What is Sociology?
What is a major goal of sociology?
What is sociological imagination?
How can we better understand unemployment and divorce by using sociological imagination?
How can we use “common sense” to better understand human behavior?
List the Major Theoretical Perspectives on Sociology and explain what they are. You must have a full understanding of their meaning. Very important!!!
Functionalism (aka Structural Functionalism)
Major Assumptions:
1. consensus of values
2. interrelated parts of society
3. stability and order
Conflict Theory
Major Assumptions:
1. subgroups with conflicting values
2. ruthless competition for resources
3. conflict is normal
Interactionism (aka Symbolic Interactionism)
Major Assumptions:
1. people’s actions depend on how they see and evaluate reality
2. people learn from others how to see and evaluate reality
3. people constantly are looking for “meaning”
4. when people do not have the same “meanings” misunderstanding and conflict will occur
Questions to be discussed in class:
1. How does each theory view society?
2. How does each theory explain the existence of social problems?
3. What are the criticisms of each theory?
