D2.Soc.1.9-12: The Sociological Perspective and How It Differs from Other Social Sciences

Overview

Lesson Procedure

60-70 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes
2. Direct Instruction20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice15 minutes
5. Closure5-10 minutes

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "Imagine that one student stops coming to an after-school club. List two possible reasons why. Now imagine that half the club's members stop coming in the same semester. Do your reasons change?"

   Collect answers in two columns on the board: reasons about one person (tired, busy, lost interest) and reasons about many people at once (the club moved rooms, a new job opened up, a friend group left together). Tell students that the second column is where the sociological perspective starts: when many people change at the same time, the explanation often lies in their shared situation, not only in each person's choices.

2. Direct Instruction20 minutes

   Key terms. A social science is a field that studies human society and behavior with evidence. The sociological perspective asks how groups, relationships, institutions and the social context shape people's lives, and it looks for patterns: regular differences or changes that show up across many people. Social context is the set of conditions around a person that come from society, such as the groups they belong to, the rules and expectations they face and the institutions they deal with. An institution is a lasting, organized way a society meets a need, such as the family, schools or the economy.

   The table compares six social sciences. Each definition is a simplified summary written for this page; the fields overlap, and many researchers borrow from more than one.

   Six social sciences and the questions they ask (summary written for this page)

   Field	Main focus	A typical question about school life
   Sociology	Groups, relationships, institutions and patterns across many people	Which groups of students join clubs, and how do friendships and school rules shape who joins?
   Psychology	Individual minds: thinking, feeling, motivation and behavior	How does stress affect one student's memory before a test?
   Economics	Production, trade, costs and choices under scarcity	How do students divide limited time between paid work and study?
   Political science	Government, power, laws and public decisions	Who decides the school budget, and how?
   History	Particular past events and how they unfolded	Why did this school open in 1962, and what happened next?
   Anthropology	Cultures and shared meanings, often studied by long fieldwork	What customs and meanings surround graduation in this community?

   Reading 1. Charles A. Ellwood (1873-1946) taught sociology at the University of Missouri. In this 1910 textbook passage he sorts the sciences into "general sciences" such as biology and psychology and "special social sciences" such as economics and politics, and places sociology between them. Read for one question: what does Ellwood say makes sociology different?

   1(A) Relations to Biology and Psychology. In attempting to give a scientific view of social organization and social evolution, sociology has to depend upon the other natural sciences, particularly upon biology and psychology. It is manifest that sociology must depend upon biology, since biology is the general science of life, and human society is but part of the world of life in general. It is manifest also that sociology must depend upon psychology to explain the interactions between individuals because these interactions are for the most part interactions between their minds. Thus on the one hand all social phenomena are vital phenomena and on the other hand nearly all social phenomena are mental phenomena. Every social problem has, in other words, its psychological and its biological sides, and sociology is distinguished from biology and psychology only as a matter of convenience. The scientific division of labor necessitates that certain scientific workers concern themselves with certain problems. Now, the problems with which the biologist and the psychologist deal are not the problems of the organization and evolution of society. Hence, while the sociologist borrows his principles of interpretation from biology and psychology, he has his own distinctive problems, and it is this fact which makes sociology a distinct science.

   2Sociology is not so easily distinguished from the special social sciences like politics, economics, and others, as it is from the other general sciences. These sciences occupy the same field as sociology, that is, they have to do with social phenomena. But in general, as has already been pointed out, they are concerned chiefly with certain very special aspects or phases of the social life and not with its most general problems. If sociology, then, is dependent upon the other general sciences, particularly upon biology and psychology, it is obvious that its relation to the special sciences is the reverse, namely, these sciences are dependent upon sociology. [...] In other words, sociology deals with the more general biological and psychological aspects of human association, while the special sciences of economics, politics, and the like, generally deal with certain products or highly specialized phases of society.

   3(B) Relations to History. [...] A word may be said about the relation of sociology to another science which also deals with human society in a general way, and that is history. History is a concrete, descriptive science of society which attempts to construct a picture of the social past. Sociology, however, is an abstract, theoretical science of society concerned with the laws and principles which govern social organization and social change. In a sense, sociology is narrower than history inasmuch as it is an abstract science, and in another sense it is wider than history because it concerns itself not only with the social past but also with the social present. The facts of contemporary social life are indeed even more important to the sociologist than the facts of history, although it is impossible to construct a theory of social evolution without taking into full account all the facts available in human history, and in this sense history becomes one of the very important methods of sociology.

   Reading 2. Robert E. Park (1864-1944) and Ernest W. Burgess (1886-1966) wrote this 1921 textbook, published by the University of Chicago Press. Two words to know: congeries means a jumbled collection, and corporate existence means a lasting shared life as one group. In 1921, "collective behavior" meant the behavior of people acting together as a group; today sociologists usually use the phrase for crowds, fads and social movements.

