Sociological Theory and Methods

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This multi-section program addresses classical social theory, examining the origins of sociology through the efforts of Marx and Comte to build a holistic science of society; positivism, through a case study of students using surveys to do research on education; interpretivism, through a parallel case study in which students use interviews to carry out their research; and realism, comparing it to classical, positivist, and interpretivist approaches. The video also draws upon a case study of suicide to illustrate how positivist and interpretivist approaches lead researchers to ask very different questions about this key sociological topic. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (41 minutes)

Making Sense of Sociological Theory

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This multi-section program explains the role of sociological theory, distinguishes between structure and action, and sheds light on three major perspectives in sociology-societies as organic structures, societies as economic structures, and societies as social action-by looking at their origins and key ideas and then showing how they can be applied. The video concludes by using a case study on the medicalization of life problems in contemporary societies as an opportunity to consider how Durkheimian, Marxist, and interactionist theories might explain that phenomenon. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (57 minutes)

The Sociology of Crime and Deviance

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Taking into account the dramatic shift in the focus of research in recent years, from theories about criminal activity to applications of crime prevention, this multi-section program compares and contrasts the concepts of social causation, social construction, and social control as they relate to the sociology of crime and deviance. Topics include the influence of wider social forces on theories about crime, the reevaluation of criminals as victims or rebels, and three examples of the movement toward a greater pragmatism concerning crime: socio-environmental control, situational crime prevention, and Braithwaite’s restorative justice. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (40 minutes)

From Modernity to Postmodernity: A Sociological Inquiry

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Sociologically speaking, how does postmodernity differ from modernity? This multi-section program seeks to answer that question as it evaluates sociology's relationship to an evolving societal framework. Topics such as greater personal choice, increasingly fragmented identities, multiplying uncertainties, and media saturation are considered, along with some of the contradictions inherent in the postmodern position. In addition, a case study comparing modernist views of gender and gender differences with the postmodernist view that fragments and blurs the boundaries of gender identities is included. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (46 minutes)

The Sociology of Families and Households

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This multi-section program examines the relationships between established sociological perspectives-structural functionalism, Marxist theory, and early feminist theory-and the family; investigates how over several decades the decline in marriage, an increase in cohabitation and divorce, and the lowering fertility rate in the U.K. have affected the British nuclear family; and juxtaposes the old sociology of families and the new, with its emphasis on comparative analysis and how family relationships are negotiated in everyday life. The video concludes with a look at how changes in family life can be linked to changes in wider society and asks if families have a future. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (40 minutes)

Core Concepts in Sociology

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Sociology, in a nutshell, is about why people behave in the ways that they do, and the key premise is that behavior is shaped by the contexts in which people live. Filmed in Britain and New Guinea, this multi-segment program introduces the sociological concepts of personal, social, and role identity; of primary and secondary socialization; and of culture, with its associated concepts of learned norms and values, ethnocentrism, cultural diversity, and cultural change. Contains nudity associated with indigenous cultures. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Understanding Sociology. (37 minutes)