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SOC. SCI.

3
Chapter 1 Thinking Sociology
Science refers to the logical,
systematic method by which
knowledge is obtained and to the
actual
body
of
knowledge
produced by these methods.
relies
on
generalization,
explanations, and predictions on
careful, systematic analysis of
verifiable evidence that is,
evidence can be checked by
others and will always yield the
same results.

2.

3.

2 Main Branch
1. Natural Science disciplines that
study physical and biological
phenomena.
- quantitative data
2. Social Science disciplines that study
various
aspects
of
human
behavior.
Sociology enables us to appreciate
viewpoints other than our own,
to
understand
how
these
viewpoints came into being, and
in
the
process,
to
better
understand
our
attitudes,
ourselves, and our lives.
- is the branch of social science
that deals with scientific study of
human social behavior.
Areas of Sociology:
1. Social Organization covers the study
of various social institutions,
social
groups,
social
stratification,
social
mobility,
bureaucracy, ethnic groups and
relations, and other similar
subjects. Topics like the family,

4.

5.

education,
politics,
religion,
economy, etc. are studied in this
area.
Social Psychology deals with the
study of human nature as an
outcome of group life social
attitudes, collective behavior,
and personality formation. It
deals with group life and
individuals
traits,
attitudes,
beliefs, etc. as influenced by
group life. It views man with
reference to group life.
Social Change and Social Organization
this include the study of
change in culture and social
relations and the disruption that
may occur in society. It deals
with the study of such current
social problems in the society as
juvenile delinquency, criminality,
drug addiction, family conflicts,
divorce, population problems,
sexual revolution, and other
similar objects.
Human Ecology studies the nature
and
behavior
of
a
given
population and its relationships
to the groups present social
institutions. For instance, studies
of
this
kind
have
shown
prevalence of mental illness,
criminality,
delinquencies,
prostitution, and drug addiction
in urban centers and other highly
developed places.
Population or demography concerns
with the study of population
number, composition, change
and quality as they influence the
economic, political and social
system.

6. Sociological Theory and Method


concerned with the applicability
and usefulness of the principles
and theories group of life as
bases for the regulation of mans
social environment. This include
theory building and testing as
bases for the prediction and
control
of
man
s
social
environment.
7. Applied Sociology utilizes the
findings of pure sociological
research in various field such as
criminology,
social
work,
community
development,
education, industrial relations,
marriage, ethnic relations, family
counseling, and other aspects
and problems of daily life.
Sociology as a Science
- Is able to employ the same
general methods of investigations
as all sciences do, and to use its
finding
to
make
reasonable
reliable
generalizations.
Like
natural
sciences,
sociologist
construct theories, collect and
analyze data, conduct experiments
and make observations, keep
careful records, and try to arrive at
precise and accurate conclusions.
Anthropology study of man
Branches of Anthropology:
1. Physical Anthropology also
known as biological anthropology.
It deals with mans biological
foundations, race evolution, racial
classifications, and differentiation.
Related to biology and culture.

Traces
the
evolutionary
development of man and
studies the biological variation
within the species
Concentrates on the study of
mans physical characteristics,
the processes by which the
biological changes occur, and
the resultant human variations.
2. Cultural
Anthropology
also
known as social anthropology.
it deals with one of the most
significant and revolutionary
concepts in the social sciences
the concept of culture.
Subdivision of Cultural Anthropology:
1. Ethnography deals on pure
description of the culture
of people or an ethnic
group. The ethnographer
is one type of researcher
who usually spends a year
or so living with, talking
to, and observing the
people whose customs he
or she is studying.
2. Ethnology deals on the analysis as
well as comparison and
contrast of cultures of
peoples. The ethnologists
seek to understand how
and why people today and
in the recent past differ in
their customary ways of
thinking
and
acting.
Ethnology is concerned
with patterns of kinship
organization, political and
economic
systems,
religion, folk art, music

