Sociology

• Systemized study of people and behaviour

  • Why we do what we do

• Groups of people

• Looks for patterns

• Auguste Comte

  • Started use of sociology
  • He thought that society was constantly evolving.
  • Positivisme
  • Measurable and testable pieces of data to draw conclusions from on society.

• Societal Values

  • Ideas or norms shared by societies

• societal norm

  • Things that are normal in society

• Social Roles

  • What each type of person would do in a society

• Objectivity

  • Away with your beliefs, values, etc. Just use the data.

• Universality

  • See what social environment causes what outputs in society.

• Microsociology

  • Society between people and the roles between multiple different societies, etc.

• Macrosociology

  • Big perspective
  • Insitutions, orgs, govmt, etc.
  • What society do they form or are part of?

• Everyone is part of a group

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Schools
  • Work colleagues
  • Solidarity
    • Something that unites a group
  • Types of groups
    • Formal
      • Family
        • Defined by strict roles and connections
          • Ex: biological
        • Responsibilities are legally dictated
    • Informal
      • People can enter and leave these groups freely
      • Friend groups
    • Sumner
      • In group / endogroup
        • We form a part of it directly
      • Out group
        • A group in which we do not form part of
    • Cooley
      • Primary group
        • Tightly knit group
        • Intimately
        • Most influence on us
        • Members are invested in the well-being of other members
        • Members need a certain level of willingness to be a part of that group.
      • Secondary group
        • Informal or formal group of people
          • School, book club, sports, work.
          • My Agency should be a primary group to get the most out of our members.
        • Role is measured by contribution levels
        • Not intimate
        • Less influence
  • Groups have expectations on how you should behave

- As the group changes, so do the roles.
- They have an objective
- Structural Functionalism
- Societal Norms vary from one group to another. They also reflect the needs of a group.
- Sanctions
- Conformity
- One person being part of many groups. They have to respect Societal Norms and social roles for each group.
- Changing our behaviours and ourselves to feel a part of a group.
- Conformity increases cohesion
- Positive or negative
- = Social Proof
- Evolution needs conformity
- Logic doesn't
- Gang membership influences conformity
- Everyone helps the gang, not themselves.
- Defiance
- Violate Societal Norms
- Interesting if the norms are restrictive
- Just people being themselves
- Normally considered like it's bad
- Doesn't always have to be
- Extreme defiance results in criminal actions
- Criminology
- Constraint Theory
- Defiance is a product of your environment and circumstances
- Every society has it's ideal
- American Dream
- Structural Functionalism
- Basically continue to work towards those ideals as a society. Though they'll get further and further away if everyone moves towards it?
- If someone can't achieve a certain goal society wants them to, they become an "outcast".
- Weak men falling out of touch of who they are, as "social outcasts"
- Defiants violate society as a whole basically
- Marginalised people
- Alienation