SAGE Video: Series - Sociology

  • Core Concepts in Sociology

    An overview of sociological research methods is presented, including theory formation, data collection, empirical testing, ethical codes governing research, and the eight basic steps in planning sociological research.

    An overview of micro- and macro-level sociological theories, including macro-level structural functionalism and social conflict theory, and micro-level symbolic interactionism.

    Beliefs, values and culture: what they are and their influence in society.

    Hashtag activism, used to spread social awareness and boost social movements, is explored as an example of the power of combining media and technology.

    The roots and ramifications of inequality and social stratification are examined as aspects of economic factors.

    The importance social institutions—such as family, politics, economics, law, and religion—play as guides to human behavior and participation in social life is introduced.

    Social construction of reality is examined using examples of gender, race, body mass index, and breastfeeding.

    The concept of sociological imagination—the ability to understand the relationship between individual lives and social forces—and the associated concepts of agency and structure are explained.

    Societal factors, such as wealth, power and prestige, that define and influence social class are explained.

    The concept of social norms, or rules of behavior, and sanctions, used to reinforce norms, including folkways, mores, taboos, penalties, and rewards, are explained using clear examples.

    The social significance of the concepts of race and ethnicity, including differentiation, prejudice, and stereotyping, are defined and explained.

    An introduction to the scientific method, types of reasoning, and the difference between quantitative and qualitative research is explained.

    The concept and societal implications of maximizing bureaucratic efficiency, or McDonaldization, at the expense of individual creativity, is discussed.

    The relationship between poverty and education, including word poverty and access to higher education, is discussed.

    Introduction to the power of groups in shaping self image, including in groups, out groups, primary, and secondary groups, as well as the influence of social media.

    The concepts of gender and gender socialization, including societal expectations of conformity, are discussed.

    Changing gender roles within the family are discussed, including the influence of family power dynamics, division of housework, childcare, the economy, and earning power.

    The concept of family as a social institution is defined and discussed, including types of family structures, family relationships, and marriage.

    The social construct of deviance is discussed, including how it is defined, viewed, and its societal function.

    Agents of socialization and their roles in defining identity are discussed, including family, school, peers, sports, religion, media, and work.

  • Discovering Sociology

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss introduce their book on sociology and describe questions that sociologists try to answer.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss sociological research and explain how sampling helps researchers gain understanding about a large group.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss culture and the aspects of culture that interest sociologists.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss socialization and explain how group associations can shape a person's behavior.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss groups and organizations and how membership in them affects individual behavior.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss deviance and why rates of deviance vary among groups.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss income inequality and how economic changes have increased income inequality.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discusses race and ethnicity, specifically highlighting how names can affect reactions to individuals and groups.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss gender and gender inequalities in higher education.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss marriage and families, and how perceptions of marriage have changed throughout generations.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss trends in college completion and possible sociological explanations for those trends.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss religion and society, and highlight different sociologists' views on religious rituals.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss politics and how overall voter behavior has changed in recent years.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss the post-industrial age and the rise of the service industry. A key characteristic of the post-industrial era is the the decline of the manufacturing industry, which began in the 1970s. Service industry jobs have taken the place of manufacturing jobs for people who have only a high school education--but the new jobs do not pay as well.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discusses public health and medicine through the lens of cigarette smoking in societies. Sociological interpretations of trends like cigarette smoking can provide insight into public health and medical care.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss war, terror, and genocide. They also cover the functions of war from a sociological perspective.

    Professors William Chambliss and Daina Eglitis discuss demography, sex ratios at birth, and how micro-level decisions have macro level consequences. Sociologists have a particular interest in the factors that lead to skewed sex ratios, as well as their outcomes.

    Professors Daina Eglitis and William Chambliss discuss social change and how sociologists study social change.

  • Forty Minutes

    This BBC production follows the lives and struggles of six people who are addicted to exercise. From romantic relationships to daily routines, the addiction affects all aspects of their lives.

  • Investigating the Social World, 8e

    Dana E. Hunt discusses some challenges in behavior measurement. Drawing on her own research into substance abuse and criminal behavior, Hunt explains that communication barriers, narrow time frames, and context can all throw off attempts to measure behavior.

    Professor Paul Nestor explains what institutional review boards are and the role they play in research. IRBs protect human subjects from unethical or unnecessarily harmful research practices.

    Anthony Roman explains how he designed a cost-effective telephone survey to determine the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among teenagers. Challenges included parent consent, sensitive topics, and sampling.

