Objectifs globaux :
Explain what and how sociology studies
Objectifs travaillés :
The many types and models of sociologist, case study: spanking
Resources :
PDF: Understanding social behaviours
PDF: Spanking: Should it be banned?
PDF: The utility of the sociologist
PDF: Séance 5 evaluation
Contents
Activité 1
Understanding social behaviours
- Copy this definition:
Society
Object studied by sociology. The sociologist starts from the study of groups (families, young people, work colleagues, etc.) to observe their rules, practices, relationships and more generally culture (ways of being, thinking, and living, acts that characterise the group). It is about understanding groups, or how a sum of individuals forms a whole.
Social change
Set of (more or less) rapid transformations that affect the company and its organisation in a lasting way. In addition to studying society, the sociologist is interested in both the changes as well as their causes and effects (for example, rural exodus and urbanisation).
- Read the text and answer the questions
For the sociologist, the slaps given by the mother aims to make her child internalise a road safety rule.
Cause → effect
Grégory crosses without looking → slaps from his mother.
Slaps from his mother → Grégory internalises the safety standard at pedestrian crossings.
The objects of study interest sociologists from the moment they are recurrent phenomena (“show statistical regularity”) and when it is possible to highlight cause and effect relationships.
Ex: delinquency, choices of school orientation …
Activité 2
Positive sanctions: kisses, hugs, smiles, gifts …
Negative sanctions: deprivation (to go out, mobiles …), reprimands, bad looks …
This is a social change because previously spanking was not prohibited in France. At one time (and even in some families still today), it was a frequently used sanction.
The sociologist will seek to identify lasting transformations in society and will attempt to explain their causes and effects.
Activité 3
The utility of the sociologist
- Read the text and answer the questions
Who dominates and why? How/why do individuals act?
It presents the three « ideal types » of sociologists.
No, in fact, sociologists exercise the three postures.
Activité 4
Holism vs methodological individualism
Copy the schema that illustrates the differences between the two approaches to a sociological study.
1. Connect each of the following sociological studies to one of the sociologist’s three intervention models (Denouncers of oppressions/Revealers of social life complexities/Experts working with different actors):
Denouncers of oppressions
Experts working with different actors
Revealers of social life complexities
2: Of these three studies, which is the closest to the individualist approach? Which is the closest to the holistic approach? Justify your answers.
Study A is the closest to the holistic approach: the behaviours of men and women depend on social mechanisms (socialisation since childhood).
Study C is the closest to the individualistic approach because it involves starting from the individual behaviour of the actors in order to try to explain a social phenomenon.
Evaluation
Answer questions about this lesson.
How do economists, sociologists and political scientists reason and work? – Séance 5