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In this introduction to the discipline of sociology, Dr. Lori Peek overviews the focus, history, and approach of sociological inquiry. She defines sociology as the systematic study of society, and the sociological perspective as one that analyzes patterns of individual experience. She identifies several foundation thinkers, including Comte, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, and describes the major theoretical approaches that derive from them. She also focuses on methodological aspects of sociology, defining the scales at which sociologists work and the differences between quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis. She highlights some key sociological concepts, including structure and agency, social stratification, and inequality. She ends by discussing the future of sociology and highlights the move toward interdisciplinary work and new methodologies to address wicked problems.
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About the Presenters
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Lori Peek
Professor of Sociology; Director of The Natural Hazards CenterLori Peek is a professor in the Department of Sociology and director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. She studies vulnerable populations in disaster and is author of Behind the Backlash: Muslim Americans after 9/11, co-editor of Displaced: Life in the Katrina Diaspora, and co-author of Children of Katrina. Lori has conducted field investigations in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill, the Christchurch earthquakes, the Joplin tornado, Superstorm Sandy, and Hurricane Matthew. She is the principal investigator for...
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Lori Peek
Professor of Sociology; Director of The Natural Hazards CenterLori Peek is a professor in the Department of Sociology and director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. She studies vulnerable populations in disaster and is author of Behind the Backlash: Muslim Americans after 9/11, co-editor of Displaced: Life in the Katrina Diaspora, and co-author of Children of Katrina. Lori has conducted field investigations in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill, the Christchurch earthquakes, the Joplin tornado, Superstorm Sandy, and Hurricane Matthew. She is the principal investigator for the NSF-funded CONVERGE facility, which is dedicated to improving research coordination and advancing the ethical conduct and scientific rigor of disaster research.
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Supporting Materials
Presentation slides:
DocumentPeek – What Is Sociology.pdf (1.74 MB)
Reading list:
Mills, C.W. (1959). The Promise [of Sociology]. In The Sociological Imagination. http://sociology.morrisville.edu/readings/SOCI101/Mills-The_Promise_of_Sociology-Chp1.pdf
Presenters
Lori Peek, University of Colorado-Boulder
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