    Dr. Reef Youngreen explains how he used an adaptation of a controlled laboratory experiment to research status and ideas in a group. He found that proposing unusual ideas affects group problem solving as well as the standing of both high-status and low-status participants.

    Dr. Jack Fowler explains how his team designed the questions for the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. Using cognitive testing and stakeholder engagement, the CAHPS designers found wording that would elicit answers useful for other consumers.

    Professor Peter Marsden explains that the General Social Survey began in 1972 to track social change in the United States, to compare the U.S. to other countries, and to make high-quality data quickly available to researchers, students, and the public.

    Dr. Lakshmi Srinivas describes her ethnographic research into audience behavior at movie theaters in India. She highlights the challenges she faced, including shifting research populations, working in the dark, and creating her own research design.

    Dr. Dana Hunt describes her evaluation of a community-based program for high-risk youth. The program is not suitable for random assignment, so Hunt's team used an experimental design that compared youth in the program with those on its waiting list.

  • Life at 7

    Australia's pioneering longitudinal study of children follows eleven kids as they grow up. These children are seven, and their temperaments are starting to shape their lives. This film examines different temperaments, how the children cope with challenges, and how they solve problems.

    Australia's pioneering longitudinal study of children follows eleven kids as they grow up. These children are seven, and their peers are starting to shape their lives. This episode examines introversion vs. extroversion, gender stereotypes, and different social behaviors.

  • Make My Body Younger

    Emma Sheldon is clinically obese, eats only junk food, and smokes cigarettes excessively. But she wants to make a change in her life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts who give her a living autopsy to measure her biological age. Motivated by this information, Emma Sheldon makes extreme lifestyle changes.

    Stewart Burton is a binge drinker, drug user and excessive smoker, but he wants to make a change in his life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts who give him a living autopsy to measure his biological age. Motivated by this information, Burton makes extreme lifestyle changes.

    Cindy Cottrell engages in risky behavior on a regular basis, including tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine use. George Lamb gives her the opportunity to see how much damage she has done to her body. Cottrell makes lifestyle changes and improves her overall health.

    Phil South is overweight with a habit of binge eating and drinking, but he wants to make a change in his life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts who give him a living autopsy to measure his biological age. Motivated by this information, South makes extreme lifestyle changes.

    Lee Woollard drinks excessively and eats only unhealthy food, but he wants to make a change in his life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts who give him a living autopsy to measure his biological age. Motivated by this information, Woollard makes extreme lifestyle changes.

    Russ Taylor binge-drinks daily and smokes cigarettes to excess, but he wants to make a change in his life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts that give him a living autopsy to measure his biological age. Motivated by this information, Russ Taylor turns his life and health around.

    Amy Dickens is addicted to constant snacking and loves tanning, but she wants to make a change in her life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts who give her a living autopsy to measure her biological age. Motivated by this information, Dickens makes extreme lifestyle changes.

    Ben Wood is clinically obese and has an addiction to cigarettes, but he wants to make a change in his life. George Lamb brings in a team of experts that give him a living autopsy to measure his biological age. Motivated by this information, Ben Wood makes extreme lifestyle changes.

  • Money

    Thousands of people are flocking to wealth management seminars, looking for a way to get rich and stop working. The BBC follows several attendees to find out about their financial plans and aspirations for the future. Sharp contrasts are drawn between those leading the get-rich-quick schemes and those who are following them.

    The BBC explores how money works in romantic relationships by interviewing a variety of different couples. The interviewees have different backgrounds, careers, and cultures contributing to diverse perspectives on the role of money in a relationship.

    A group of British citizens are interviewed about their household income of forty thousand pounds to show the diverse ways this salary can be used and allocated.

  • Our Families, Ourselves

    This program on changing families discusses the evolution of family structure and how family structure impacts the well-being of children. The roles of women and children within the family are very different from those in society today. Family is also defined differently now from what has traditionally been seen.

    About half of the people who marry in the United States will one day divorce. Divorce is one of the most devastating experiences a person can go through, and it can hurt more than just the couple. This documentary examines marriage counseling, the effect of divorce on children, and initiating a divorce.

    This Our Families episode examines the history of families and work as it relates to the household. Looking back as far as the Puritans and progressing to the modern day, families, work, and childcare have coexisted in many different ways.

