Montclair State University

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Sociological InquiryFamilies do not exist or evolve in isolationRather, they react to and have an influence on the

social world around themThe sociological perspective on families

emphasizes the rules, roles, and relationships that are created an maintained by the larger society

How do sociologists examine family life?Theoretical perspectivesMethods of social analysis

Sociological & Policy Perspectives on Families

The Sociological ApproachSociology focuses on the family from the

outside in rather than the inside outSociology looks “behind the scenes” to

explain patterns of behaviorSociology looks for general processes that

produce an individual experienceFor example how does the U.S. society

influence the job we choose or the type of family in which we live?

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Thinking Like a Sociologist

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The Sociological Approach Levels of AnalysisThe macro level comprises:

Society – a population of people that is organized in a cooperative manner to carry out the major functions of life

Culture – All modes of thought, behavior, and production that are communicated to members of a society through all forms of communication 

How would you describe the culture of the U.S.?

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The Sociological Approach Levels of Analysis

The macro level comprises: Analysis at the macro level focuses on

large-scale social institutionssocial structurescomparisons between entire societies

How does one society differ from another?

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For example: How are families different in Japan compared to the U.S. ??

The divorce rate in the U.S. is 50%The rate in Japan is 27%

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The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level

The micro level includes interactions among individuals, small groups, and families

The micro level focuses on our individual actions, thoughts, and choices

Think of this as the smaller picture

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The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level

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Macro Level

Micro Level

Social institutions A social institution is a major sphere of

social life with rules and roles that define a social unit of importance to society

A social institution is a visible structure that people can recognize and understand

Families are a social institution

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The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level

The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level Family sociologists examine how these social institutions

interact and how they influence behaviors, attitudes, and opportunities in families

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Economy

Families

GovernmentEducation

Religion Healthcare

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Social Science ResearchHow do we know what we know?

Most of us understand the world around us through our personal experience -- the people and situations we have been in or have seen

This personal experience leads to your conclusions about the world

While there is nothing wrong with these ways of knowing -- social scientists are skeptical about relying ONLY on these sources because:

An individual’s experience of those around them is not representative of the broader society

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Social Science ResearchHow do we know what we know?

Social scientists use a systematic and more scientific mode of investigation

Social scientists rely on:Observations of the social world based on

representative samplesExample: If we wanted to study why people in

the U.S. get married, we should not just survey college students

We avoid the error of overgeneralization: i.e. using what we know about a small group of people to conclude something about all people

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Sociological TheoriesSocial science theories explain or help us

make sense of patterns in social life

Theories shape and direct research – they point us in a direction

That direction influences what we look for, what we find, and how we explain it

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Sociological TheoriesTheories about families and relationships are

made up a set of statements that explain why certain relationships occur

For example: The age at first marriage has increased because more women are graduating from college and starting careers before marrying

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Macrolevel theories

Macrolevel theories focus on: a whole society or a large part of it the BIG PICTURE

Example:How has the decline in real male wages

influenced husbands’ and wives’ involvement in the paid labor forceResearch might examine cost of living and

employment rates by gender and compare data from 1960 to 2000

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Sociological TheoriesTheories used to explain relationships at

a more personal level are micro level theoriesExamples:

A researcher wants to know how often husbands and wives argue on a weekly basisThey might observe a husbands and wife

in their home – or tape their conversations over the week

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Major Sociological TheoriesStructural FunctionalismOperates at the macro levelStructural functionalists view society as a

social system with interacting partsThe functionalist perspective views society

as a vast organism whose parts are interdependent or interrelated

Think about how social institutions interact: families and the economic system

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Major Sociological TheoriesStructural FunctionalismOperates at the macro levelStructural-Functionalists focus on how social

institutions like families meet the basic needs or functions of a society.

The family as a social institution is analyzed from two perspectives:1)    How does the family contribute to the maintenance of the larger social system ?2)    And, in what ways does society and other social institutions (like education or economic system) affect families?

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Major Sociological TheoriesExchange TheoryOperates at the micro levelSimilar to economic theories that view

humans as rational beings who make decisions about the exchange of goods and services

In doing so, they weigh the costs and benefits of exchanges

Emphasis is on efficiency

 

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Major Sociological TheoriesExchange TheoryOperates at the micro levelIn relationships, for example, people have some

resource that is valued by the other personThis is when exchange can take placeIn relationships -- what do women hold of value?How about men? 

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Major Sociological TheoriesGender (Feminist) Theory

Operates at both macro and micro levelCentral concept is gender—the social

and cultural characteristics that distinguish women and men in society.

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Major Sociological TheoriesGender (Feminist) Theory

Oriented toward power in relationships. Feminist theory argues that differences

between men and women are socially constructed to maintain power of men over women.

Emphasizes culture, rather than biology.

SummarySociologists seek to understand how macro-level

forces, norms and social institutions influence interaction, choices, and behavior at the micro-level

For example, how has the downturn in the economy influenced the choices you and your family have made

W use theories to point us in a direction to study families

These theories shape what we study and how we explain our findings

Theories can focus on the macro-level (the big picture) or the micro level (the smaller picture).

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