and with the ways in


which these patterns differ
in contemporary societies.
They
also
study
the
dynamic of culture that
is, how various cultures
develop and change.
3. Social Anthropology is on higher
level of abstraction than
ethnology.
In
social
anthropology, one evolves
generalizations
about
social life and conduct
based on the ethnography
and ethnology of the
culture under study.
4. Cultural Anthropology deals with
total life of man in time
and space. It deals with
mans integrated aspects
of culture.
Branches

or

Subfields of Cultural
Anthropology:
1. Archeology concern with the study of
mans culture and society
in the past, as far back in
time as prehistoric times,
that is, many million years
ago.
Main Evidence for evaluating prehistoric
society:
Fossils remnants of the pasts
that have organic life which
have withstood the test of time
and forces of nature.
Artifacts are man-made and
man-conceived
remains
of
prehistoric times
that have
endure through time. Examples

of artifacts are tools, pottery,


etc.
2. Linguistics is another branch of
general anthropology. It
refers to the systematic
study of recorded and
unrecorded languages all
over the world. It also
deals with the relationship
between language and
culture. It deals with how
culture affects language,
and vice versa.
Anthropology as a Science
1. To describe the phenomena of
human life and culture accurately.
2. To classify the variable phenomena
studied in order to achieve
revealing general formulations.
3. To locate the origins of the
changes and process that are
characteristics of such classified
data.
4. To describe those changes or
directions of change likely to be
taken by the phenomenon under
examination.
Relationship with other Social Sciences
1. Economics studies production,
distribution and consumption of
goods and services.
2. Psychology is both biological and
social science. It is the scientific
study of the mental processes and
behavior of individuals.
3. Political Science is concern with
power, the characteristics and
operations of governments, and
political activities in different
societies.

4. Anthropology is sociologys sister


discipline but differs mainly in its
focused on the entire, small scale,
primitive societies.
5. Social Work is often confused
with sociology in the minds of
many people. It is mostly an
applied science studying how
sociological knowledge can be
used to help people solve such
problems as marital discord or
alcoholism.
6. History the study of past events.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Methods of Inquiry in the Two


Sciences
Empirical Investigation means
that the knowledge must be
obtained
through
direct
experience or observation.
Objectivity simply means that
sociological and anthropological
investigations, data must be
presented,
analyzed
and
interpreted independently of the
researchers own beliefs and value
judgment.
- is the ability of a researcher to
give an account of things as they
are not what they ought to be.
Ethnical Neutrality
- related to
objectivity. One must remain
neutral in the interpretation of
ones findings, without being
influence by his value judgment or
his convictions about his own
group or himself.
Social Imagination espoused by
Wright Mills, the set of mind that
enables the individual to examine
his own experiences by locating
himself in the period to which the

lives and studying the events in


his personal life against events in
society.
The
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Relevance of Sociology and


Anthropology:
They introduce us to various
concepts and principles vital in our
understanding of culture and
society.
Through the study of these two
disciplines, we are able to see
ourselves as parts of a larger
social pattern. This expands our
view to the world, thereby
appreciating society and culture
better.
This will make us understand
better why people of different
groups and culture behave the
way they do. Through this
understanding, we may be able to
adjust ourselves to their peculiar
ways and patterns.
It will give us an insight that our
group is different from others.
This, we may led respect the
identity and unique nature and
other groups and members of such
groups.
A study of those two sciences will
be helpful in promoting interethnic
and cultural understanding. It can
promote
national
unity
and
progress,
and
international
understanding
through
the
promotion
and
cross-cultural
knowledge.

Pioneers of Sociology:
Auguste Comte
- founder of
sociology, father of sociology.

- somewhat an eccentric person


(he claimed to practice mental
hygiene, meaning that he refused
to read anyone elses books), but
one of the most original thinkers of
his time.
- coined the term sociology an
argued that methods used in
science should be used in the
study of society.
2
Specific
problems
for
Social
Investigation:
1. Social Statics refers to the problem
of order and stability how do
societies bold together and endure?
2. Social Dynamics refers to the
problem of social change what
makes societies change and what
shapes the nature and direction of
these changes?

