Homework answers / question archive / Respond to the question below after reading chapter one: How would you describe or define the nature (key attributes) of sociology as an  academic discipline? (i

Respond to the question below after reading chapter one: How would you describe or define the nature (key attributes) of sociology as an  academic discipline? (i

Sociology

Share With

---

Respond to the question below after reading chapter one:

1. How would you describe or define the nature (key attributes) of sociology as an  academic discipline? (i.e. nature, approaches, potential applications) to a person who has no prior exposure to the sociology and what do you see as the potential use of sociology? Please integrate and demonstrate your understanding on some of the concepts, ideas and perspectives you have read or learned in the chapter in your response.

Length: At least 550 words. Indicate word count at the end of your response

ESSENTIALS OF SOCIOLOGY, 7TH EDITION

CHAPTER 1: SOCIOLOGY: THEORY AND METHOD

1

Please review the entire chapter to gain a more comprehensive view and understanding of

the subject matter. Do not rely solely on the chapter summary.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

What Is the "Sociological Imagination"?

• Sociology is the systematic study of human societies, with special emphasis on modern,

industrialized systems. Sociologists attempt to understand the far-reaching changes that

have occurred in human societies over the past two to three centuries. Social scientists

recognize that these seemingly “personal” troubles, if occurring in patterned ways to

large numbers of individuals, reflect important “public issues” or consequences of social

structures to make the process of structuration.

• Major social changes have also occurred in the most intimate and personal

characteristics of people's lives, or at the "micro" level. The development of romantic

love as a basis for marriage is an example of this.

• The practice of sociology involves developing a sociological imagination - the ability to

think imaginatively and to detach oneself from preconceived ideas about social

relationships.

What Theories Do Sociologists Use?

• Sociologists use a wide range of theoretical approaches. Theoretical disputes are difficult

to resolve even in the natural sciences, and in sociology we face special difficulties

because of the complex problems involved in subjecting our own behavior to study.

• Important figures in the early development of sociological theory include Auguste Comte

(1798–1857), Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), Karl Marx

(1818–1883), and Max Weber (1864–1920). Many of their ideas remain influential in

sociology today. The work of sociologists Harriet Martineau (1802-1876), and W. E. B. Du

Bois (1868-1963) – though unacknowledged during their lifetimes – deserves a place

alongside the classical sociologists.

• The main theoretical approaches in sociology are symbolic interactionism,

functionalism, Marxism, feminism and feminism theory, and postmodernism. These

theories complement each other, yet major contrasts exist between them; these

differences influence the ways in which theoretical issues are handled by the adherents

of the different approaches.

• The study of face-to-face interaction is usually called microsociology. By contrast,

macrosociology involves the study of larger groups, institutions, and social systems.

Micro and macro analyses are interrelated and complement one other.

 

What Kinds of Questions Can Sociologists Answer?

• Sociologists investigate social life by posing clearly defined questions and investigating

the answers via systematic research. These questions may be factual, comparative,

developmental, or theoretical.

 

 

 

ESSENTIALS OF SOCIOLOGY, 7TH EDITION

CHAPTER 1: SOCIOLOGY: THEORY AND METHOD

2

What Are the Steps of the Research Process?

• All research begins with a research problem that interests or puzzles the investigator.

Research problems may be suggested by gaps in the existing literature, theoretical

debates, or practical issues in the social world.

• Theoretically, there are seven distinctive steps in the development of research

strategies—although researchers rarely follow these exact steps in this exact order. The

steps are: defining the research problem, reviewing the evidence, making the problem

precise, creating a design, carrying out research, interpreting the results, and reporting

the findings.

What Research Methods Do Sociologists Use?

• Sociologists have a range of methods at their disposal, both qualitative and

quantitative.

• In fieldwork, or ethnography, the researcher spends lengthy periods of time with a

group or community being studied. Survey research involves sending or administering

questionnaires to samples of a larger population. Documentary research uses printed

materials from archives or other resources, as a source for information. Other research

methods include experiments, life histories, historical analysis, and comparative

research.

• Each research method has strengths and limitations. For this reason, researchers will

often combine two or more methods in their work, where each method is used to check

or supplement the material obtained from the others. This process is called

triangulation.

What Ethical Dilemmas Do Sociologists Face?

• Sociological research often poses ethical dilemmas. These may arise either where

researchers deceive the subjects of the research, or where the publication of research

findings might adversely affect the feelings or lives of those studied.

• Informed consent and debriefing are two strategies used to uphold research ethics.

Although there is no entirely satisfactory way to resolve ethical issues, all researchers

must be sensitive to the dilemmas they pose.

How Does the Sociological Imagination Affect Your Life?

• Adopting a sociological imagination can affect both individuals and society. Individuals

are better able to control their circumstances if they understand why something is

happening. We can better understand and interact with our fellow actors if we are aware

of cultural similarities and differences.

• Understanding the consequences (intended and unintended) of policy initiatives can

promote effective program change.