   1[...] Just as psychology may be regarded as an account of the manner in which the individual organism, as a whole, exercises control over its parts or rather of the manner in which the parts co-operate together to carry on the corporate existence of the whole, so sociology, speaking strictly, is a point of view and a method for investigating the processes by which individuals are inducted into and induced to co-operate in some sort of permanent corporate existence which we call society.

   [...]

   2Sociology, so far as it can be regarded as a fundamental science and not mere congeries of social-welfare programs and practices, may be described as the science of collective behavior. With this definition it is possible to indicate in a general and schematic way its relation to the other social sciences.

   3Historically, sociology has had its origin in history. History has been and is the great mother science of all the social sciences. Of history it may be said nothing human is foreign to it. Anthropology, ethnology, folklore, and archaeology have grown up largely, if not wholly, to complete the task which history began and answer the questions which historical investigation first raised. In history and the sciences associated with it, i.e., ethnology, folklore, and archaeology, we have the concrete records of that human nature and experience which sociology has sought to explain. In the same sense that history is the concrete, sociology is the abstract, science of human experience and human nature.

   4On the other hand, the technical (applied) social sciences, that is, politics, education, social service, and economics--so far as economics may be regarded as the science of business--are related to sociology in a different way. They are, to a greater or lesser extent, applications of principles which it is the business of sociology and of psychology to deal with explicitly. In so far as this is true, sociology may be regarded as fundamental to the other social sciences.

   • Sociology and psychology: Source 1, paragraph 1

     Use Ellwood to explain why a sociologist and a psychologist who both study friendship are doing different work.

     Result: Ellwood says the sociologist "borrows his principles of interpretation from biology and psychology" but "has his own distinctive problems," which are "the problems of the organization and evolution of society." A psychologist might study how one person forms attachments; a sociologist asks how friendships are organized across a school or town, for example who befriends whom across neighborhoods or clubs.

   • Sociology and history: Source 1, paragraph 3

     Explain Ellwood's contrast between history and sociology, and the sense in which he calls sociology both narrower and wider.

     Result: History is "a concrete, descriptive science" that pictures "the social past"; sociology is "an abstract, theoretical science" looking for "laws and principles." It is narrower because it is abstract, and wider because it studies "the social present" as well as the past. History still matters to sociology as "one of the very important methods."

   • A 1921 definition: Source 3, paragraphs 1 and 2

     State Park and Burgess's definition of sociology and the comparison they draw with psychology.

     Result: They call sociology "a point of view and a method" for studying how individuals are brought into, and come to cooperate in, a lasting group life, "which we call society," and describe it as "the science of collective behavior." Psychology, by contrast, they describe as an account of how "the individual organism, as a whole, exercises control over its parts." The unit of study shifts from one person to the group.

   • Same topic, different questions (invented example)

     Suppose, for an invented town, that fewer teenagers get a driver's license at 16 than did ten years earlier. Write a psychologist's question and a sociologist's question about it.

     Result: Psychologist: does fear of driving or test anxiety keep an individual teenager from applying? Sociologist: which groups of teenagers (by neighborhood, family income, school or access to buses) are less likely to get licenses, and did a change in the town, such as new bus routes or rising insurance costs, affect some groups more than others? The sociological question compares groups and looks to shared conditions.

   Close the segment: Ellwood and Park and Burgess both claim that sociology is basic to the other social sciences (Ellwood: the special sciences "are dependent upon sociology"; Park and Burgess: sociology "may be regarded as fundamental"). Is that a finding or an opinion? Students should notice that it is the authors' view of their own new field, written when sociology was trying to win a place in universities; Activity 2 returns to it.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Read Source 4 together. It is an invented case with invented numbers, written for this page, about one change in one town.

   1Invented case, written for this page. In the invented town of Alder Falls, the public library runs a Thursday-evening study hall for teenagers. It drew an average of 52 teenagers a week in the fall of one year and 22 a week in the fall of the next year. Before deciding whether to keep the program, the library board asked six researchers, each from a different social science, what they would want to know first. Their answers below are invented.

   2The historian: "When did the study hall begin, and what else changed in Alder Falls between the two falls? I would put the events in order and look for records from those years, such as the library's sign-in sheets, the school calendar and the town newspaper."

   3The economist: "What does an evening at the library cost a teenager in time and bus fare, and what else could that evening be used for? If new part-time jobs opened on Thursday nights, many teenagers may have traded study time for wages."

   4The political scientist: "Who has the authority to set the library's hours and budget, and how was the study hall's time slot chosen? I would look at how the board makes decisions and which groups in town were consulted."

