INTRODUCTION TO INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGYSOCIOLOGY

HISTORY, CONCEPTS AND HISTORY, CONCEPTS AND METHODSMETHODS

Precursors to Sociology as a Precursors to Sociology as a disciplinediscipline

Ma Tuan-Lin-General Ma Tuan-Lin-General Study of Literary Remains Study of Literary Remains (13(13thth century) century)

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)-Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)-compared nomadic and compared nomadic and sedentary life, studied sedentary life, studied tribal social cohesions tribal social cohesions relationship to powerrelationship to power

THE CREATION OF MODERN THE CREATION OF MODERN SOCIOLOGYSOCIOLOGY

AUGUSTE COMTE(1798-AUGUSTE COMTE(1798-1857)1857)

-OFFICIALLY COINED THE -OFFICIALLY COINED THE TERM “SOCIOLOGY”TERM “SOCIOLOGY”

-FELT THAT THERE WAS A -FELT THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF SYSTEMATIC LACK OF SYSTEMATIC DATA COLLECTION OR DATA COLLECTION OR OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS IN OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS IN SOCIAL THOUGHTSOCIAL THOUGHT

COMTECOMTE

COMTE’S BASIC PREMISE WAS THAT COMTE’S BASIC PREMISE WAS THAT RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSPHICAL RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSPHICAL SPECULATION ABOUT SOCIETY DID SPECULATION ABOUT SOCIETY DID NOT PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE NOT PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO SOLVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO SOLVE SOCIETY’S PROBLEMS.SOCIETY’S PROBLEMS.

COMTECOMTE

WANTED TO USE SCIENTIFIC WANTED TO USE SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO ADDRESS TWO BASIC METHODS TO ADDRESS TWO BASIC QUESTIONS: QUESTIONS:

“ “WHAT HOLDS SOCIETY TOGETHER WHAT HOLDS SOCIETY TOGETHER AND GIVES RISE TO A STABLE ORDER AND GIVES RISE TO A STABLE ORDER RATHER THAN ANARCHY” / “WHY IS RATHER THAN ANARCHY” / “WHY IS THERE CHANGE IN SOCIETY”THERE CHANGE IN SOCIETY”

COMTECOMTE SOCIETY DIVIDED INTO 2 SOCIETY DIVIDED INTO 2

PARTS:PARTS: SOCIAL STATICS(ASPECTS SOCIAL STATICS(ASPECTS

OF SOCIETY THAT GIVE OF SOCIETY THAT GIVE RISE TO ORDER, RISE TO ORDER, STABILITY AND HARMONY)STABILITY AND HARMONY)

SOCIAL SOCIAL DYNAMICS(CHANGE AND DYNAMICS(CHANGE AND EVLOUTIION IN THE PARTS EVLOUTIION IN THE PARTS OF SOCIETY AND IN OF SOCIETY AND IN SOCIETY ITSELF OVER SOCIETY ITSELF OVER TIME)TIME)

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVESTHEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

MICRO-LEVEL THEORIESMICRO-LEVEL THEORIES

SYMBOLIC SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM-INTERACTIONISM-concerned with how concerned with how people give meaning people give meaning to the events, objects to the events, objects and individuals in and individuals in their everyday lives; their everyday lives; focuses on how one focuses on how one defines and responds defines and responds to events and to events and situationssituations

Symbolic InteractionismSymbolic Interactionism

Groups form from interacting Groups form from interacting individuals; through individuals; through interactions, people learn interactions, people learn what to expect from others what to expect from others and learn to share common and learn to share common understandings through the understandings through the use of symbols; through use of symbols; through symbolic communication symbolic communication people learn to socially people learn to socially construct a world of meaning.construct a world of meaning.

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISTSSYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISTS

George Herbert MeadGeorge Herbert Mead Interested in how Interested in how

humans define their humans define their situations and how we situations and how we learn our social roleslearn our social roles

MACRO-LEVEL THEORIESMACRO-LEVEL THEORIES

Structural Functionalism-assumes that all Structural Functionalism-assumes that all parts of the social structure, culture and parts of the social structure, culture and social processes work together to make social processes work together to make the whole society run smoothly and the whole society run smoothly and harmoniouslyharmoniously

FUNCTIONALISTSFUNCTIONALISTS

COMTECOMTE ROBERT MERTON-manifest and latent ROBERT MERTON-manifest and latent

functionsfunctions

functionalistsfunctionalists

TALCOTT PARSONS-TALCOTT PARSONS-

-all the parts of the -all the parts of the social system are social system are interrelated and each interrelated and each performs some task or performs some task or function necessary for a function necessary for a society’s survivalsociety’s survival

FUNCTIONALISTSFUNCTIONALISTS EMILIE DURKHEIM(1858-1917)EMILIE DURKHEIM(1858-1917)

-individuals conform to the -individuals conform to the rules of societies because of rules of societies because of a collective conscience- the a collective conscience- the shared beliefs in the values shared beliefs in the values of a group; of a group;

DurkheimDurkheim

people grow up people grow up sharing the same sharing the same values, beliefs and values, beliefs and rules of behavior as rules of behavior as those around them those around them and gradually these and gradually these beliefs and rules are beliefs and rules are internalizedinternalized

DURKHEIM AND OTHER DURKHEIM AND OTHER FUNCTIONALISTS PLACE FUNCTIONALISTS PLACE GREAT EMPHASIS ON GREAT EMPHASIS ON SOCIETAL CONSENSUS, SOCIETAL CONSENSUS, WHICH GIVES RISE TO WHICH GIVES RISE TO STABLE AND STABLE AND PREDICTABLE PATTERNS PREDICTABLE PATTERNS OF ORDEROF ORDER

PEOPLE NEED GROUPS PEOPLE NEED GROUPS TO SURVIVE SO THEY TO SURVIVE SO THEY ADHERE TO THE GROUP’S ADHERE TO THE GROUP’S RULES SO THEY FIT INRULES SO THEY FIT IN

CONFLICT THEORYCONFLICT THEORY

Conflict in any group or society is Conflict in any group or society is inevitable. inevitable.

Conflict TheoryConflict Theory

Conflict Theorists Conflict Theorists advance the advance the following ideas:following ideas:

*conflict and the *conflict and the potential for conflict potential for conflict underlie all social underlie all social relationsrelations

Conflict TheoryConflict Theory

*social change is *social change is desirable, desirable, particularly particularly changes that bring changes that bring about a greater about a greater degree of social degree of social equalityequality

Conflict TheoryConflict Theory

*the existing social order reflects the *the existing social order reflects the powerful imposing their values and beliefs powerful imposing their values and beliefs upon the weakupon the weak

CONFLICT THEORISTSCONFLICT THEORISTS

W.E.B. DuBoisW.E.B. DuBois Race as a construct Race as a construct

perpetuating inequalityperpetuating inequality

CONFLICT THEORISTSCONFLICT THEORISTS

Jane Addams-Jane Addams- Hull HouseHull House

CONFLICT THEORISTSCONFLICT THEORISTS

KARL MARXKARL MARX

MEANS OF MEANS OF PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION

PROLETARIATPROLETARIAT BOUGIEOISEBOUGIEOISE