Review Question And Lecture Note and Introduction Of Sociology- Social Science
Subject: Social Science
Topic: Review Question and Lecture Notes
Subject Code: HUM 4301
Teacher Name: Mohammad Akhteruddin
Topic: Review Question and Lecture Notes
Subject Code: HUM 4301
Teacher Name: Mohammad Akhteruddin
HUM 4301 Social Science and Accounting
Review Questions for Social Science
Chapter
1: Introduction
1)
Define social
science. Is social science a real science? Why or why not?
2)
Why do we need to
study sociology? Or what is the importance of sociology?
3)
Who are the classical
founders of sociology?
Chapter
2: The Study of Society and Culture
1)
What are the
three revolutions that take place before the sociological imagination?
2)
Define: society,
social structures, social institutions and sociological imagination
3)
What are the
different components of society?
4)
What are the
major types of society? Discuss briefly with examples.
5)
Discuss: Max
Weber’s and Karl Marx’s Classification of Society
6)
What is culture?
7)
What are the
important categories of culture? Discuss briefly with examples.
8)
What are the components
of culture and discuss briefly with examples.
9)
Define Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis.
10) What is the difference between cultural integration
and cultural lag?
11) What are the differences among values, norms and
folkway?
12) What is Ethnocentrism?
13) Is Multiculturalism a problem for Bangladesh?
14) What is the difference between dominant culture and
sub-culture? How sub-culture creates social problem in Bangladesh?
15) Are there any differences among high, low and popular
culture?
16) What is cultural imperialism? How globalization and
technology have affected cultural changes in Bangladesh?
17) Is ongoing illegal immigrants/ Rohingya refugees a
threat to our culture?
18) How can you explain the recent uprising of extremism
from social and cultural point of view?
Lecture Notes
Lecture 1: Introduction to Sociology
What is Sociology?
Sociology is the
science of society, social institutions, and relationships; specially the
systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective
behavior of organized groups of human beings. In other words, the scientific
analysis of a social institution as a functioning whole and it relates to the
rest of the society.
Sociology can also be
defined as the study of human social life, groups, and societies.
Moreover, sociology
can be identified as the systematic study of human societies, giving special
emphasis to modern, industrialized systems.
Sociology came into
being as an attempt to understand the far-reaching changes that has occurred in
human societies over the past two or three centuries. The changes involved are
not just large scale ones. Major shifts have also occurred in the most intimate
and personal characteristics of people’s lives. The development of a stress on
romantic love as basis for marriage is an example of this.
Sociology and Science
Sociology is commonly described as one of the social sciences. Science refers
to a body of systematically arranged knowledge that shows the operation of
general laws. Sociology also employs the same general methods of investigation
that are used in the natural sciences. Like the natural scientists,
sociologists use the scientific method, a process by which a body of scientific
knowledge is built through observation, experimentation, generalization, and
verification.
The collection of
data is an important aspect of the scientific method, but facts alone do not
constitute a science. To have any meaning, facts must be ordered in some way,
analyzed, generalized, and related to other facts. This is known as theory
construction. Theories help organize and interpret facts and relate them to
previous findings of other researchers.
Unlike other means of inquiry, science generally limits its investigations to things that can be observed directly or that produce directly observable events. This is known as empiricism, the view that generalizations are valid only if they rely on evidence that can be observed directly or verified through our senses.
Unlike other means of inquiry, science generally limits its investigations to things that can be observed directly or that produce directly observable events. This is known as empiricism, the view that generalizations are valid only if they rely on evidence that can be observed directly or verified through our senses.
For example,
theologians might discuss the role of faith in producing true happiness;
philosophers might deliberate over what happiness actually encompasses; but
sociologists would note, analyze, and predict the consequences of such
measurable items as job satisfaction, the relationship between income and
education, and the role of social class in the incidence of divorce.
Sociology as a Social
Science
The social sciences consist of all those disciplines that apply scientific methods to the study of human behavior. Although there is some overlap, each of the social sciences has its own area of investigation. It is helpful to understand each social science and examine sociology’s relationship to them.
