LECTURE 1. THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE SOCIOLOGY is the systematic study of human society.

Nature of Sociology as a science Sociology as Method of Inquiry Sociology as Body of Knowledge Sociology as Passion to Understand Sociology as Intellectual Enterprise Facets of Sociology Seeing the Strange in the Familiar Seeing the General in the Particular Significance of Contexts Global Perspective Levels of Analysis Macro sociological Meso sociological Micro sociological

The Sociological Perspective in Everyday Life

Certain situations like the following promote a sociological way of viewing reality. Encountering social diversity. Experiencing social marginality, the state of being excluded from social activity as an "outsider." This is why minorities, women and the elderly, among others, are particularly likely to embrace the sociological perspective. Living through periods of social crisis like the Great Depression or the 1960s. Benefits of the sociological perspective. The sociological perspective helps us assess the truth of commonly held assumptions. It prompts us to assess both the opportunities and the constraints that characterize our lives. It empowers us to participate actively in our society. It helps us recognize human variety and confront the challenges of living in a diverse world. Applied sociology. Sociology is more than just a discipline for enhancing intellectual growth. Sociology plays a role in shaping public policy and laws. It also provides training for many jobs.

The Origins of Sociology.

Early social thought consisted mostly of utopian philosophical speculation. Auguste Comte, the father of sociology, in contrast, felt that the field should be scientific or, as he termed it, positive, meaning a means to understand the world based on science. Comte believed that societies progress through three stages: The theological stage, in which thought was guided by religion. The metaphysical stage, a transitional phase. The scientific or positive stage.

Scientific sociology developed because of three major social trends in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: The growth of a factory-based industrial economy. The emergence of great cities in Europe. Political changes, including a rising concern with individual liberty and rights. The French Revolution embraced these ideas.
Although pushed into the margins because they lived in a male-dominated society, women such as Harriet Martineau and Jane Addams made important contributions to sociology.

SUPPLEMENT 1 Relative Chronology of Prominent Contributors to Sociological Thought

Comte 1798-1857
Father of modern sociology Coined the term sociologie as science of society Social Physics Positivism

Martineau 1802-1876
Compared societies Translated the works of Comte from French to English

Spencer 1820-1903
Cointed the term survival of the fittest Evolution of society Social Change

Marx 1818-1883
Father of the conflict perspective Class Bourgeois vs. Proletariat Dialectic Clashes of ideas and forces

Durkheim 1858-1917
Use of statistics Social Fact Suicide Coined the term anomie Division of Labor

Addams 1860-1935
Social Service Work & Political Activism

Mead 1863-1931
Social Interaction Minute forms of comm. Eg. Smile, frown, nod Social Self I vs. Me

Weber 1864-1929
Social Action Verstehen Subjective meanings people attach to their behavior

Cooley 1864-1929
Looking- Glass Self Intimate face-to face groups Seedbed of societys beliefs, values & norms

du Bois 1868-1963
Research for racial equality

Parsons 1902-1979
Functionalist Perspective Equilibrium & stability Manifest vs. Latent Functions Function vs Dysfunction

Merton 1900Combined Theory and Research Analyzed deviant behavior

Wright-Mills 1916-1962
Sociological Imagination

Goffman 1922-1982
Dramaturgy Presentn of the self in Everyday Life

SUPPLEMENT 2 Development of Sociology in the Philippines

Transition from Spanish to American Colonization

SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY
1938 UST Criminology

WELFARE/ PROBLEM ORIENTED

1952 PSS (Philippine Sociological Society)
SERAFIN MACARAIG

SCIENTIFIC
1960 IPC (Institute of Philippine Culture)
FRANK LYNCH, SJ

1957 CDRC (Community Development Research Councils)

1968 PSSC (Philippine Social Science Council)

GELIA CASTILLO GLORIA FELICIANO

70s

80s 1st Social Science Congress

90s Convergence of Social Science Methods and Theories

FR. VALENTIN MARIN

CYNTHIA BAUTISTA (1989) RANDY DAVID

Sociological Theory A theory is a statement of how and why specific facts are related.
FUNCTIONALIST View of Society Stable, well-integrated CONFLICT Characterized by tension and struggle between groups INTERACTIONIST Active in influencing and affecting everyday social interaction

Level of Analysis Emphasized

Macrosociological analysis of large-scale patterns

People are socialized to perform societal functions Maintained through cooperation and consensus Predictable, reinforcing

Macrosociological analysis of large-scale patterns

People are shaped by power, coercion, and authority Maintained through force and coercion Change takes place all the time and may have positive consequences Competing interests Social inequality Subjugation of groups Karl Marx WEB du Bois C. Wright Mills

Microsociological analysis as a way of understanding the larger phenomena

People manipulate symbols and create their social worlds through interaction Maintained by shared understanding of everyday behavior Reflected in peoples positions and their communications with others Symbols Small groups Nonverbal communication George Herbert Mead Charles Horton Cooley Erving Goffman

View of the Individual

View of the Social Order

View of Social Change

Key Concepts

Stability Manifest functions Latent functions Dysfunctions Emile Durkheim Talcott Parsons Robert Merton

Proponents

PANEL DISCUSSION 1. THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

Talking Points: 1. Ever felt trapped/limited in what you wanted to do by life? By society? 2. What are the concerns of students/youth nowadays? How are these concerns affected by public issues? How are these concerns translate to public issues? 3. What social issues have you observed/felt? How did these issues affected your personal life? How did these issues arise from personal troubles?

HISTORY PUBLIC ISSUES BIOGRAPHY PERSONAL TROUBLES