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Sociology Theories and Theorists

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Lesson Outline Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 2 What is a Theory? Sociologys family tree (theorists) The three major theoretical perspectives in sociology New theoretical approaches

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What is a Theory? Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 3 According to sociologists, a theory is an abstract proposition that both explains the social world and makes predictions about future events. Theories can and do change over time because theories seek to explain society, which itself also changes over time.

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Sociology s Family Tree Auguste Comte Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 4 Auguste Comte is often only remembered for coining the term, sociology, though his other contributions to the discipline were also significant. He developed the theory of positivism, which argues that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge.

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Sociology s Family Tree Auguste Comte Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 5 He also began to imagine how the scientific method, a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasized collecting concrete data through observation and experiment, could be applied to the study of social affairs. Why is this so important (and it is!)?

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Sociology s Family Tree Harriet Martineau Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 6 Harriet Martineau was an English journalist and political economist. She traveled to the United States and studied American society, which she believed was flawed and hypocritical because of the existence of slavery and the fact that both women and blacks were denied equal rights.

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Sociology s Family Tree Harriet Martineau (Cont) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 7 Despite these impressive works, her most important contribution may have been her English translation of Comte s Introduction to Positive Philosophy. Why would this be the case for her?

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Sociology s Family Tree Herbert Spencer Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 8 Herbert Spencer was the first great English-speaking sociologist. Spencer was an advocate of the idea of evolution, even before Darwin made it famous and coined the phrase survival of the fittest. He believed that societies, like living organisms, evolve through time by adapting to their changing environment. His philosophy is often referred to as social Darwinism.

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Sociology s Family Tree Classical Period Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 9 The era of the 1800s is referred to as sociology s classical period because it marked the beginning of sociology as a substantive discipline and the work done in this period forms the theoretical foundations for all sociological work that followed. What was going on in the world at this time?

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Sociology s Family Tree Emile Durkheim Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 10 Emile Durkheim spent much of his life trying to establish sociology as an important academic discipline. In his first major study, he demonstrated that social bonds exist in all types of societies (mechanical and organic).

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Sociology s Family Tree Emile Durkheim (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 11 He believed that agrarian, pre-modern societies were held together by mechanical solidarity, a type of social bond where shared traditions and beliefs created a sense of social cohesion. Ex: The Amish

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Sociology s Family Tree Emile Durkheim (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 12 On the other hand, industrial societies were held together by organic solidarity, a type of social bond based on a division of labor that created interdependence and individual rights. Ex: modern cities

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Sociology s Family Tree Emile Durkheim (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 13 In another study, Durkheim found that the more firmly connected people are to others, the less likely they are to commit suicide; thus demonstrating that even suicide is impacted by social forces. Durkheim was probably important for sociology

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A Normative Theory of Suicide Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 14

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Sociology s Family Tree Karl Marx Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 15 Karl Marx was a German philosopher and political activist whose contribution to sociology can be found in conflict theory.

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Sociology s Family Tree Karl Marx (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 16 Marx lived during the Industrial Revolution, when major societal changes were leading to the emergence of capitalism, the economic system that is based on the private for-profit operation of industry.

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Sociology s Family Tree Karl Marx (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 17 Marx believed that capitalism was creating class conflict and social inequality between the bourgeoisie, who owned the means of production (money, factories, natural resources, land), and the proletariat, who were the workers.

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Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 18

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Sociology s Family Tree Max Weber Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 19 Max Weber was also interested in the shift from traditional society to the modern industrial society.

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Sociology s Family Tree Max Weber (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 20 He was particularly concerned with the process of rationalization, the application of economic logic to all human activity, due to the development of bureaucracies throughout society.

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Sociology s Family Tree Max Weber (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 21 Too much rationalization iron cage of rationality Cloak to iron cage

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Sociology s Family Tree Max Weber (cont d) Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 22 He believed that contemporary life was filled with disenchantment, the inevitable result of the dehumanizing features of bureaucracies that dominated modern societies.

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Modern Schools of Thought Structural Functionalism Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 23 Structural Functionalism or simply functionalism begins with the assumption that society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate structures. Its origins can be traced to the ideas of Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim.

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Modern Schools of Thought Structural Functionalism Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 24 Society is viewed as an ordered system of interrelated parts, or structures, which are the different large-scale social institutions that make up society (family, education, politics, the economy). Each of these different parts of society meets the needs of society by performing specific functions for the whole system (society).

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Modern Schools of Thought Functionalism Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 25 Robert Merton clarified the difference between manifest functions, the obvious intended functions of a social structure for the social system, and latent functions, the less obvious unintended functions of a social structure.

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Modern Schools of Thought Conflict Theory Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 26 Conflict Theory sees social conflict as the basis of society and social change, and emphasizes a materialist view of society, a critical view of the status quo, and a dynamic model of historical change, emerged from the writings of Marx.

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Modern Schools of Thought Symbolic Interactionism Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 27 Symbolic Interactionism sees interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction. It is America s unique contribution to sociology and has proved to be the most influential perspective of the twentieth century.

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Three tenets of Symbolic Interactionism Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 28 Symbolic Interactionism, the process by which things are socially constructed: 1) Human beings act toward ideas, concepts and values on the basis of the meaning that those things have for them. 2) These meanings are the products of social interaction in human society. 3) These meanings are modified and filtered through an interpretive process that each individual uses in dealing with outward signs

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Symbolic Interactionism: An example Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 29 Are these the same? Do they have the same meaning? What do you think of when you see each?

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New Theoretical Approaches Feminist Theory Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 30 Feminist Theory looks at gender inequalities in society and the way that gender structures the social world.

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New Theoretical Approaches Postmodern Theory Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 31 Postmodern Theory is a paradigm that suggests that social reality is diverse, pluralistic, and constantly in flux. Critical of accounts of Truth especially traditional science

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Take Away Points Introduction to Sociology: Theories and Theorists 32 Theories are explanations for events (that is behaviors, people, attitudes, etc.). Theme connecting many classical theorists work: modernization, society (social bonds) and capitalism.