The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology

by McIntyre, Lisa J.

• ISBN13: 9780073404158
• ISBN10: 0073404152
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-15
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

The Practical Skepticis a concise introduction to sociology that focuses on core concepts as the central building blocks for understanding sociology. Lisa McIntyre's straightforward, lively, even humorous style and her emphasis on critical thinking make this an engaging and user-friendly text for students of all levels. Through this conversational style students are able to grasp key sociological concepts and learn the essential lesson that there is much that goes on in the social world that escapes the sociologically untrained eye.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
So, What Is Sociology?	p. 3
The Value of Sociology to Students	p. 3
Tips for Studying Sociology-and an Invitation	p. 4
Responding to Chaos: A Brief History of Sociology	p. 5
Inquiries into the Physical World	p. 6
Technology, Urbanization, and Social Upheaval	p. 10
The Origins of Modern Sociology in France: Emile Durkheim	p. 12
Excerpt: Emile Durkheim, From Suicide (1897) and The Rules of the Sociological Method (1904)	p. 14
The Origins of Modern Sociology in Germany: Ferdinand Tonnies, Max Weber, and Karl Marx	p. 16
Excerpt: Ferdinand Tonnies, From Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft (1887)	p. 17
Karl Marx	p. 20
The Origins of Modern Sociology in England: Herbert Spencer	p. 21
Sociology in the United States	p. 23
Box: One Small Step for Sociology	p. 25
The Place of Sociology in Modern Society	p. 26
Chapter Review	p. 26
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 27
The Sociological Eye	p. 29
The Focus on the Social	p. 29
Skepticism	p. 34
Box: Nail Down That Distinction Between Manifest and Latent Functions!	p. 37
Chapter Review	p. 38
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 38
Science and Fuzzy Objects: Specialization in Sociology	p. 40
Dividing Up the Task	p. 42
Topic Area or Subject Matter	p. 43
Theoretical Perspectives (Paradigms): Functionalist, Conflict, and Symbolic Interactionist	p. 43
The Functionalist Paradigm	p. 43
The Conflict Paradigm	p. 44
The Symbolic Interactionist Paradigm	p. 44
Which Paradigm Is Correct?	p. 45
Levels of Analysis: Microsociology and Macrosociology	p. 46
Chapter Review	p. 47
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 48
Who's Afraid of Sociology?	p. 49
The Empirical World and Inconvenient Facts	p. 50
Ethnocentrism	p. 52
Avoiding Ethnocentrism Can Be Difficult	p. 54
Cultural Relativism	p. 56
Chapter Review	p. 56
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 57
The Vocabulary of Science	p. 58
Variables	p. 58
Hypotheses	p. 60
Kinds of Variables: Independent Versus Dependent	p. 62
Kinds of Relationships: Directionality	p. 64
Operational Definitions	p. 65
Tables and Figures	p. 67
Chapter Review	p. 71
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 72
Doing Social Research	p. 77
Two Traditions: Quantitative and Qualitative Research	p. 77
First Things First: The Lit Review	p. 78
The Survey	p. 80
Types of Survey Questions	p. 81
Box: Six Guidelines for Crafting Survey Questions	p. 83
The Art of Asking Questions	p. 84
The Experiment	p. 84
Box: Five Rules for Doing True Experiments	p. 87
Observation	p. 87
Unobtrusive (Nonreactive) Research	p. 88
Artifacts	p. 89
Use of Existing Statistics	p. 90
Content Analysis	p. 90
The Importance of Triangulation	p. 91
Sampling	p. 92
Box: Ethics and Social Research	p. 94
Chapter Review	p. 94
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 95
Culture	p. 97
Material and Nonmaterial Culture	p. 98
Nonmaterial culture	p. 98
Symbols	p. 98
Language	p. 99
Norms	p. 100
Types of norms	p. 101
Sanctions	p. 101
Box: The Power of Informal Sanctions	p. 102
Values	p. 103
Box: What do Americans value?	p. 103
Box: Ideology	p. 104
Box: Ponder	p. 105
Box: Statements of Belief	p. 105
Ideas and Beliefs	p. 105
How It Adds Up	p. 105
Culture as a Product of Action	p. 106
Culture as a Conditioning Element of Further Action	p. 107
Box: Problems Identified and Resolved in All Known Cultures	p. 108