   5The psychologist: "How does each teenager decide whether to go? I would study individual motivation, stress and attention, for example whether students concentrate better in the study hall or at home."

   6The anthropologist: "What does the study hall mean to the teenagers who still come? I would spend weeks observing their routines and talking with them to understand the shared meanings and customs of their everyday life."

   7The sociologist: "Which groups of teenagers stopped coming, and which kept coming? I would compare students by school, neighborhood, age and whether they have jobs, look at whether friendship groups left together, and check whether a change in the town, such as a new bus schedule, affected some groups more than others. Then I would ask whether libraries in other towns show the same pattern."

   1. Size of the change. Weekly attendance fell from 52 to 22. Find the drop in teenagers and the percent decrease. (52 - 22 = 30 fewer teenagers; 30 / 52 is about 0.577, a decrease of about 58 percent.)
   2. Unit of study. For each researcher, name what they would study: one person, a market, a government body, a sequence of events, a culture, or groups and patterns.
   3. The sociological question. Underline the two parts of the sociologist's answer that compare groups and the one part that looks for the same pattern in other towns. Why does comparing groups matter more to the sociologist than to the psychologist? Note the weakness of the evidence so far: one town and two falls are a thin basis for any conclusion, which is why the sociologist wants to check other towns.
   4. Overlap. The political scientist mentions "which groups in town were consulted." What still makes that question about politics rather than sociology? (It is about who holds authority and how decisions are made.)

   Diagram 1 summarizes the six answers.

4. Independent Practice15 minutes

   Students read Source 2 on their own. In it Ellwood compares sociology with economics and with political science. Then they complete the task below and use Sources 1-4 for the quiz and homework.

   1(C) Relations to Economics. Economics is that special social science which deals with the wealth-getting and wealth-using activities of man. In other words, it is concerned with the commercial and industrial activities of man. [...] Sometimes in the past the mistake has been made of supposing that economics dealt with the most fundamental social phenomena, and even at times economists have spoken of their science as alone sufficient to explain all social phenomena. It cannot be admitted, however, that we can explain social organization in general or social progress in terms of economic development. A theory of progress, for example, in which the sole causes of human progress were found in economic conditions would neglect political, religious, educational, and many other conditions. Only a very one-sided theory of society can be built upon such a basis. [...]

   [...]

   2(D) Relations to Politics. We have already said that the state is one of the chief forms of human association. The science which treats of the state or of government is known as political science or politics. It is one of the oldest of the social sciences, having been more or less systematized by Aristotle. The problems of politics are those of the origin, nature, function, and development of government. [...] On the one hand, political scientists can scarcely understand the origin, nature, and proper functions of government without understanding more or less about the social life generally; and, on the other hand, the sociologist finds that one of the most important facts of human society is that of social control, or of authority. While political science deals only with the organized authority manifested in the state, which we call government, yet inasmuch as this is the most important form of social control, and inasmuch as political organization is one of the chief manifestations of social organization, the sociologist can scarcely deal adequately with the great problems of social organization and evolution without constant reference to political science.

   Task: write a three-row chart with the headings Field, What Ellwood says it studies, and How sociology differs. Fill one row each for economics, political science and history, quoting Sources 1 and 2 with paragraph numbers. Then add a fourth row for anthropology using the summary table, since Ellwood does not discuss it here.

5. Closure5-10 minutes

   Exit ticket: "In one sentence, explain the sociological perspective. In a second sentence, name one other social science and say how its questions differ."

   Teacher notes. (1) Ellwood and Park and Burgess write "man" and "he" for all people, as was usual in their time. (2) Both texts claim that sociology is basic to the other social sciences (Park and Burgess's word is "fundamental"; Ellwood says the special sciences "are dependent upon sociology"); that ranking was the authors' view of their young field, not a settled fact, and this page does not adopt it. Activity 2 asks students to evaluate it. (3) Ellwood's 1910 book has later chapters on race and immigration whose views are now rejected; this lesson uses only chapter I. If students open the source link, tell them so. (4) The six-field table and Source 4 are simplified summaries written for this page; in practice the fields overlap, and many researchers combine them. Source 4 is invented.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 1, paragraph 1, Ellwood says sociology is distinguished from biology and psychology "only as a matter of convenience." What reason does he give for drawing the line at all?

   ABiologists and psychologists do not use any scientific methods BScientific workers divide the problems among themselves CSocial phenomena are neither vital nor mental phenomena at all DSociology is a much older science than biology and psychology

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 1, paragraph 2, why is sociology harder to separate from economics and politics than from biology and psychology?