The social sciences consist of all those disciplines that apply scientific methods to the study of human behavior. Although there is some overlap, each of the social sciences has its own area of investigation. It is helpful to understand each social science and examine sociology’s relationship to them.
How sociology fits
in?
Importance of
Sociology
Sociology is a
subject with important practical implications. It can contribute to social
criticism and practical social reform in several ways. Firstly, the
improved understanding of a given set of social circumstances often gives us
all a better chance of controlling them. Secondly, sociology provides
the means of increasing our cultural sensitivities, allowing policies to be
based on an awareness of divergent cultural values. Thirdly, we can
investigate the consequences, intended or unintended, of the adoption of
particular policy programmes. Finally and perhaps most importantly,
sociology provides self-enlightenment, offering groups and individuals an
increased opportunity to change the conditions of their own lives.
At the same time,
social scientists are involved with solving many of the world’s biggest issues,
such as violent crime, alternative energy, and cyber security. They have had
profound effects on every part of society.
The
practice of sociology involves the ability to think imaginatively and to detach
oneself from preconceived ideas about social life. Among the classical founders
of sociology, four figures are particularly important: Auguste Comte, Karl
Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. Comte and Marx, working in the
mid-nineteenth century, established some of the fundamental issues of
sociology, later elaborated by Durkheim and
Weber. These issues concern the nature of sociology and the impact of the
development of modern societies on the social world.
Auguste Comte, a French
philosopher, coined the term sociology. He believed sociology could discover
laws of human social behavior and help solve society’s problems. Emile
Durkheim was concerned with social order, which he believed to be the
product of a cohesion stemming from a common system of values and norms. He
studied suicide rates in France and found that… Men protestants, wealthy
people, and the unmarried had higher suicide rates than did Catholics, Jews,
poor, and married people. He found that people with strong social ties had low
suicidal rates, whereas more individualistic people had high suicide rates.
Karl Marx, the economic, political, and social thinker whose ideas provided
the inspiration for modern communism. Max Weber analyzed bureaucracy in
society and did massive comparative studies on the interrelationship of ideas
and material conditions in several societies.
Ibn Khaldun, one of
the greatest Arab historian and philosopher, developed one of the earliest
nonreligious philosophies of history in his masterpiece, the Muqaddimah (Introduction
to History). He also wrote a definitive history of Muslim North Africa.
Assyria, the kingdom of northern Mesopotamia, became the center of one of the
great empires of the ancient Middle East. It was located in what is now
northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey.
Lecture 2: The Study of Society and Culture
What is Society?
Society is a group of
people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish
their group from other groups.
A society is a large
social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to
the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
To elaborate, a
society is a group of people who share a culture and live more or less
together. They have a set of institutions which provide what they need to meet
their physical, social, and psychological needs and which maintain order and
the values of the culture. More importantly, humans cannot be understood apart
from social context (i.e. society).
Three revolutions had
to take place before the sociological imagination could crystallize:
- The scientific revolution (16th c.) encouraged the use of evidence to substantiate theories.
- The democratic revolution (18th c.) encouraged the view that human action can change society.
- The industrial revolution (19th c.) gave sociologists their subject matter.
Social structures
are the more or less stable patterns of people’s interactions and
relationships. In other words, the stable, patterned relationships that exist
among social institutions within a society are social structures.
Social
Institutions: The ordered social relationships that grow out
of the values, norms, statuses, and roles that organize the activities that
fulfill society’s fundamental needs. In other words, social institutions
are the principal social structures that organize, direct, and execute the
essential tasks of living. Some
social institutions are: family, educational, economic,
religion, law, political system etc.
Sociological
imagination: The relationship between individual
experiences and forces in the larger society that shape our actions. In another
way of saying, sociological imagination is the ability to see the relationship
between individual experiences and the larger society.