Box: Varieties of Cultural Wisdom	p. 109
Social Institutions	p. 109
Social Change: Cultural Diffusion and Leveling	p. 110
Subcultures and Countercultures	p. 110
Excerpt: Margaret Visser, From Much Depends on Dinner (1986)	p. 112
Idiocultures	p. 114
Chapter Review	p. 115
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 116
Social Structure	p. 118
Statuses	p. 118
Roles	p. 120
Role Strain	p. 121
Status Inconsistency	p. 121
Role Conflict	p. 122
Box: Tricky Tricky Situations	p. 123
Master Status	p. 124
Groups	p. 124
Primary and Secondary Groups	p. 125
Formal Organizations and Bureaucracies	p. 127
Ideal-Type Bureaucracies	p. 128
Chapter Review	p. 131
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 131
Society and Social Institutions	p. 134
Societal Needs	p. 137
The Nature of Social Institutions	p. 140
Institutions Are Generally Unplanned; They Develop Gradually	p. 140
Institutions Are Inherently Conservative; They Change, but Slowly	p. 142
A Particular Society's Institutions Are Interdependent; Because of This, Change in One Institution Tends to Bring About Change in Others	p. 145
The Statuses, Roles, Values, and Norms Associated with an Institution in One Society Frequently Bear Little Resemblance to Those in Another Society	p. 146
Box: Polygamy and Monogamy	p. 147
Social Change: The Trend Toward Increasing Specialization	p. 147
Chapter Review	p. 148
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 148
Socialization	p. 150
Nature and Nurture: Biological and Social Processes	p. 150
How Socialization Works	p. 152
The Looking-Glass Self: Charles Horton Cooley	p. 152
The "I" and the "Me": George Herbert Mead	p. 154
Family	p. 157
Excerpt: George Herbert Mead, From Play and Games in the Genesis of Self (1934)	p. 158
School	p. 159
Mass Media	p. 161
Peer Groups	p. 161
Box: Rites of Passage	p. 163
The Workplace	p. 163
Resociaiization and Total Institutions	p. 164
Box: Ponder	p. 165
Chapter Review	p. 166
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 167
Deviance and Social Control	p. 168
The Relativity of Deviance (What We Already Know)	p. 168
Nonsociological Theories of Deviance	p. 170
Sociological Theories of Deviance: Emile Durkheim and Suicide	p. 172
The Collective Conscience and Structural Strain	p. 172
Egoism and Anomie	p. 174
More Structural Strain: Robert Merton and Anomie	p. 175
Anomie and Modern Social Structure	p. 175
Responses to Anomie	p. 177
Legitimate Versus Illegitimate Means	p. 178
Learning to Be Deviant: Howard Becker's Study of Marijuana Use	p. 179
Learning to Smoke	p. 180
Learning to Perceive the Effects	p. 181
Learning to Enjoy the Effects	p. 182
The Societal Reaction Perspective: Labeling Theory	p. 183
The Functions of Deviance: Maintenance of the Status Quo and Social Change	p. 186
Box: Ponder	p. 187
Chapter Review	p. 188
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 189
Stratification and Inequality	p. 190
Caste Systems	p. 191
Estate Systems	p. 194
Box: A Year in the Life of the Peasant	p. 195
Class Systems	p. 197
Theoretical Conceptions of Class	p. 198
Box: Ponder	p. 199
Some Words About Slavery	p. 202
Social Mobility and Open Versus Closed Systems	p. 203
Chapter Review	p. 205
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 206
Inequality and Achievement: Social Class	p. 208
Box: The Matthew Effect	p. 212
Explaining Social Stratification	p. 213
Cultural Explanations	p. 213
Structural Explanations	p. 214
Box: Beyond Academics	p. 218
The Pygmalion Effect: The Power of Expectations	p. 221
The Fallacy of Hard Work	p. 223
Box: Ponder	p. 224
Social Mobility, Social Structure, and Social Change	p. 225
Chapter Review	p. 226
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 227
Inequality and Ascription: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender	p. 231
Why a Dollar Is Not Always a Dollar	p. 232
Prejudice	p. 237
Discrimination	p. 238
Discrimination and "Isms"	p. 241
The Social Construction of Minority Groups	p. 246
Gender	p. 249
Box: Sex or Gender?	p. 251
Chapter Review	p. 252
Stop & Review: Answers and Discussion	p. 253
Afterword	p. 255
References	p. 257
Glossary/Index	p. 267
Credits	p. 279
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