what is sociology - the study of social structures and how social structures influence human behavior and social outcome; set of methods for determining whether or not explanations are valid what are 2 ways to think about social structure - refers to the way societies are organized to meet needs of its members; all the statuses and roles that roles that exist in society, as well as relationships to each other what do all societies need to do to survive? - rules; sense of community; leaders; a way to communicate, primarily language; a way to enforce rules how does our society meet its needs - opportunities and barriers - individual behavior & social outcomes how do other societies meet their needs - provide welfare how would our behavior change if we lived in a different society - behavior is shaped by status and roles we have in a social structure How does the social and physical structure of the classroom affect the way students and professors behave and perceive each other? - What statuses and roles exist in the classroom - Physical structure as social structure - Other social structural factors affecting student and professor behavior and classroom power dynamics? - Who has power in the classroom? Why? - Major points we can draw from the preceding discussion? - Three implications of the sociological perspective for our society and for us as individuals? - define status - a position in society define social structure - 1. Social structure refers to the way societies are organized (or structured) to meet the needs of their members; 2. Social structures can also be thought of as all the statuses and roles that exist in society, as well as their relationship to each other. define role - A role is a set of expected behaviors attached to specific statuses in society. define institution - Patterned ways of solving the problems and meeting the requirements of a particular society define social status - Statuses can be ranked in terms of how desirable they are or how much prestige they have. Roles which are more desirable and prestigious have greater social status. What is the scientific research method? - 4 ways sociology differs from common sense - what are the different steps in scientific research process - Research topic Research question Theoretical explanations: theories and models Testable Hypotheses Data Data Sources Indicators Analysis Results (your answer)