Types
of societies
a) Traditional
society: The society in which relations with one another are direct and
face-to-face. In this type of society, people lived where there are father,
mother, sister, and brother not more than blood relatives. The production
process was traditional. They just produced what they need to survive. There
was no thinking of making surplus. This type of society is also known as
communal society. It can be also notified as a subsistence society. The people
of traditional society believe in their fate, so they can call as fatalistic
society.
b) Transitional
society: This is also known as prismatic society. In transitional society
relation among the people were more complex than traditional society. The
production system has developed in this society. They produced foods more than
their needs. The division of work was an important aspect in transitional
society. In a transitional society people believe in their fate but also some
people don’t believe in fate, they think they can change their fate by
hardworking. It is also known as a mixed society where people follow both
traditional and modern culture.
c) Modern
society:
The society which is
flourished actually after European renaissance. In the modern society the
relation among the relatives are complex. Industrial revolution has changed the
face of society. New and modern technologies are invented, human labor turned
into machine power. The specialization of work has made a great change in
modern society. The mass production has introduced in the society. People
produce foods not only for them but also other people. In the modern society
people are very self-centered. They are not fatalistic. A mode of production is
a new phenomenon in modern society.
d) Post-modern
society: This is the society in which now people live in many
industrially developed countries. The relations among the people are so complex
that social structure has changed totally. In the post modern society people
rely heavily on other for their necessary livelihood. As specialization occurs
in the society, people cannot produce their own food for themselves because
they are too busy at their work. In the post modern world life is very fast
everything has changed rapidly. To survive everybody in the society have to
work hard and soul.
Max Weber’s classification of society
a) Traditional
society: The society in which relations with one another was direct and
face-to-face. In this type of society, people live where there are father,
mother, brother, and sister not more than blood relatives. The relation is very
simple. The production process is very traditional. They just produce the
amount what they need to survive. There is no thinking to make surplus. This
type of society is known also communal society. It can be also notified as a
subsistence society. In traditional society people believe in their fate, so
they can call as fatalistic society.
b) Charismatic
society: Charisma is influencing people by their internal power. In the
charismatic society there are no logical arguments. They don’t believe in any
systems, they just follow their charismatic leader’s advice without any logical
argument.
c) Rational
legal: In the modern society, people don’t believe in their fate. They
describe everything rationally or logically. They believe that they can change
their fate by their own way. In traditional society there were no rationality
even some case of transitional society. In the modern society, rules and
regulation are clearly stated by the government. Everyone must follow the rules
of the society.
Karl
Marx’s classification of society
a) Ancient
society: Consist of small number of people gaining their livelihood from
hunting, fishing, and the gathering of edible plants. Everybody was equal in
the primitive or ancient society. There was economic transaction system in this
society.
b) Medieval
society:
In the middle of the fifteen century (from 7th to 15th),
all over Europe, Asia, Middle East, a new society had flourished, where Church,
Mosque and other religious institutions ruled the society. Church was the
center of all political, social, and economical activities.
c) Modern
society:
The society which is
flourished actually after European renaissance. In the modern society the
relation among the relatives are complex. Industrial revolution has changed the
face of society. New and modern technologies are invented, human labor turned
into machine power. The specialization of work has made a great change in
modern society. The mass production has introduced in the society. People
produce foods not only for them but also other people. In the modern society
people are very self-centered. They are not fatalistic. A mode of production is
a new phenomenon in modern society.
The Marxist Theory of
Social Class
Ownership of the
means of production: According to Marx, an individual’s social class was defined
by whether or not she or he owned the means/factors of production.
Generally, we know land, labor and capital are the three most important factors
of production. However, for Marx this means factories and land – the key
resources necessary for producing society’s goods, whose ownership brought to
their owners an unearned in the form of profit.
Bourgeoisie and Proletariat: Karl Marx argued
there were two basic social classes in capitalist industrial societies: the
class of owners of the means of production (whom he called the bourgeoisie or
capitalist) and the class of non-owners (whom he called proletariat or working
class). The proletariat, since they owned no means of production, had no
alternative means of livelihood but to work for the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie
exploited the proletariat, making profits out of them by keeping
wages low and paying them as little as possible instead of giving them the
full payment for their work.
