Understanding Our Social World o o Sociology is valuable because it gives us new perspectives on our personal and professional lives.

Sociological insights and skills can help all of us make the world a better place.

Underlying Ideas in Sociology People are social by nature. The activities that we do are for others, affected by others or with others. Humans need groups to survive. Humans always seek to interact. Our personalities are shaped because of the influence of our group. People live much of their lives belonging to social groups People will always belong. It is in social groups that we learn and develop goals, obtain beliefs and conflicts. Interaction between the individual and the group is a two-way process in which each influences the other. Individuals shape the direction of the group. Groups set the rules and decide the expected behavior from individuals. Recurrent social patterns, ordered behavior, shared expectations and common understandings among people characterize a group Shared Expectations are based on recurrent social pattern. Ordered social pattern is also known as our daily routine. There is a degree of continuity. The process of conflict and change are natural and inevitable features of groups and societies. Change and conflict are always present. Rapid change is the source of conflict. For groups to survive, they must adapt to these changes.

Considerations in studying Sociolgy: What is Sociology o o People always interact. Interactions are the foundation of social life and the subject and interests of Sociologists. (American Sociological Association) Sociology is the study of social life, social changes and consequences of human behavior. All human behavior is social. Malawakang range ng sociology. Sociologists conduct scientific research on social relationships and problems that range from tiny groups of two people to national sciences. How we interact with each other Why we join groups and organizations Why some people are richer than others Why some people commit crimes How race, class and gender influence our positions in the social world Major parts of the society

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Differences between Psychology and Sociology Psychology Focuses on the attributes, motivations and behaviors of individuals. Explaining behavior by examining the personality traits of individuals. Sociology Focuses on group patterns Examines the positions of different people within the group and how these positions influence what people do. Asked about rules that govern group behavior and causes of social problems Seek to analyze: Why people interact and belong to groups Who has the power and who does not How decisions are made How groups deal with conflict

Sociology versus Common Sense o o Human tragedy can result from an inaccurate common sense beliefs Madalaskapag may nangyayarisapaligidnatin at tinatanongnatin kung bakit, sinasagotnatinyun based dun sa kung anoang belief and assumption natin about the social world. kunganoyungnabasa or narinignatin. Kung anoangnakitanatinsa TV or kung anoyungnakasanayang belief, yunangpaniniwalaannatin. Common Sense- ideas that are completely taken for granted that they have never been seriously questioned and seem sensible to any reasonable person. Difference between Common Sense and Sociology Sociology tests the accuracy of common sense beliefs by gathering information, data and analyzing evidences in a planned, systematic, objective and replicable way.

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Dyads- two-person interactions.Smallest units that sociologists study Globalization- the process by which the entire world is becoming a single independent entity.

Differences between men and women are not just affected by human nature or what we call the biological factors, but also, they are influenced by their culture they learned as they grew up. Womens status is getting worse even in highly developed countries. Many of our common sense beliefs are challenged by social scientific evidence. The discipline of sociology provides a method to assess the accuracy of our common sense beliefs. Social Policies are the policies that meet the needs of all groups in the social world.

The Sociological Imagination- relationship between individual experiences and public issues. (C. Wright Mills) o We can best understand our personal experiences and problems by examining their broader social context by looking at the bigger picture. Individual problems (personal troubles) are rooted from social or public issues

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