Primary concepts of Chapter 1

Contents:

1. Sociological Imagination
2. Emile Durkeim
3. Social Research
4. Sociological Perspective

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Theorists:

Auguste Comte - 

Karl Marx -

Max Weber - 

Robert Merton - 

I.  Sociological Imagination  

*   C. Wright Mills -- ability to see impact of immediate past, terms of impact of social forces on our lives, and make sense of it in reference to now.

1. Attempt to establish historical sense in combination with culturally anthropological insight
2. i.e., dispel any ethnocentric beliefs or values may hold (Ethnocentrism -- view that one's own views or beliefs are the standards which all ideas or beliefs should be measured by.

•  Social Forces: always at play in daily existence and arise from society we are part of 

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II.  Emile Durkheim (French Sociologist) -

• Late 17th Century
• Studied the variations of suicide among various countries and various groups
• Focused on social and not individual facts which explained by utilizing Social    Forces
•  Social Integration: degree to which people are tied to a social group -- if there is excessive or inadequate social integration, suicides rates are high 

 Three (3) Types of Suicide 

1. Altruistic Suicide: individual is required by norms/values/ rules of group to commit suicide [e.g. some Indian Castes, Widows were expected to commit Sutteese (good women); W.W.II Japanese Pilots; Kamikaze pilots]
2. Egoistic Suicide: fails to identify with institutes of his society and assumes individuals blame or guilt for actions.
   1. Both Protestants and Catholics have explicit taboos against suicide
   2. Protestants: emphasis placed on self-reliance of individual
   3. Catholic: church mediates relationship between individual and God
   4. Anomic Suicide: individual cannot share values common to his society and becomes alienated (rapid change occurs in his/her society creating a sense of anomic, or normlessness.
      • Most -- widows and divorcees less access to support group ; Protestant less integrated in Church

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III.  Social Research

1. Sociological Approach: require facts and ideas systematically checked against evidence -- offering chance to learn something new -- seeks objective and consistent view information.
2. Scientific Method: emphasizes importance of scientists to rely on observations and not on assumptions of how things should be (objective rather than subjective).

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IV.  Sociological Perspective

*   Focuses on totally; context, meaning, collectives, and interaction of individuals within varying degrees of lifestyles within society.

1. Totally: examines the links between economy and family, politics and religious, and ways which the public create or solve personal troubles.

    2.    Importance: major requirement of scientific study is the remain non-subjectiv

    3.    Subjectivity( within a reasonable aspect), as recommended by Max Weber can be positive, providing richer understanding of human behavior.

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