Exploitation, Class
Conflict and Revolution: Marx predicted the working class would become poorer and
poorer and society would become divided into two major social classes: a small,
wealthy, and powerful bourgeoisie and a large, poverty-stricken proletariat.
Marx believed that the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie would
eventually lead to major class conflict between these two groups. The
proletariat would struggle against the bourgeoisie through strikes,
demonstrations, and other form of protest. The proletariat would then develop
class consciousness – and awareness of their common working class interests and
their exploitation – until eventually they would make a socialist revolution
and overthrow the bourgeoisie.
Communism: After the revolution,
the proletariat would nationalize the means of production (which were formerly
the private property of the bourgeoisie) by putting them in the hands of the
state. The means of production therefore be collectively owned and run in the
interests of everyone, not just of the bourgeoisie. Capitalism would be
destroyed and a new type of society would be created, which would be without
exploitation, without classes, and without class conflict. This equal,
classless society Marx called Communism.
Islamic
Socio-economic model
No other religion
discusses so comprehensively about socio-economic structure than Islam. The
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) established a welfare state in the period
of complete darkness, commonly known as Jahiliyah, by uniting people of all
religions, sects and tribes within a very short period of time. The Medina
Treaty is considered as the first ever constitution in the world.
Karl Marx discussed
extensively the problems and the consequences of the capitalist society. In the
beginning of the twentieth century we saw the revolution in Russia and rise of
communism across the world. However, within 70 years the system collapsed with
the fall of USSR. So the question: which is better? Communism or Capitalism or
something else?
Islam proposes equitable
distribution of wealth and recognizes private property rights. However, one of
the fundamental elements of capitalism, interest as a fixed return of
capital is not accepted at all, rather it prescribes profit and lose sharing idea.
In other words, a person with capital needs to take risk to justify
his/her return. In this way, the excessive exploitation of working class by
capitalists can be avoided as more partnership and job creating ventures will
be established. Moreover, such redistribution mechanism as Zakat could greatly
reduce inequality and poverty if implemented properly.
What is culture?
Culture: A setoff rules, set
by social system, procedures, ideas and values. Culture is a complex whole that
includes: knowledge, belief, morals, law, custom, other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of a society. It is a lens through which one views
the world and is passed from one generation to the next. In other words, culture is what makes us
human.
Sociologists see
culture as consisting of two different categories: material culture (any
physical object to which we give social meaning) and nonmaterial or symbolic
culture (the ideas associated with a cultural group). Material culture includes the objects
associated with a cultural group, such as tools, machines, utensils, buildings,
and artwork. Nonmaterial culture includes ways of thinking (beliefs,
values, and assumptions) and ways of behaving (norms, interactions, and
communication).
Norms are the rules of
behavior that are agreed upon and shared within a culture and that prescribe
limits of acceptable behavior. They define normal expected behavior and help
people achieve predictability in their lives. For example, one of the few truly
universal gestures is the kiss.
Mores (pronounced
more-ays) are strongly held norms that usually have a moral
connotation and are based on the central values of the culture. Violations
of mores produce strong negative reactions, which are often supported by law.
Desecration of a church or temple, sexual molestation of a child, rape, murder,
incest, and child beating are all violations of American mores. Not all norms
command such absolute conformity.
Much of
day-to-day life is governed by traditions, or folkways, which are norms
that permit a wide degree of individual interpretation as long as
certain limits arenot overstepped. People who violate folkways are seen as
peculiar or possibly eccentric, but rarely do they elicit strong public
response.
For example, a wide range of dress is now acceptable in most theaters and restaurants. Men and women may wear clothes ranging from business attire to jeans, an open-necked shirt, or a sweater. However, extremes in either direction will cause a reaction. Many establishments limit the extent of informal dress; signs might specify that no one with bare feet or without a shirt may enter. On the other hand, a person in extremely formal attire might well attract attention and elicit amused comments in a fast-food restaurant.
