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Basic Concepts,
Trends & Issues
Sociology: An Overview
• Sociological Perspective
1. Definition of Sociology
-science that deals with the
social groups and institutions
with an aim to discover the basic
structure of human society.
-from the Greek words
“socious” and “logos”
-coined by Auguste Comte
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Major Sources of Sociological
Observation
• Fossils and artifacts
• Present Day primitives
• Modern Civilized Society
SOCIOLOGY AND OTHER
SOCIAL SCIENCES
•Psychology *Economics
•Anthropology *Ethics
•Political Science *History
•Human Ecology *Demography
B. SOCIOLOGICAL
THEORIES AND CONCEPTS
• Social Contract Theories
Thomas Hobbes
-Man lived in such intolerable
conflict that he made an irrevocable
contract to form an artificial man, a
common wealth to live in harmony
with his group.
-All rights and duties emanated
from state and involved state
absolutism.
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Early Sociologists
John Locke
-Man should have a contract with his
fellows to live in a civil and just society.
-Through a social contract, man has
the assurance of protection of his
liberty and safeguards his life and
property.
-Forerunner of “impeachment” and
“ostracism”
Early Sociologists
Jean Jacques Rousseau
-Man lived in an ideal society
which is absolutely free from
any intervention.
-State equality should be
established.
-Concept “sovereignty” was
born.
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Early Sociologists
• Adam Ferguson (1723-1816)-comparative
ethnographic approach to social problems.
• Charles Louis de Secondat Montesquieu
(1689-1755)- The Spirit of Laws -Social
Development should follow fixed and natural
laws
• Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834)-Essay
on the principles of population.
Sociological Theories
• Structural-
Functional Theory
(Durkheim)
• Social-Conflict
Theory (Karl
Marx)
• Symbolic-
Interaction Theory
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Society: Historical Analysis
Evolution of Human
Society (Daniel Bell)
• Hunting and Gathering
Societies
• Horticultural and Pastoral
Societies
• Agrarian Societies
• Industrial Societies
• Post-Industrial Societies
Society: Historical Analysis
Value System
A. Attitude- tendencies to accept or
reject object, concept or identity.
B. Value- set of abstract definition
of the goals that the individual or
group identifies to desirable,
important, worthy of attainment and
of the means with which these goals
are to be attained.
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Culture: Composition and
Attributes
1. Basic Terms
A. Culture C. Ethnocentrism
B. Culture Shock D. Cultural Relativity
2. Components of Culture
A. Material Elements D. Language
B. Nonmaterial Elements E. Cultural Pattern
C. Symbols F. Cultural Lag
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Culture: Composition and Attributes
3. Norm- a standard pattern of behavior that is considered normal in a particular
society.
Types of Norms
a. Folkway- habitual practices to members of society.
b. Customs- ways of doing
c. Traditions-ways of exercising beliefs
d. Mores- prescribed behavior of an individual
-reward-punishment system
e. Fashion, fad, craze-short-lived norms
f. Laws- formalized political norms.
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Other Important Terms about
Culture
• Acculturation- cultural
transmission by force
• Amalgamation- biological
mixing
• Assimilation-culture change
• Enculturation- process of
learning cultural tradition in
relation to human growth
and particular society.
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Cultural Diversity
• Subculture
• Cultural Variability
STATUS AND ROLE
•Status- individual’s rank in a society
- may be ASCRIBED or
ACHIEVED
•Role – a set of expected behavior
associated with a certain status.
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Socialization Process
1. Basis of Human Socialization
a. Conditioning
b. Modeling
c. Identity-taking
d. Learning to cope
2. The Self: Id, Ego, and Superego
a. Id
b. Ego
c. Superego
•Looking-glass self (Cooley)
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Social Group
-simple collection of people
• Voluntary groups- freedom of choice in joining
• Involuntary groups-may include a family whose
members have no choice.
• Horizontal groups-faculty, group of lawyers
• Vertical groups-religious congregation
• Temporary groups- project-based group
• Permanent groups- family
• Open groups- welcome members regardless of
differences
• Closed groups- discriminate prospective members
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Social Group
Gemeinshaft- close and overlapping relationship
with stability in small communities
Gesellshaft- larger society for the pursuit of self-
interest,lesser personal attachment and
progress.
