CHAPTER 1: THINKING LIKE A SOCIOLOGIST
BRIEF CHAPTER OUTLINE
1-1 WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
1-1a. Are You Unique?
1-1b. Isn’t Sociology Just Common Sense?
1-2 WHAT IS A SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
1-2a. Microsociology: How People Affect Our Everyday Lives
1-2b. Macrosociology: How Social Structure Affects Our Everyday Lives
1-3 WHY STUDY SOCIOLOGY?
1-3a. Making Informed Decisions
1-3b. Understanding Diversity
1-3c. Shaping Social and Public Policies and Practices
1-3d. Thinking Critically
1-3e. Expanding Your Career Opportunities
1-4 SOME ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
1-4a. Auguste Comte
1-4b. Harriet Martineau
1-4c. Émile Durkheim
, 1. Social Facts
2. Division of Labor
3. Social Integration
1-4d. Karl Marx
1. Capitalism
2. Class Conflict
3. Alienation
1-4e. Max Weber
1. Social Organization
2. Subjective Understanding
3. Value-Free Sociology
1-4f. Jane Addams
1-4g. W.E.B. Du Bois
1-5. CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
1-5a. Functionalism
1. Society Is a Social System
2. Functions and Dysfunctions
3. Manifest and Latent Functions
4. Critical Evaluation
1-5b. Conflict Theory
, 1. Sources of Conflict
2. Social Inequality
3. Critical Evaluation
1-5c. Feminist Theories
1. Focusing on Gender
2. Listening to Many Voices
3. Critical Evaluation
1-5d. Symbolic Interactionism
1. Constructing Meaning
2. Symbols and Shared Meaning
3. Critical Evaluation
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Sociology is the systematic study of social interaction at a variety of levels. Social interaction is the
process by which we act toward and react to people around us. Sociology often is contrary to
common sense assumptions about society.
The sociological imagination is defined as the intersection between individual lives and larger
social influences. C. Wright Mills described the sociological imagination as the connection between
personal troubles (biography) and structural (public and historical) issues. Microsociology
concentrates on the relationships between individual characteristics, whereas macrosociology
examines the relationships between institutional characteristics. Microsociology focuses on small-
scale patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific settings. Macrosociology focuses on
, large-scale patterns and processes that characterize society as a whole. This focus assists us in
understanding some of the constraints—such as economic forces, social movements, and social and
public policies—that limit many of our personal options on the micro level.
Sociology can help us make informed decisions, understand diversity, and evaluate social and
public policy. On a personal level it can help us to think critically, make better choices amid
constraints, and expand career options.
Sociology is one of the social sciences. They include sociology, psychology, economics, social work,
history, and anthropology.
A theory is a set of statements that explains why a phenomenon occurs. Theories produce
knowledge, guide our research, help us analyze our findings, and, ideally, offer solutions for social
problems. Theories are not truth statements. They evolve over time to explain social phenomena.
The term “sociology” was coined by Auguste Comte. Comte believed sociology should be an
empirical science. Comte was popularized by Harriet Martineau who worked to improve sociology
by focusing on systematic data collection. She advocated for social reforms and championed
equality for women.
Emile Durkheim saw society as characterized by unity and cohesion because its members are
bound together by common interests and attitudes. To be scientific, Durkheim maintained,
sociology must study social facts. Social facts are aspects of social life, external to the individual
that can be measured.
Durkheim argued that an interdependence of different tasks and occupations or a division of labor
helps to maintain social solidarity or social cohesiveness and harmony. Durkheim set out to show
that social integration is related to suicide. He used data on gender, age, and religion to show that
suicide is connected to an individual’s level of integration with society.
Karl Marx maintained that economic issues produce divisiveness rather than social solidarity.
Marx maintained that economic issues produce divisiveness rather than social solidarity. Marx’s
main emphasis is on class struggle. Class Conflict produces a society divided into the “haves”
(capitalists) and the “have-nots” (proletariat). Marx contended that industrial society produces
alienation, the feeling of separation from one’s group or society.