For example, a wide range of dress is now acceptable in most theaters and restaurants. Men and women may wear clothes ranging from business attire to jeans, an open-necked shirt, or a sweater. However, extremes in either direction will cause a reaction. Many establishments limit the extent of informal dress; signs might specify that no one with bare feet or without a shirt may enter. On the other hand, a person in extremely formal attire might well attract attention and elicit amused comments in a fast-food restaurant.
A taboo is a norm engrained
so deeply that even thinking about violating it evokes strong feelings of
disgust, horror, or revulsion for most people.
Values are a culture’s
general orientations toward life—its notions of what is good and bad, what is
desirable and undesirable.
Language, a system of
communication using vocal sounds, gestures, and written symbols, is probably
the most significant component of culture because it allows us to communicate. Language
is so important that many have argued that it shapes not only our communication
but our perceptions of how we see things as well.
Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis, a hypothesis, first advanced by Edward Sapir in 1929 and
subsequently developed by Benjamin Whorf, that the structure of a language
determines a native speaker's perception and categorization of experience. Ex:
snow, jam, Family Guy
Cultural integration: when people of
various cultures live in a society cultural integration affects the society’s
life. Cultural integration is a form of cultural exchange in which one group
assumes the beliefs, practices and rituals of another group without sacrificing
the characteristics of its own culture. While cultural syncretism carries a
negative connotation, cultural integration is generally looked upon as positive
because nothing is lost. Seen from this light, cultural integration is a
healthy intermingling of the beliefs and rituals of two unique cultures.
Cultural lag: Some people in the
society legging behind the running cultural system of the society which is
known as cultural lag.
Ethnocentrism is the principle of
using one’s own culture as a standard by which to evaluate another group or
individual, leading to the view that cultures other than one’s own are
abnormal. In other words, it is the tendency to judge other cultures in terms of one’s
own customs and values.
Cultural relativism is the principle of
understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging according
to one’s own culture. When studying any group, it is important to try to employ
cultural relativism because it helps sociologists see others more objectively.
Multiculturalism values diverse
racial, ethnic, national, and linguistic backgrounds and so encourages the
retention of cultural differences within society, rather than assimilation.
The dominant
culture refers to the values, norms, and practices of the group within
society that is most powerful in terms of wealth, prestige, status, and
influence.
A subculture
is a group within society that is differentiated by its distinctive values,
norms, and lifestyle.
High culture is distinguished
from low culture based on the characteristics of their audiences, not on
characteristics of their cultural objects.
High culture refers to those forms of culture usually associated with
the elite or dominant classes. Popular
culture refers to the forms of cultural expression usually associated
with the masses, consumer good, and consumer products.
Lecture 3: Socialization and Social Institutions
Socialization: Socialization is a
process of becoming a social being. Humans learn the expectations of society
through socialization. Socialization is different based on race, gender and
class. In other words, it is the long and complicated processes of social
interactions through which a child learns the intellectual, physical, and
social skills needed to function as a member of society.
According to Margaret
Mead, socialization is an objective view of an individual in a society.
Emile Durkheim defined
socialization as a collective representation
Importance of
Socialization:
·
Everyone is new according to its position in society
·
Society teaches norms, rules, value various human qualities
to the people of the society
·
Through socialization cultural activities, norms, rules
values transfer from generation to generation
·
Socialization defines accepted behavior
·
It is informal instruction system
·
It is voluntary activity
·
Socialization gives a sense of self-identity
Social
disorder/Deviant behavior: Personal disorientation, maladjustment of the moral system,
social problem, individual problem, moral and religious conflict.
Deviance is any
non-conformist behavior, which is disapproved by society or a social group,
whether it is legal or not. It is norm-breaking behavior, and can range from
being eccentric to criminal activity.
There are five ways
of readjustment of deviant behavior:
1)
Return to establish social order
2)
Create their own behavior
3)
Attract the existing social order
4)
Take a refuse to leave the society
5)
Escape the problem by committing suicide
Social Institution: The ordered social
relationships that grow out of the values, norms, statuses, and roles that
organize the activities that fulfill society’s fundamental needs.
It is a system of
controls that extends beyond personal relations. This is the bond of present
and future. This is more than a group and a set of procedures.
No comments