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Transcript of ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGY CSI – Gorski - 2015. DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY The study of the development,...
ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGYCSI – Gorski - 2015
DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY
The study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society
Study of social problems
DIVISIONS OF SCIENCE
Natural sciences: disciplines designed to explain & predict events in our natural environmentBiology, geology, chemistry, physics
Social sciences: fields of academic scholarship which explore aspects of human societyUses controlled & repeated observations
Sociology
ORIGINS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
For most of human history, people didn’t question the world & society!
Tradition ruled Religion Original thinking discouraged Monarchies governed
Social questions answered by myths, superstitions, & traditions Why are some rich and some poor? Why are some more powerful? Nothing was tested
CHANGES
Societies became more sophisticated starting with the Renaissance Questioning religion & government Printing press!!
Social order & societies studied in the Enlightenment of the 1700s Growing belief in scientific laws Increased study of government & political science
Examples: Newton’s Laws & John Locke
BIRTH OF SOCIOLOGY
Social sciences gained importance in the 1800s as sociology was created
3 reasons: Industrial Revolution sparked social unrest & upheaval, urbanization, workers’ unions, etc. Science harnessed for modern machines Social Darwinism Natural sciences popular, so people applied scientific method to social world =
Positivism Political Revolutions (American & French) inspired people to think about social life and government forms
Imperialism exposed new cultures, traditions, and ideas why are people so different? Are Europeans superior?
Europe began to modernize & expand its viewpoints & people needed answers to new rising questions
THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
ANTHROPOLOGY
Study of cultureWays of life, artifacts, ideas, values, communication
Most work has been done on tribal peoples
Anthropologists typically live with those they’re studying
Archaeology is a sub-branch of Anthropology
ECONOMICS
Study of production, distribution, and consumption of material goods & services in a society
What is being produced? At what cost? What motivates people to buy one thing over another?
Scarcity – limited amount of goods/materials in a world & how they are used/distributed Oil, gold, money, jobs, pasture, land, etc.
HISTORY
Study of past events and people
Focus on cause & effect relationship and patterns
Why did things happen?Why do things happen today?
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Study of politics & forms of government, voting patterns, etc.
What is the proper form of government?Why do people vote the way they do?Why do nations go to war?Why do nations choose to cooperate with one another?
PSYCHOLOGY
Study of mental processes, intelligence, emotions, perception, memory, dreams, personality, mental illness, etc.
Sigmund Freud
SOCIOLOGY
Study of societiesDiff. from psychology which focuses on individuals
CrimeReligionRace & ethnicityCulturePovertyEducationSocial movements
PARTNER QUESTIONS
Which social science would you like to study? Why?Which social science is most important? Why?Why did the social sciences emerge?