A systematic
study of human societies, giving special emphasis to modern, industrialized
systems. Sociology is one of a group of social sciences, which includes also
anthropology, economics, political science and human geography. The divisions
between the various social sciences are not clear-cut, and all share a certain
range of common interests, concepts and methods.
Sociology
came into being as an attempt to understand the far-reaching changes that have
occurred in human societies over the past two to three centuries. The changes
involved are not just large-scale ones. Major shifts have also occurred in the
most intimate and personal characteristics of people´s lives. The development
of a stress on romantic love as a basis for marriage is an example of this.
The
practice of sociology involves the ability to think imaginatively and to detach
oneself from preconceived ideas about social life. (A stick with hair = no
teeth no sex, no children. Not wearing clothes.) We see as familiar our own, we
need to take a broader view of why we are as we are, and why we act as we do.
What is natural, inevitable, good or true may not be such, and that the
“givens” in our life are strongly influenced by historical and social forces.
Background to the origin
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Origin
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Now
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French Revolution of 1789
Industrial Revolution
Gods and spirits caused natural events – i.e., earthquakes.
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19th century (1800-1899)
What is human nature?
Why is society structured like it is?
How and why do societies change?
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emphasis to modern, industrialized systems
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Among
the classical founders of sociology, four figures are particularly important:
Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber. Comte and Marx, working
in the mid-nineteenth century, established some of the basic issues of
sociology, later elaborated on by Durkheim and Weber. These issues concern the
nature of sociology and the impact of the development of modern societies on
the social world.
Name
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Years
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Beliefs / Actions
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Auguste Comte
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1798-1857 French
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Invented word “sociology”
This new field could produce scientific evidence to contribute in
welfare of humanity using science to understand and therefore predict and
control human behavior.
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Émile Durkheim
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1858-1917 French
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Believed Comte was too speculative (approximate) and vague. Wanted
sociology to be more scientific. Sociology must study scientific facts,
“study social facts as things.”
What holds society together is shared values and customs—it is the
main source of social change.
Anomie – a feeling of aimlessness, or despair provoked by modern
social life. Life lacks meaning.
Analysis of suicide – seems a personal act, but he showed that social
factors exert a fundamental influence on suicidal behavior. Patterns in
suicide can be explained sociologically.
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Karl Marx
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1818-83 German
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Politician. Emphasis on social changes during Industrial Revolution.
His work was important for the development of sociology. Concentrated on
connecting economic problems related to social institutions—this is rich in
sociological insights.
Founded viewpoint called materialist conception of history.
Was against Durkheim´s claim that social change was because of values,
rather it is by economic influences: the conflicts between classes—the rich
versus the poor. This provides the motivation for historical development.
“All human history thus far is the history of class struggles.”
Capitalism contrasts radically with previous economic systems in
history.
Those who own capital are the ruling class: factories, machines and
large sums of money.
The mass of population make up a class of wage workers, or working
class who do not own the means of their livelihood (means of support or
subsistence) but must find employment provided by the owners of capital.
The future: he believed that eventually society would become classless
with communal ownership. (Communism:
political ideas associated with Marx, developed particularly by Lenin, and
institutionalized in China and, until 1990, in the Soviet Union and eastern
Europe. Dictionary definition of communism: a theory of social organization
in which goods are held in common according to needs.)
At one point more than 1/3 of the world claimed to have a government
inspired from Marx´s ideas.
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Max Weber
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1864-1920 German
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He was concerned with development of modern capitalism. Influenced by
Marx but critical of Marx´s major views. He rejected the materialist
conception of history and saw class conflict as less significant.
Yes, economic factors are important, but ideas and values have just as
much impact on social change.
He compared western civilizations (European) with those of China,
India and the Near East. He also studied their religions and compared to
Christian beliefs, he came to belief that Christianity strongly influenced
the rise of capitalism.
In his view, cultural ideas and values help shape society and shape
our individual actions.
Economics is only one among many influential factors that shape
society: Science and bureaucracy are also major factors.
Science: shapes modern technology and will continue to do so in any
future society.
Bureaucracy: government marked by specialization of functions under
fixed rules and a hierarchy of authority. Also, an unwieldy
(Wield = handle, not easily managed or handle) administrative system
burdened with excessive complexity and lack of flexibility.
Bureaucracy is the only way of organizing large numbers of people
effectively, and therefore inevitably expands with economic and political
growth.
Weber called the development of science, modern technology and
bureaucracy collectively rationalization: the organization of social and
economic life according to principles of efficiency and on the basis of
technical knowledge.
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According
to its founders, sociology is a science in the sense that it involves
systematic methods of investigation and the evaluation of theories in the light
of evidence and logical argument. But it cannot be modeled directly on the
natural sciences, because studying human behavior is in fundamental ways
different from studying the world of nature.
Science
is the use of systematic methods of empirical investigation, the analysis of
data, theoretical thinking and the logical assessment of arguments.
Sociology
has important practical implications (association, involvement). It can
contribute to social criticism and practical social reform in several ways.
First, the improved understanding of a given set of social circumstances often
gives us all a better chance of controlling them. Second, sociology provides
the means of increasing our cultural sensitivities, allowing policies to be
based on an awareness of divergent (different) cultural values. Third, we can
investigate the consequences (intended and unintended) of the adoption of
particular policy programs. Finally, and perhaps most important, sociology
provides self-enlightenment, offering groups and individuals an increased
opportunity to alter the conditions of their own lives. (Example: teen smoking,
pros and cons)
Important
Terms
Sociology – The systematic
study of human behavior and social life, groups and societies, giving
particular emphasis to the analysis of the industrialized world. Sociology is a
social science; the subject matter is our own behavior as social beings.
Society – the
most important of all sociological notions. A society is a group of people who
live in a particular territory, are subject to a common system of political
authority, and are aware of having a distinct identity from other groups around
them. Some societies can be very small, others at more than a billion.
Sociological
imagination – the application of imaginative thought to the
asking and answering of sociological questions. The sociological imagination
involves one in “thinking oneself away” from the familiar routines of the
day-to-day life.
Unintended
consequences – consequences which result from behavior initiated
for other purposes. Many of the major features of social activity are
unintended by those who participate in it.
Social reproduction – the
processes which sustain or perpetuate (continue, maintain) characteristics of
social structure over periods of time. It refers to how societies “keep going”
over time. It occurs because there is continuity in what people do from day to
day and year to year and in the social practices they follow.
Social
transformation – processes of change in “societies” or social
systems. Changes occur partly because people intend them to occur, and partly
because of consequences that no one foresees or intends.
Anomie – a
concept first brought into wide usage in sociology by Durkheim, referring to a
situation in which social norms lose their hold over individual behavior.
Materialist
conception of history – The view developed by Marx, according to which
“material” or economic factors have a prime role in determining historical
change.
Capitalism – a
system of economic enterprise based on market exchange. “Capital” refers to
wealth or money used to invest in a market with the hope of achieving a profit.
Nearly all industrial societies today are capitalist in orientation—their
economic systems are based on free enterprise and on economic competition.
Self-enlightenment – The increased
understanding of the conditions of their lives which people may achieve through
social investigation—possibly allowing them to take action to alter those
conditions.
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