    Our Families, Ourselves presents a documentary on growing older. It focuses on elderly dealing with grief over outliving children, loss of friends, and stereotypes. The video also discusses life expectancy and decisions that will need to be made about elder care and quality of life.

    American families come in all shapes and sizes, from single-parent households to multiple generations living under one roof. This documentary explores the intersections of race, ethnicity, and family, with a particular focus on immigrant families.

    Remarriage always come with challenges, but even more so when there are children involved. Adults in a new family have to make sense of their marriage and learn how to be a stepparent at the same time. Divorce, the children of divorce, and stepparenting are examined.

    This episode of Our Families, Ourselves looks at the decision of whether or not to become a parent. Experts discuss family demographic change and how that is affecting the ways couples conceive. Also examined are non-traditional paths to parenthood and the sociology of family relationships.

    Women entering the workplace has changed the family dynamic. For generations, men were the primary breadwinners for their families, but with inflation women had to enter the workforce as well. The decrease in wages, women's roles at work and at home, and gender discrimination are discussed.

  • Super-Rich and Us

    Britain is home to more billionaires per capital than any other country in the world. The extreme number of super-rich is due to the tax breaks and avoidance policies in the country. This documentary discusses tax breaks, the housing crisis, and the shrinking middle class.

    The economic landscape after the 2008 crisis was shaped by inequality. The bailout, intended to help citizens, instead went to helping the top 1%. The debt lifestyle, job insecurity, and the luxury goods market are discussed.

  • The Way We Live

    Delancey Street is a job training program for people who have been convicted of serious crimes. Men and women in the program explain how it helped them become functional members of society. Sociologists also discuss different types of deviance, paying particular attention to the war on drugs.

    Initiatives are one of the most direct paths for voters to make change in American democracy, but they aren't the only kind of political participation. Drawing on insights from a variety of sociologists, this episode looks at different demographic groups and how they participate--or don't participate--in politics.

    The United States has the most diverse culture on earth, with many different people living in the country. These differences are very apparent in religion, and the Amish are the most apparent in their differences. This documentary discusses Amish culture, the American dream, and American consumerism.

    This episode of The Way We Live examines cultural differences in face-to-face interactions. Social interactions vary widely depending on culture, with particular differences in humor, language, and personal space. Also discussed are body language, language in politics, and technology.

    This episode of The Way We Live focuses on the types of families and relationships common today. Academics discuss civil unions and domestic partnerships, raising children, and parent roles within the home. A large focus is on the challenges that families face today.

    This documentary focuses on the golden years and lifestyles common to the elderly American population. Interviewees discuss the differences between elder care in America and other countries, with an emphasis on stereotypes of elderly. Elder care has a strong focus on quality of life, changes that occur during the aging process, and coordinated support to ensure the best end-of-life care.

    The Way We Live examines the role of religion in American culture and society. Factors such as age and broader social change can affect religious affiliation. The embrace of religion in turn often inspires people to engage in activism, as seen in both the Civil Rights Movement and the pro-life movement.

    Schooling decisions are some of the most important decisions that parents will make for their children's success. Public education is the primary option, but private schools and homeschooling are also options. Teacher turnover, inequality in schools, and involved parents also affect education.

    This video discusses global population growth and its effects on cities, farmland and other population centers. Experts examine suburban expansion, the environmental impact of population growth, migration, urban development, the increase in elderly population, and the decrease in younger populations.

    This video discusses HIV/AIDS in society today, the impact of the current health care system, and costs for those services. It highlights the need for awareness within the United States to reverse a complacency that has developed as a result of medications for treatment of the disease. Experts also discuss the growth of HIV/AIDS in other countries.

    Sociological research begins with a problem that the sociologist is interested in. Many field workers begin their studies because they're interested in particular interactions or ways of life. Mitchell Duneier and other sociologists discuss different research methods, objectivity, and the goals of research.

    Social change has positive and negative effects on society. One example of a negative effect is how Native American land and identity are taken away, as they are from the Winnemem Wintu tribe. The Winnemem Wintu tribe, personal identity, and the American family are all discussed.

    This video discusses globalization in connection to the current workforce, labor unions, and economic issues arising from using overseas labor. Experts look at the postindustrial job hierarchy, social change, trade agreements, labor market trends, and how they have affected the United States and other countries.

    Poverty and inequality is a global problem, related to technology, imperialism, and women's roles. This documentary explores ideas about aid for developing nations, income distribution, and accountability on the part of multinational corporations that benefit from low-income labor.