Sociology and Anthropology

LARYSON F. BAGUMBAY SOC. SCI. III

Sociology
is the systematic study of social

behavior and human groups. Focuses on social relationships; how those relationships influence peoples behavior; and how societies, the sum total of those relationships develop and change. It is the science of society and the social interactions taking place

Sociological Imagination
According to C. Wright Mills, it is an awareness of

the relationship of the individual and the wider society. This awareness allows all of us to comprehend the links between our immediate, personal settings and the remote, impersonal social world that surrounds and help to shape us. A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view ones society as an outsider would, rather than

Sociology and the Social Sciences

Natural Science- study of the physical features of

nature and the ways I which they interact and change. Ex. Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics Social Sciences- study of the social features of humans and the ways in which they interact and change. Ex. Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, History, Psychology and Political Science These social science disciplines have a common

 Anthropology is the study of past cultures and

preindustrial societies that continue today, as well as the origin of humans. Economics is the study that explore the way in which people produce and exchange goods and services along with money and other resources. History is concerned with the people and events of the past and their significance for us today. Political Science study international relations, the

 Psychology is used in the investigation of

personality and individual behavior. Sociologists focus on the study of the influence that the society Has on peoples attitudes and behavior and the ways in which People interact and shape society. Humans are social animals so sociologists scientifically examine their social relationships with others.

Anthropology
Is the science of humanity and its

society. It studies the biological, social, and cultural development of humankind and seeks answers to why people are different and how they are similar.

Origin and History of Sociology and Anthropology

The Beginnings of Anthropology

It goes back to the period of discoveries and

explorations in the15th to 18th centuries. Sources of facts were the early Western explorers, missionaries, soldiers and colonial officials regarding the strange behavior and beliefs as well as the exotic appearance of people they have come in contact with. Discoveries of flint tools and other artifacts in Europe in the early 19th century gave evidence of the existence of human

 These discoveries happened at the time when

advancement in Physics and Chemistry were made, arousing interest in scientific inquiry. Edward Tylor was the first professor of Anthropology in Oxford, England. In the U.S., it was Franz Boaz of Clark University, Massachusetts. Modern Anthropology in both Physical and cultural aspects

Modern Anthropology
Focus of study was the exotic, non- western

societies. The dominant theme of the early anthropologists were the evolutionary view of humanity and human behavior. Structural functionalism was eventually used. The turn for a higher level of research through the use of careful and thorough gathering of data about individual cultures was made by Franz Boaz and Alfred Kroeber. They were followed by Bronislaw Ma-

 From 1980, ethnographers approached the study

of local culture as embedded within regional and tribal forces. Terms to know: 1. Ethnography- provides account of a particular community, society or culture. 2. Ethnographer- gathers data that he organizes, describes, analyzes, and interprets to build and present the account which may be in the form of a book, article or film. 3. Ethnology- examines, interprets, analyzes, and

The Beginnings of Sociology

Has its roots in France at the time of the Industrial

Revolution and French Revolution. Social problems attended this social upheavals. The pioneers were Henri de Saint- Simon (17601825) and Auguste Comte (1798-1857). Auguste Comte, a French Philosopher, believed that methods and techniques of the natural science could be applied to the study of society. He coined the term sociology to apply to the

 Harriet Martineau(18021876)-scholars learned of

Comtes works through the translations of this sociologist. Aside from this, she offered insightful observations of the customs and social practices of both her native Britain and the U.S.Her book Society in America examined religion, politics, child-rearing and immigration in the young nation. Her writings emphasized the impact that the economy, law, trade, health,

 Herbert Spencer( 1820-1903) he did not feel

compelled to correct or improve society , instead he hoped to understand it better. He applied Darwins concept of Evolution of the Species to societies in order to explain how they change, or evolve over time. He also adapted Darwins Survival of the fittest in arguing that it is natural that some people are rich while others are

between two classes that clashed in the pursuit of their own interest. When he examined the industrial societies of his time, he saw the factory as the center of conflict between the exploiters and the exploited. He viewed these relationships in systematic terms, he believed that a system of economic, social and political relationships maintained the power and

