Introduction to Sociology with Professor "A"

Course and Support

• Familiarize with the online classroom layout.
• For assistance, send a message to Professor "A".

Why Study Sociology?

• Patterns of behavior: Look for general patterns and likelihoods rather than causes.
• Understanding social situations can help tackle societal problems.

Definition and Focus

• Sociology: Study of social behavior, external forces, and groups of all sizes.
• Focus on how groups influence behavior.

Group Sizes and Dynamics

• Dyad: Smallest group (2-person group) with potential for pure balance.
• Triad: Transition adds a third person, creating potential for coalitions (subgroups, 2 vs. 1 scenarios).
• Groups: Recurrent social patterns, shared experiences, bonds, and structure.
• Crowd: Mass of people without structure, history, or bonds.

Underlying Assumptions

• People are social beings, born dependent on others.
• People need varying degrees of social interaction.
• Interactions are reciprocal (give and take).
• Conflict and change are inevitable.

Differentiating from Common Sense

• Scientific Approach: Sociology relies on scientific theory and research to test assumptions.
• Challenges common sense and stereotypes with data.
• Example: American public schools' safety versus media portrayal.

Sociological Perspective

• Peter Berger's Perspective:
  • Seeing the general in the particular (examples from specific groups to larger generalizations).
  • Seeing the strange in the familiar (identify new patterns, debunk social truths).
• C. Wright Mills' Sociological Imagination:
  • Recognizing relationships between individual experiences and public issues.
  • Example: Factory closure affecting individual livelihoods and broader economic changes.

Objectivity and Applied Sociology

• Objective Research: Be as unbiased as possible.
• Applied Sociology: Use research for social improvement (e.g., reducing gang membership through better park facilities).

Comparison with Psychology

• Sociology: Focuses on group behavior.
• Psychology: Focuses on individual behavior and internal mental processes.

Levels of Analysis

• Micro Level: Focus on everyday small groups (dyads, small teams).
• Meso Level: Medium-sized organizations and structures (communities).
• Macro Level: Large groups, entire societies, and global phenomena.
• Collaboration between micro and macro sociologists for comprehensive understanding.

Terms and Examples

• Social Units: Small groups (family, friends, coworkers).
• Social Structures: Formed by multiple social units (communities).
• Social Institutions: Formed by multiple structures, e.g., family, education, religion, politics, etc.
• Social Processes: Actions happening at all levels of analysis.
• Environment: Setting for different levels of analysis.

Summary

• Sociologists look at social phenomena from multiple levels of analysis.
• Understanding requires considering size and scope, from micro (individual couples) to macro (entire societies).