Hurley
SYG 2000

The Sociological Perspective

Video Lecture Outline: Chapter One

.

I. The Sociological Perspective
.....A. Using the Sociological Perspective
..........1. Seeing the General in the Particular
..........2. Seeing the Strange in the Familiar
..........3. Seeing individuality in Social Context
.....B. The Importance of the Global Perspective
..........1. All societies are increasingly interconnected
..........2. American human problems are more serious elsewhere
.....C. The Sociological Perspective in Everyday Life:
..........1. Social Marginality
..........2. Social Crisis
.....D. Benefits of the Sociological Perspective:
..........1. Critically assess common assumptions
..........2. Recognize opportunities and constraints
..........3. Empower participation in society
..........4. Help confront the challenges of living in a diverse world

II. The Origins of Sociology
.....A. Science and Sociology
.....B. Social Change and Sociology
..........1. Leaving the farm for the new Industrial economy
..........2. Growth of the cities

III. The early Sociologists:
.....A. August Comte
..........1. Law of Three Stages:
...............a. Superstitious Stage
...............b. Metaphysical Stage
...............c. Positivistic Stage
..........2. Directions of Sociology:
...............a. Social Statics
...............b. Social Dynamics
.....B. Herbert Spencer
..........1. Social Darwinism:
...............a. "Survival of the fittest"
...............b. "Might makes right"
..........2. Society is a living organism
.....C. Emile Durkheim
..........1. Social Facts
...............a. Social Functions
...............b. Anomie
..........2. Division of Labor
...............a. Mechanical Solidarity
...............b. Organic Solidarity
.....D. Karl Marx
..........1. Communist Manifesto
..........2. Class Struggle:
...............a. Class consciousness
...............b. False consciousness
..........3. Dialectical Materialism
...............a. Alienation
...............b. "Das Kapital"
.....E. Max Weber
..........1. Rationalization of Society
...............a. Calvinism
...............b. Bureaucracy
..........2. Ideal Type
..........3. Alientation

IV. Political Change
.....A. Women Sociologists who were overlooked:
..........1. Harriet Martineau
..........2. Jane Addams
.....B. The first great Afro-American Sociologist
..........1. William Edward Burkhart DuBois
..........2. "The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study" (1899)

V. Sociological Theory
.....A. Structural-Functional Paradigm
.....B. Social-Conflict Paradigm
.....C. Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm
.....D. Sports: 3 paradigms in action
..........1. Functions of Sports
..........2. Sport and Conflict
..........3. Sport as interaction

VI. The Sociology of Sociology
.....A. Is Sociology Nothing More Than Stereotypes?
.....B. Sociologists:
..........1. Do not indiscriminately apply generalizations to individuals,
..........2. Ensure that generalizations square with available facts,
..........3. Offer generalizations fair-mindedly, with an interest in getting at the truth.

.


Beginning of this Outline


Return to Syllabus


Go To Introductory Sociology Page


1