BRIEF CHAPTER OUTLINE
1-1 WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
1-1a. Are You Unique?
1-1b. Isn’t Sociology Just Common Sense?
1-2 WHAT IS A SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
1-2a. Microsociology: How People Affect Our Everyday Lives
1-2b. Macrosociology: How Social Structure Affects Our Everyday Lives
1-3 WHY STUDY SOCIOLOGY?
1-3a. Making Informed Decisions
1-3b. Understanding Diversity
1-3c. Shaping Social and Public Policies and Practices
1-3d. Thinking Critically
1-3e. Expanding Your Career Opportunities
1-4 SOME ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
1-4a. Auguste Comte
1-4b. Harriet Martineau
1-4c. Émile Durkheim
, 1. Social Facts
2. Division of Labor
3. Social Integration
1-4d. Karl Marx
1. Capitalism
2. Class Conflict
3. Alienation
1-4e. Max Weber
1. Social Organization
2. Subjective Understanding
3. Value-Free Sociology
1-4f. Jane Addams
1-4g. W.E.B. Du Bois
1-5. CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
1-5a. Functionalism
1. Society Is a Social System
2. Functions and Dysfunctions
3. Manifest and Latent Functions
4. Critical Evaluation
1-5b. Conflict Theory
, 1. Sources of Conflict
2. Social Inequality
3. Critical Evaluation
1-5c. Feminist Theories
1. Focusing on Gender
2. Listening to Many Voices
3. Critical Evaluation
1-5d. Symbolic Interactionism
1. Constructing Meaning
2. Symbols and Shared Meaning
3. Critical Evaluation
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Sociology is the systematic study of social interaction at a variety of levels. Social interaction is the
process by which we act toward and react to people around us. Sociology often is contrary to
common sense assumptions about society.
The sociological imagination is defined as the intersection between individual lives and larger
social influences. C. Wright Mills described the sociological imagination as the connection between
personal troubles (biography) and structural (public and historical) issues. Microsociology
concentrates on the relationships between individual characteristics, whereas macrosociology
examines the relationships between institutional characteristics. Microsociology focuses on small-
scale patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific settings. Macrosociology focuses on
, large-scale patterns and processes that characterize society as a whole. This focus assists us in
understanding some of the constraints—such as economic forces, social movements, and social and
public policies—that limit many of our personal options on the micro level.
Sociology can help us make informed decisions, understand diversity, and evaluate social and
public policy. On a personal level it can help us to think critically, make better choices amid
constraints, and expand career options.
Sociology is one of the social sciences. They include sociology, psychology, economics, social work,
history, and anthropology.
A theory is a set of statements that explains why a phenomenon occurs. Theories produce
knowledge, guide our research, help us analyze our findings, and, ideally, offer solutions for social
problems. Theories are not truth statements. They evolve over time to explain social phenomena.
The term “sociology” was coined by Auguste Comte. Comte believed sociology should be an
empirical science. Comte was popularized by Harriet Martineau who worked to improve sociology
by focusing on systematic data collection. She advocated for social reforms and championed
equality for women.
Emile Durkheim saw society as characterized by unity and cohesion because its members are
bound together by common interests and attitudes. To be scientific, Durkheim maintained,
sociology must study social facts. Social facts are aspects of social life, external to the individual
that can be measured.
Durkheim argued that an interdependence of different tasks and occupations or a division of labor
helps to maintain social solidarity or social cohesiveness and harmony. Durkheim set out to show
that social integration is related to suicide. He used data on gender, age, and religion to show that
suicide is connected to an individual’s level of integration with society.
Karl Marx maintained that economic issues produce divisiveness rather than social solidarity.
Marx maintained that economic issues produce divisiveness rather than social solidarity. Marx’s
main emphasis is on class struggle. Class Conflict produces a society divided into the “haves”
(capitalists) and the “have-nots” (proletariat). Marx contended that industrial society produces
alienation, the feeling of separation from one’s group or society.