   AEconomics and politics use more numbers than sociology does BEconomics and politics study the past but not the present CEconomics and politics also deal with social phenomena DEconomics and politics borrow nothing from psychology

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 1, paragraph 2, what does Ellwood say the special sciences of economics and politics generally deal with?

   ACertain products or specialized phases of society BThe most general problems of all human association CThe biological and mental sides of every social problem DThe concrete records and events of the social past

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 2, paragraph 1, what mistake does Ellwood say some economists made in the past?

   AIgnoring the commercial and industrial activities of people BRefusing to borrow any principles at all from biology CStudying the state and its laws instead of wealth and trade DTreating economics as enough to explain all of social life

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 2, paragraph 1, Ellwood says a theory that found "the sole causes of human progress" in economic conditions would neglect other conditions. Which list matches the ones he names?

   APolitical, religious and educational conditions BBiological, geographic and climatic conditions CPsychological, military and legal conditions DCommercial, industrial and financial conditions

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 2, paragraph 2, which fact of society links the sociologist's work to political science?

   AThe problem of economic value BSocial control, or authority CThe division of labor in industry DThe evolution of the family

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 2, paragraph 2, how does Ellwood separate political science's subject from the sociologist's interest in social control?

   APolitical science studies all authority; sociology studies only the state BPolitical science studies the past; sociology studies only the present CPolitical science studies the state; sociology, social control as a whole DPolitical science studies the mind; sociology studies only outward behavior

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 3, paragraph 3, which fields grew up "to complete the task which history began"?

   AEconomics, politics, education and social service BPsychology, biology, logic and mathematics CSociology, geography, law, ethics and statistics DAnthropology, ethnology, folklore and archaeology

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   How does Source 3, paragraph 4 describe the "technical (applied)" social sciences, such as politics, education and social service?

   AAs the concrete records of human experience BAs the older sciences from which sociology grew CAs applications of principles sociology studies DAs separate sciences that share no principles at all

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In Source 3, paragraph 2, Park and Burgess contrast a "fundamental science" with "mere congeries of social-welfare programs and practices." What do they claim sociology is?

    AA loose collection of programs to improve welfare BThe study of how one mind controls one body CThe science of collective behavior DThe business methods taught in college economics courses

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Invented example: a researcher in another town asks, "Are students whose close friends quit the robotics club more likely to quit too, and is the pattern the same at both high schools?" Which field is this question closest to?

    AHistory BSociology CPolitical science DPsychology

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Invented example: a city closes its public pool on weekday mornings. Which question is the economist's?

    AWhich council members voted for the change, and what reasons did they give? BHow did the pool's hours change between 1950 and the present day? CDo children who swim in the morning feel calmer for the rest of the day? DHow much does the city save, and what do families pay instead?

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Same invented case: which question is the sociologist's?

    AWhich families stopped swimming, and do they share neighborhoods or work hours? BHow does one child weigh swimming against staying home on a weekday morning? CWhat does the pool mean to the families who still come, after months of observation? DWho has the legal authority to set the pool's hours, and how is it used?

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Invented data: at School A, 30 of 120 club members stopped coming in one semester; at School B, 30 of 60 stopped. Which statement best describes the pattern?

    ABoth schools changed equally, because 30 members left each BSchool A lost a larger share, because it began with more members CSchool B lost a larger share: 50 percent against 25 percent DThe schools cannot be compared, because their sizes differ

15. Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer

    Explain the sociological perspective in your own words. Use one quotation from Source 1 or Source 3, and give an example from school life.

    Show model answer

16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    In Source 4, the economist (paragraph 3) and the sociologist (paragraph 7) both talk about many teenagers and about jobs. Explain what still makes one question economic and the other sociological.

    Show model answer

17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    Ellwood (Source 1, paragraph 3) and Park and Burgess (Source 3, paragraph 3) both compare sociology with history. Do they agree? Quote each.

    Show model answer

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    Ellwood (Source 1, paragraph 2: the special sciences "are dependent upon sociology") and Park and Burgess (Source 3, paragraph 4: "fundamental to the other social sciences") claim that sociology is basic to the other social sciences. This is the authors' view, not a settled fact. Evaluate it with evidence from Sources 1-3.

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    Invented situation: attendance at a school's Friday football games has fallen by a third over five years. Write one sociological question about it and one question from another social science, and explain what makes yours sociological.

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    Use Ellwood's contrast between history and sociology in Source 1, paragraph 3 to explain why the sociologist in Source 4, paragraph 7 asks whether libraries in other towns show the same pattern.

    Show model answer

These standards connect to D2.Soc.1.9-12: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

Standard text: National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (Silver Spring, MD: NCSS, 2013). NCSS was not involved in the production of this lesson and does not endorse it.