Herbert Spencer devised a


theory to explain the problems of
social order and change.
Compares human societies to
living organisms.
Believes that evolution means
progress, and strongly opposes
attempts at social reform on the
grounds that they might interfere
with
a
natural
evolutionary
process.
Karl Marx the 3rd and most
important 19th century social
thinker.
An erratic genius, he wrote
brilliantly on subjects as broad and
diverse as philosophy, economics,
political science, and history.

The task of a social scientist was


not merely to describe the world:
but was to change it.

Emile
Durkheim

French
sociologist has strongly influenced
the discipline.
Dealt with the problem of the
social order and argued that
societies are held together by
shared beliefs and values of their
members, especially as these are
expressed in religious doctrine and
ritual.
Made his first real breakthrough in
sociological
research
on
his
statistical study of suicide in
various population groups. He was
able to show that suicide rates
vary consistently from one group
to another, proving that the act of
suicide is influenced by social
forces and is not simply the
individual matter that it might
appear to be.

Max
Weber

a
German
sociologist and contemporary of
Durkheim, has perhaps had a
stronger influence on Western
sociology than any other single
individual.
A man of prodigious learning
whose sociological investigations
covered such diverse fields as
politics, law, economics, music,
cities and the major world
religions.
He
regarded
trends
towards
greater
social
equality
is
inevitable,
but
he
did
not

particularly
welcome
them,
because he foresaw that such
moves would involve an increase
in power of state over the
individual.
Believed that sociologists should
aim at the goal of value
freedom the absence of personal
values or biases in their
professional work.
Jane Addams - one of the most
outstanding founders of American
sociology.
She set up and directed a center
for research and social thought
that she named Hull-House in
Chicago. Most Sociologist working
at the Hull-House were women.
The chief goal of the Hull-House
was
to
apply
sociological
knowledge
to
solving
social
problems.
With the use of a new research
technique called mapping, they
dealt with a wide array of social
ills, including poverty, worker
exploitation, child labor, juvenile
delinquency, unjust laws, and
difficulties
faced
by
working
women and the elderly.
Modern Developments

Major development in sociology


has taken in the United States.
Where the discipline has sunk
roots far deeper in any other
country.
Lester Ward repeated Comtes
call for social progress guided by
sociological knowledge, and under

his influence the discipline rapidly


became committed to social
reform.
William Graham Sumner
studied the minute aspects of
daily life found in the ordinary
customs of the people.
1940s University of Chicago
sociology
department
dominated the discipline in the
United States. Many of the
Chicago
school
sociologists
sociologist
were
Protestant
minister or the sons of Protestant
ministers.
1940s 1960s the center of
attention shifted from Chicago to
such universities as Harvard,
Columbia,
Michigan,
and
Wisconsin and from reform to
much more neutral field of
developing theories.
1970s 1980s sociology has
not been dominated by any one
viewpoint or concern; from such
old problems as inequality to such
new ones as the impact of modern
industrial society on the natural
environment.
Twenty years ago nearly all
sociologist
were
engage
in
teaching and research
Today many sociologist are
employed in such fields as
criminology, epidemiology, city
planning, personnel management,
social work, demography, or policy
making at every level of the
government.
Some sociologist take the view
that science should be ethically
neutral, that it should attempt

only
to
understand
social
processes and add the sum of
scientific knowledge. Others argue
that sociological knowledge should
be used to criticize and reform
existing social arrangements.
Theoretical Perspectives
Theory a crucial element in sociology
and in all science.
- is a statement that organizes a
set of concepts in a meaningful
way
by
explaining
the
relationship among them.
- makes the facts of social life
comprehensible.
- sociological theories varies
greatly in their scope and
sophistication. Some attempt to
explain only a small aspect of
reality (such as why some people
become shabu addicts).
4

General Perspective in Modern


Sociology:
1. Functionalist is a view that
focuses on the way various parts
of the society have functions, or
positive effects, that maintain the
stability of the whole.
- draws its original inspiration from
the work of Herbert Spencer and
Emile Durkheim.
- implies that society tends to be
organized, stable, well-integrated
system, in which most members
agree on basic values.
- in the functionalist view, a
society
has
an
underlying
tendency to be in equilibrium or
balance.

