Overview
This lecture introduces sociology, its origins, main concepts, and how it examines both broad and everyday aspects of society using the sociological perspective.
What is Sociology?
- Sociology is the scientific study of society and human behavior.
- Society is a group of people sharing a culture and territory.
Sociology vs. Other Social Sciences
- Social sciences include disciplines like economics and psychology, each studying the social world objectively.
- Sociology is unique in its broad focus, examining all aspects and levels of society for patterns.
The Sociological Perspective
- The sociological perspective involves seeing the general in the particular and the strange in the familiar.
- Seeing the general in the particular means understanding individual behavior within wider social contexts.
- Seeing the strange in the familiar means questioning everyday behaviors and traditions as if encountering them for the first time.
Key Concepts in Sociology
- Social location refers to an individual’s place within the social structure, shaped by class, race, gender, etc.
- Social location influences personal choices and how people are perceived or treated by others.
- Marginalization means being outside the centers of power, often affecting minority groups.
- Power and inequality exist in many forms: economic, political, social, and cultural.
Origins and Purpose of Sociology
- Auguste Comte, a French philosopher, sought to create a science to investigate and solve social problems.
- Sociology emerged during 18th and 19th-century European upheavals like industrialization, urbanization, and political change.
- Early sociologists aimed to understand and improve rapidly changing societies.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Sociology — Scientific study of society and human behavior.
- Society — Group of people with shared culture and territory.
- Culture — Shared beliefs, behaviors, and material objects of a group.
- Social Sciences — Disciplines studying the social world using observation.
- Sociological Perspective — Approach that examines social patterns and questions the familiar.
- Social Location — An individual’s position in society based on characteristics like class, race, and gender.
- Marginalization — Being placed outside centers of societal power.
- Power & Inequality — Unequal access to resources and social advantages.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Prepare for the next lecture on major sociological theories and paradigms.