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An Invitation to Social Theory Professor Andrew J. Perrin TAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar Sociology 250 January 8, 2015 Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 1 / 18

Today’s Course I. Your professor and TAs II. Why Theory? III. Central Proposition IV. The Theory Cycle V. Questions for Social Theory VI. What Does it Mean to Think Theoretically? VII. Theory in Everyday Life VIII. The Theory Arc IX. Plans and business for the course Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 2 / 18

Your Professor 14 years at UNC Publications Chair of ASA Theory Section Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 3 / 18

Your Professor Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 4 / 18

Your TAs Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 5 / 18

Why Theory? Sociology is a Weak-Theory Discipline Contrast to economics: theoretical claims about human and institutional behavior are widely accepted within the discipline There are very few widely-accepted tenets of behavior in sociology. Good sociological research therefore builds theory as an integral step. Theory guides and encourages the asking of big questions and the systematic approaches to considering them. Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 6 / 18

Central Proposition The fundamental unit of human behavior is the group. Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 7 / 18

The Theory Cycle Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 8 / 18

The Theory Cycle Simplified Version Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 9 / 18

Questions for Social Theory 1 Who are we? 2 What can we know? 3 What can we do? 4 Who’s in control? 5 Why do things happen? 6 (Why) do we care? Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 10 / 18

What Does it Mean to Think Theoretically? Nothing is simply “natural” or “human nature” Everything comes from somewhere What can the patterns we observe tell us about the systems of which they are a part? Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 11 / 18

Theory in Everyday Life Example 1: The iPod Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 12 / 18

Theory in Everyday Life Example 2: Elysium http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSAS79fBVxs Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 13 / 18

Theory in Everyday Life Example 3: Racial Coding Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 14 / 18

Theory in Everyday Life Example 3: Racial Coding Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 15 / 18

Theory in Everyday Life Example 3: Racial Coding Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 16 / 18

The Theory Arc Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 17 / 18

A Short Exercise On an index card, write: Your name Your class year Your major A six-word biography of yourself The strangest place or situation you’ve been in Professor Andrew J. PerrinTAs: Brionca Taylor and Nathan Dollar An Invitation to Social Theory Sociology 250January 8, 2015 18 / 18