Studying Society: Week 1Dr. Nick Pearce

n.a.pearce@durham.ac.uk@drnickpearce

Outline

Introduce courseResourcesSociety quizWhat is sociology?SocialisationFunctionalism

Studying Society

• Encourage you to think sociologically: to stimulate the ‘sociological imagination’

• Introduce a bank of knowledge, necessary concepts, theoretical approaches and suitable terminology to aid further study in the human and social sciences

• Provide you with the skills to ask critical questions about the taken-for-granted social world that we inhabit

Outline of courseTeaching Week 

Title 

Theme 

NOTES: 

 1 

 Welcome and Introduction  Defining SociologyHistory of sociology 

 

 2

 Social stratification 1  Theoretical PerspectivesEconomic, Social, Cultural capital 

 

 3

 Social stratification 2  Power, Education and Health 

 

 4

 Race, ethnicity & nationality 

   

 5

 Gender & feminisms   Essay question given out 

 Reading Week

  7

 Crime & deviance 1  What is crime?How do we measure crime? 

 Formative: Annotated bibliography

 8

 Crime and deviance 2  What causes crime?Case study: serial killers 

 

Easter Vacation  9 

 Media and Power 1  Media consumption  Essay due

 10 

 Media and Power 2 Media ownership and production  

 11

Sport Revision Sport and Society 

 

Resources•Lots of sociology textbooks!•Libraries•Second hand market

•Online, ebay.co.uk, abebooks•Be careful about currency of book (edition etc.)•Also some topics are contentious (i.e. Marxism)

Quiz

What is Sociology?

“Sociology is the systematic study of human groups and social life in modern societies” (Browne 2005)

“Sociology involves the systematic study of the character and patterns of human interaction” (Cohen and Kennedy 2007)

“Sociology is a martial art” (Bourdieu)

“Sociologists would go to a strip club and look at the audience” (Laurie Taylor, YouTube clip in playlist)

What is sociology?

• The study of society, but…– Society changes– Many societies– Sociological theories change society

• Hard to examine our own society– Looks natural– Critical stranger

Sociology/ Anthro / Psych

Sociology is Scientific-ish:

Application of Scientific theory/method to the study of groups of people.

•Benefits?–Value freedom – personal beliefs and prejudice–Objectivity

•Systematic research method•Evidence based•Checkable - Peer reviewable

• Difficulties?

• What are sociologists studying?

Individual Vs Society

• One of the key debates in sociology– Unresolved!– Complex

• Socialisation is key

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

ValuesNormsCustomsRoles

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Values

• Generalised• Ideas about what is right and wrong• Pressure to conform to Values – often formalised into Laws• Formalised sanctions used to enforce

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Norms

Specific – putting values into practice Social rules define ‘correct’ and ‘acceptable’ behaviourMembers of group are expected to conformGenerally enforced informally

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Customs

Established, ritualised sets of behaviourExpressions of social valuesRe-enforce social values

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Social Roles

• Sets of behaviour associated with individuals• Often based on relationships• Expectations• Multiple roles• Role conflict

Jane Doe

Student

Daughter

Mother

Employee

Cage fighter

Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Social Control

Conformity and Deviance

• Sanctions (reward and punishment)

•What would happen if… –a society had no norms or values?–a child had no models for behaviour (or poor models)?–a child did not undergo a process of socialisation?

Socialisation activity

• Get into 4 groups• Focus on different agent of socialisation

– How are the following reinforced?• Norms• Values• Roles• Customs

break

Founding ‘Fathers’

Early years…

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

Coined the word ‘sociology’‘Queen of the sciences’Positivist

Durkheim(1858-1917)

• First professor of sociology• A scientific sociology?• Focus on order• Functionalist

Functionalism

Society is like a living organism

How is society like a human body?

Max Weber (1864- 1920)

• Modernity and rationality– ‘Iron cage’

• Protestant Work Ethic

Karl Marx(1818-83)

• Predates the word ‘sociology’• Critically examined capitalism• “Religion is the opium of the people”• Spoke up for working class• Focus on conflict

More conflict theories

• Feminism(s) focus on gender conflict• Post-colonial studies focuses on

ethnicity/ geo politics• Queer theory focuses on sexuality• Disability studies on ability/disability

– All focus on normalisation

Summary

• Sociology is systematic study of modern society

• There are many theories which help us examine society

• This course will provide an overview of many different aspects of modern society and develop the ‘sociological imagination’