Mechanical Solidarity- based on personal
considerations and similar cultural experiences
Organic Solidarity-based on necessity of people
to function.
Charismatic Group-followers and disciples of
charismatic leaders
Feudal Administration- with local autonomy
for members.
Primary and Secondary groups- mutual trust
vs. business as usual.
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Social Organizations:
Functions and Impact
Social Institution- an organized system of
social relationships that emerges to
solve basic problems
Social Institutions
a. Family
b. Religion
c. Political Institution- exercise and
distribution of power.
-Power
-Authority
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Social Organizations:
Functions and Impact
Forms of Authority
a. Traditional Authority- power is
based on customs and the leader is
based on inheritance
b. Legal-Rational Authority- leaders
are designated for certain positions
with limitations based on formal rules
and procedures
c. Charismatic Authority-a person
may be elevated to lead because of
his/her personal appeal.
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Social Organizations:
Functions and Impact
Economic Institutions- resulted from
the people’s quest to find answer to
following questions:
a. Why do people need to work?
b. How can a society deal with the
problem of scarcity?
c. Is it possible to distribute wealth
equally?
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Social Organizations: Functions
and Impact
Economic System
a. Capitalism (Adam Smith)
b. Socialism
d. Communism (Karl Marx)
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Social Deviance
• Deviance- any violation of
social norms or expectations
• Crime- a behavior that falls out
of range of what is defined as
normal and tolerable. An
offender of criminal behavior is
arelady punishable by law.
• Categories of Crime
a. Felony
b. Misdemeanor
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Social Deviance
Four Labeling Theories of
Deviance
A. Biological Theory- deviant
behavior is biological in nature
B. Psychological Theory- concept
of id.
C. Sociological Theory- contrary
to social institutions
D. Labeling Theory- social stigma
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Structural Division: Inequality And
Conflict
Social Stratification- a system by
which a society ranks categories of
people in hierarchy
Caste System in India/Varna
1. Brahmans
2. Kshatriyas
3. Vaishyas
4. Sudras
5. Pariahs
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Structural Division: Inequality And
Conflict
Race and Ethnicity
a. Race- refers to differences
based on biographically
inherited traits such as the color
of the skin.
b. Ethnicity-refers to differences
in social attributes like language,
religions and culture.
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Structural Division: Inequality And
Conflict
Prejudice and
Discrimination
a. Prejudice- a favorable or
unfavorable fixed attitude
towards a person or thing.
b. Discrimination-the actual
behavior unfavorable to a
particular person or group.
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Structural Division: Inequality And
Conflict
Patterns of Interaction
a. Annihilation- elimination of
the other race by another race
b. Genocide- systematic murder
of an entire ethnic group.
c. Segregation- the setting apart
of one group from another.
d. Cultural Pluralism- tolerance
and peaceful co-existence.
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Structural Division: Inequality And
Conflict
Minority Group Reactions
a. Secession- the formal
withdrawal of a group of people
from a political, religious or
national group.
b. Nativism- the rejection of
the dominant culture in which
people attempt to improve their
own existence by eliminating
outsiders like foreign people,
tangible things, and ideas.
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Sociological Trends and Issues
Poverty- deprivation of something
necessary for subsistence and physical
efficiency.
-Pauper or dependent
-Haves vs. Have-nots
-Malthusian Theory of
Population
-Unequal Distribution of Wealth
(Karl Marx)
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Sociological Trends and Issues
Labor Unions
Labor Union- an association of workers for the
improvement of working conditions.
Strategies of Labor
-Strike
-Boycott
-Picketting
-Closed Shop
-Sabotage
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Sociological Trends and Issues
Strategies of Employers
-Injunction
-Lockout
- “Yellow-Dog Contract”
-Blacklists
-Company Union
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Sociological Trends and
Issues
Crime and Delinquency
• Delinquent Act- any willful
violation of the laws of the state
• Criminology- study of factors
affecting crime and delinquency.
• Penology-inquiry on the
treatments of criminals and
delinquents.
• Juvenile Delinquency- crime
committed by individuals ages
16-18 or below.
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Social Change
• Definition- important transformations in social
relationships and cultural ideas;
-takes place inevitably and continually at an
increasing rate.
• Theories of Social Change
a. Cyclic Theory
b. Evolutionary Theory
c. Functional Theory
d. Conflict Theory
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