Functions and Dysfunctions:


Essentially sociologist ask what its
consequences are not what its
purposes are believed to be.
Manifest function a consequence that is
obvious and intended
Latent function a consequence that is
unrecognized and unintended.
Mechanical Solidarity is a type of social
cohesion that develops when
people do simila work and
have
similar
beliefs
and
values.
- exist in relatively simple,
traditional societies.
Organic Solidarity is characteristic of
complex,
industrialized
societies.
The
functionalist
perspective,
then, is obviously useful in explaining
why some elements in the society
exist and persist, but also has some
disadvantages. An important criticism
of the functionalist view is that it
tends in practice to be inherently
conservative. Because their main
emphasis is on social order and
stability,
functionalists
risk
the
temptation of dismissing disruptive
changes as dysfunctional even if
those
changes
are
necessary,
inevitable, and beneficial in the long
run.
2. Conflict is a view that focuses on
social
processes
of
tension,
competition, and change.
- derives its inspiration from the
work of Karl Marx, who saw
struggle between social classes as

the engine of history and the


main source of change.
- modern conflict theory, which is
associated with such sociologist as
C. Wright Mills, Ralf Darendorf, and
Randall Collins, does not simply
focus , as Marx did, on class
conflict; its sees conflict among
many groups and interests as fact
of life in a society.
- Conflict theory assume that
societies are in constant state of
change, in which conflict is a
permanent feature. Conflict does
not necessarily mean outright
violence; it includes tension,
hostility,
competition,
and
disagreement over goals and
values.
- Conflict theorist do not see social
conflict as necessarily destructive,
although they admit that it may
sometimes have that effect. They
argue that conflict can often have
positive result.
- the conflict perspective, then,
leads the sociologist to inquire into
whose interest are involved in, and
who benefits or suffer from,
existing arrangements.
- the conflict perspective has the
advantage of highlighting aspects
that the functionalist perspective.
By focusing so narrowly on issues
of competition and change, its fails
to come to grips with more
orderly,
stable,
and
less
controversial dimensions of social
reality.
3. Interactive is a view of society
that focuses on the way in which

people act toward, respond to, and


influence one another.
- draws its inspiration from Max
Weber, who emphasized the
importance of understanding the
social world from the viewpoint of
the individuals who act within it.
- later developments has been
influenced by social psychology
and the work for the early leaders
in the Chicago School, particularly
George Herbert Mead.
the
importance
difference
between this perspective and the
two earlier is that it does not focus
on such large structures as the
state, economy, or social classes.
Instead, it is concerned primarily
with everybody special interaction
that take place as the people go
about their lives.
- the main reason interactionist
theorist are wary of the emphasis
other sociologist place on the
major component of the society is
that
concept
such
as
the
economy or the state are, after
all, abstractions; they cannot exist
or act by themselves. It is people
that exist and act, and its only

through their social behavior that


society can come into being at all
society.
- a symbol is anything that can
meaningfully represent something
else. Signs, gestures shared rules,
and most important written and
spoken language are examples of
symbols.
- the interactionist perspective,
then leads the sociologist to
inquire
into
peoples
interpretations of, and responses
to, their interactions with others.
Sociologist using this perspective
usually focus on the specific,
detailed aspects of personal
everyday life.
- provides a fascinating insight into
the mechanics of everyday life,
and it has the advantage of
revealing
fundamental
social
processes that other perspectives
easily overlook.
4. Ecological attributes cultural
variations to differences in the
natural
environment.
Humans
must adapt to their environment
to survive, and they adapt through

their
cultures.
environment vary,
cultures.

Thus
so too

as
will

An Evaluation
Since each of these perspectives
starts from different assumptions, and
each leads to the investigator to ask
different questions, each viewpoint is
likely to produce different types of
conclusions. In many respects the
theories seem quite contradictory. But
this does not mean that one of them is
better than the others, or even that
they are always incompatible. The reason
is that each perspective focuses on a
different aspect of reality: functionalism,
primarily on social order and stability;
conflict theory, primarily on social
tension and changes, and interactionism,
primarily on the ordinary experiences of
everyday life. Each perspective has part
to play in the analysis of society.

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