means to be a member of their society; how to function/survive
oEconomy – gathering resources, converting to goods, distributing to members.
oPolitics and Law – how to preserve order, avoid chaos, and make important social decisions
oReligion – sense of purpose and meaning
oHealth care – healing the sick and managing the transition to death
2
Seeing and Thinking Sociologically
Rwanda
Ordinary, well-balanced people – teachers, social workers, priests and nuns devoted to the ideals of charity
and mercy, and physicians trained to heal and save lives – had changed, almost overnight, into cold-hearted
killers
oHow – because individual behavior is largely shaped by social forces and situational contingencies
oCircumstances of large-scale ethnic hatred and war have the power to transform well-educated,
“nice” people into cruel killers
Social circumstances create opportunity for brutality
oAND motivated ordinary people to engage in astounding acts of heroism
How Individuals Structure Society
Society – population living in the same geographic area who share a culture and a common identity and
whose members are subject to the same political authority
oSame ethnic heritage or of hundred of different groups who speak a multitude of languages
Auguste Comte: 19th century French philosopher
oAll societies, whatever their form, contain both forces for stability (“social statics”) and forces for
change (“social dynamics”)
But sometimes people use the term society only to mean a “static” entity – a natural, permanent, and
historical structure
oTalk about society “planning” or “shaping” our lives and describe it as a relatively unchanging set
of organization, institutions, systems, and cultural patterns into which successive generations of
people are born and socialized
Sociological imagination also encourages us to see that each individual has a role in forming a society and
influencing the course of its history
To fully understand society, must see it as a human construction made up of people interacting with one
another
oCommunication is important – talking about a matter, people give shape and substance to society’s
ideals and values
oEven talking about the past/historical events can change its meaning and relevance
Structural (macrolevel) societal and historical processes vs microlevel everyday phenomena we experience
as individuals
Social Influence: The Impact of Other People in Our Everyday Lives
People tend to like what other people like.
Contact with people is essential to a person’s social development
The presence of other people may motivate you to improve your performance
Our personal contentment and generosity can be linked to others as well
oJust knowing someone who is happy significantly increase your own changes of happiness
Even our physical well-being is affected by those around us
oRisk of heart attack is 3x higher among women who live with their husbands and his parents than
among women who just live with their husbands
Our eating tendencies reflect the social cues around us
oEating with others, we adjust our pace to theirs; and eat longer – and more
Stanley Milgram – Ordinary People and Cruel Acts
Wanted to know how far people would go in obeying the commands of authority – shock generator 15-450
volts
65% complied with the experimenter and proceeded to the max 450 volts
Societal Influence: The Effect of Social Structure on Our Everyday Lives
Statuses, roles, groups, organizations, and institutions are the building blocks of society. Culture is the
mortar that holds these blocks together
Statuses and Roles
oStatuses – the positions that individuals within the society occupy
Ex. cook, daughter, anthropologist, husband, computer nerd, Facebook friend, etc
1
, Sociology Ch.2
We all occupy multiple statuses
Ascribed Status – social position we acquire at birth or involuntarily later in life
Ex. race, sex, ethnicity, teenager
Achieved Status – social position we take on voluntarily or acquire through our own
efforts and accomplishments
Ex. student, spouse, engineer
Important sociologically because they all come with a set of rights, obligations behaviors,
and duties that people occupying a certain position are expected to perform
oRoles – the expectations that come with status
Ex. role of “professor” is to teach, answer questions, grade, etc.
Role restrain – situations in which people lack the necessary resources to fulfill the
demand of a particular role
Ex. when parents can’t afford to provide their children with adequate food,
clothing, shelter
Role conflict – when people encounter tension in trying to cope with the demands of
incompatible roles
Ex. a mother (who is also a prominent sociologist) may have an important
conference to attend on the same day as her 10y.os performance
Groups
oGroup – set of people who interact more or less regularly with one another and who are conscious
of their identity as a group
Their structure defines the relationship among members
oCan be powerful force behind one’s future actions and thoughts
In-groups – where we belong and feel sense of loyalty
Out-groups – don’t belong and feel sense of antagonism
oBeing in a group comes with expectations – a person’s actions within a group are judged according
to a conventional set of ideas about how things ought to be
oDyad (2 – smallest): most meaningful and intense connections; but unstable
oTriad (3): more stable; but potential for coalitions (2 individuals pair up and perhaps conspire
against the third)
oCan also be classified by their influence on our everyday lives
Primary group – small number of members how have direct contact with each other over
a relatively long period of time
High emotional attachment; intimate knowledge of each other’s lives
Ex. families and networks of close friends
Secondary group – established for a specific task
More formal and impersonal; highly structured; can endure changing membership
relatively easily
Organizations – networks of statuses and groups created for a specific purpose
oLarge, formal organizations are often characterized by a hierarchical division of labor
Each person in an organization occupies a position that has a specific set of duties and
responsibilities, and those positions can be “ranked” according to power and importance
Social Institutions
oWhen stable sets of statuses, roles, groups, and organizations form, they provide the foundation for
addressing fundamental societal needs
These enduring patterns of social life = social institutions
oPatterned ways of solving the problems and meeting requirements of a particular society
oFamily – introduces new generation
oEducation – young taught what it means to be a member of their society; how to function/survive
oEconomy – gathering resources, converting to goods, distributing to members.
oPolitics and Law – how to preserve order, avoid chaos, and make important social decisions
oReligion – sense of purpose and meaning
oHealth care – healing the sick and managing the transition to death
2