 It was during the time of Emile Durkheim, Georg

Simmel, and Max Weber in Europe, and Charles H. Cooley, Robert E. Park and W.I. Thomas in the U.S. that empirical research was used in the study of social phenomena. Emile Durkheim(1858-1917) laid the foundation for Modern Sociology. He made contributions regarding the study of suicide, religion, division of labor in society and

 Max Weber ( 1864-1920)-according to him, to

fully comprehend behavior, we must learn the subjective meanings people attach to their actions- how they themselves view and explain their behavior. Charles Horton Cooley(1864-1929)- to effectively learn more about society, he preferred to use the sociological perspective to look first at smaller units- intimate, faceto-face

Major Theoretical Perspectives

Sociologists view society in different ways. Some

see the world as a stable and on-going entity. Others see society as composed of many groups in conflict, competing for scarce resources. And still to others, the most fascinating aspects of the social world are the everyday, routine interactions among individuals that we sometimes take for granted. These three views are the functionalist, conflict

Functionalist Perspective
This emphasizes the way in which the parts of the

society are structured to maintain its stability. Talcott Parsons (1902-1979), a Harvard University sociologist was a key figure in the development of this theory. Parson saw any society as a vast network of connected parts, each of which helps to maintain the system as a whole. His functionalist approach holds that if an aspect

value consensus among members of the society, it will not be passed on from one generation to the next. Throughout most of the 1900s,the functionalist perspective Had the upper hand in sociology in the US. Manifest and Latent Functions Robert Merton made an important distinction between manifest and latent functions. Manifest Functions of institutions are open, stated, conscious functions. They involve the intended, recognized

 Latent Functions are unconscious or unintended

functions That may reflect hidden purposes of an institution.

Dysfunctions Functionalists acknowledge that not all parts of the society contribute to its stability all the time. Dysfunction refers to an element or process of a society that may actually disrupt the social system or reduce its stability.

Conflict Perspective
Conflict sociologists see a social world in

continual struggle. It assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups. Conflicts need not be violent, it can take the form of labor negotiations, party politics, competition between religious groups for new members, or disputes over the government budget.

 The widespread social unrest resulting from

battles over civil rights, bitter division over the war in Vietnam, rise of the gay and feminist liberation movements, political scandals, have offered support for the conflict approach- the view that the social world is characterized by continual struggle between competing groups. The discipline of sociology accepts conflict theory

Views Under the Conflict Theory

Marxist View

Karl Marx viewed struggle between social classes as inevitable, given the exploitation of workers under capitalism. Expanding on Marxs work, sociologists and other social scientists have come to see conflict not merely as a class phenomenon but as part of everyday life in all societies. An African American View Some early black sociologists including

The struggle for a racially egalitarian society. Sociology he contended, had to draw on scientific principles to study social problems such as those experienced by blacks in the U.S. Du Bois made a major contribution to sociology through his indepth studies of urban life, both black and white. He documented the blacks relatively low status in Philadelphia and Atlanta. He believed that granting full political rights to

It sees inequity in gender as central to all behavior and organization. Contemporary feminist theorist often view womens subordination as inherent in a capitalist societies. Some radical feminist theorists, view the oppression of women as inevitable in all male- dominates societies, whether capitalist, socialist or communist. Feminist scholarship in sociology has broadened the understanding of social behavior by taking it beyond the male point of view. They have not only challenged stereo-typing of women,

Interactionist Perspective
Functionalists and conflict theorists both analyze

large-scale, society-wide patterns of behavior. Interactionists, on the other hand generalize about everyday forms of interaction in order to explain society as a whole. Interactionism is a sociological framework for viewing human beings as living in a world of meaningful objects. Objects may include material things, actions,

 George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) is widely

regarded as the founder of the interactionist perspective. His sociological analysis often focused on human interactions in one- to one situations and small groups. He was interested in observing the most minute forms of communication- smiles, frowns, nodsAnd in understanding how such individual behaviors were

Type of Interactionist Perspective

Dramaturgical approach- popularized by Erving

Goffman, This approach sees people as theatrical performers. Everyday life is compared to the setting of the theater and stage. Just as Actors project certain image, all of us seek to present particular features of our personalities while we hide other qualities.