• Auguste Comte (France)• Emile Durkheim (France)• Karl Marx (Germany)• Max Weber (Germany)• Herbert Spencer (England)• Harriet Martineau (England)• WEB DuBois• Talcott Parsons• C.Wright Mills• Robert Merton• George Mead• Charles Cooley• Erving Goffman

Auguste ComteJan 17, 1798-1857

• French philosopher• Founder of term Sociology (1st to use term)

• Use Scientific Method to discover problems & find solutions

Practiced “cerebral hygiene” (transcendental flossing)

Coined "altruism" to refer to moral obligation of individuals to serve others

PhotoPhoto

Harriet MartineauEnglish (1802-1876)

• Translated A. Comte’s work into English• Concerned with social change women/children in English factories during the early phases of industrialization• First acknowledged, female sociologist• Examined emerging American society (c 1834)

Sociological Imagination• C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) definition

Ability to understand relationship between what is happening in

people’s personal lives

& social forces that

surround them

Textbook page 21

Suspending JudgementSuspending Judgement

• Key attitude in study of society isKey attitude in study of society is

research approach called research approach called

cultural relativismcultural relativism

• In contrast , this views other cultures & In contrast , this views other cultures & societies from point of view of one’s own societies from point of view of one’s own values and beliefs - otherwise known as values and beliefs - otherwise known as

ethnocentrismethnocentrism

The Sociological PerspectivesThe Sociological Perspectives

• The Structural/Functional Perspective• The Conflict Perspective• Symbolic/Interactionist Perspective

Sociological Theories of StudySociological Theories of Study

• Functionalism /StructuralismFunctionalism /Structuralism

• Social Conflict TheorySocial Conflict Theory

• Symbolic InteractionismSymbolic Interactionism

• Gender Theory (Feminist Theory)Gender Theory (Feminist Theory)

FunctionalismFunctionalism

• Social groups and Social groups and society are viewed as society are viewed as “living organisms”“living organisms”

• groups and group groups and group processes are studied processes are studied as parts of a as parts of a functioning wholefunctioning whole

• behaviors of society behaviors of society may have obvious may have obvious ((manifestmanifest) functions or ) functions or “hidden” (“hidden” (latentlatent) ) functionsfunctions

Functionalism: Emile DurkheimFunctionalism: Emile Durkheim1858-19171858-1917

• French SociologistFrench Sociologist• A “father of modern sociology” A “father of modern sociology” • Taught 1st sociology classTaught 1st sociology class• Believed heavily in researchBelieved heavily in research• Major writings dealt withMajor writings dealt with

– nature of social order & social nature of social order & social changechange

– suicide, methodology, religion, suicide, methodology, religion, education, knowledge, moralityeducation, knowledge, morality

Conflict Theory

• Society consists of different groups (classes) who struggle with one another to attain the scarce societal resources that are considered valuable

• Limited resources creates conflict among groups– wealth, power, prestige, opportunities

•Karl Marx•Max Weber

Macro theoryReaction to

Functionalism

Polish ProverbUnder capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true.

Social Conflict Theory:MarxSocial Conflict Theory:Marx

• Karl Marx (1818-1883)Karl Marx (1818-1883)• Society built out of conflicting interests of Society built out of conflicting interests of “ “owner class” and “working class”owner class” and “working class”• Ensuing struggle between classes leads to Ensuing struggle between classes leads to

classless societyclassless society• Developed idea of Communism (Dialete Theory)• Lived during beginnings of “Capitalistic Society”

Max Weber• 1864-1920

– science should aim for interpretive understanding of social behavior to explain causes and effects.

– agreed with Marx except on economic determinism

• Economics alone not enough to explain society• Religion is changing force• Verstehen: placing yourself in that person’s place/ seeing it through their eyes

Herbert Spencer 1820-1903Social Darwinism • in evolving societies only successful individuals & institutions survive; • best known for coining term survival of the fittest

Social Realism• society like living organism• social change occurred through problems therefore no attempt to resolve problem should be taken

Agnosticism• practiced agnosticism, impossible for us to have knowledge of God

Symbolic InteractionismSymbolic Interactionism

• ““Symbols” are basis of social lifeSymbols” are basis of social life

• Individuals and societies develop through Individuals and societies develop through people’s interaction through symbolspeople’s interaction through symbols

• Individuals develop sense of themselves Individuals develop sense of themselves as they learn to use symbolsas they learn to use symbols

• Individuals develop sense of themselves Individuals develop sense of themselves as they learn to see themselves way they as they learn to see themselves way they believe others see them believe others see them

(Pygmalion Effect, Self-fulfilling Prophecy)(Pygmalion Effect, Self-fulfilling Prophecy)

1st American Theorist

George Herbert Mead

Symbolic Interactionism• Micro • Focuses on everyday social interactions among

individuals based on shared meanings of symbols used in interactions.

• Our ability to think allows us to communicate with symbols having shared meaning.

(February 27, 1863 – April 26, 1931)

MEAD’S DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

Egocentric reality Egocentric reality (inability to (inability to take role of other)take role of other)

Ability to take role of other Ability to take role of other (e.g., imitation)(e.g., imitation)

Ability to take role of several Ability to take role of several others simultaneously others simultaneously

(e.g., playing games)(e.g., playing games)

Ability to conceptualize view Ability to conceptualize view of society, its cultural norms of society, its cultural norms

and values and values ((generalized othergeneralized other))

George Mead’s Developmental Stages

Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929)Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929)

•Concept of "looking glass self" •Other people's views build, change and maintain our self-image

"There is nothing less to our credit than our

neglect of the foreigner and his

children, unless it be the arrogance most of us betray when we set

out to 'Americanize' him." –Charles Horton

Cooley

1. Imagination of how our appearance, friends, manners, and presentation of self are seen by others.

2. Perception of others’ judgements of us.

3. Resulting feelings about self (e.g., pride, embarrassment, humiliation).

THE THREE ELEMENTS OF THE “LOOKING GLASS SELF” ACCORDING TO COOLEY

Three Elements of Looking Glass Self

Jane Addams (American) (1880-1935)

• Won first Nobel Peace Prize (1931) given to US

woman • Founded Chicago Hull House

for poor • Influenced “Chicago

School” of applied sociology• Pioneered study of social

problems•Worked with George Mead•Member of NAACP, Women’s International League for Peace, & Woman’s Suffrage

W. E. B. DuBois(American) (1868-1963)

• First Negro PhD graduate of Harvard University• Concerned with social position of Negroes in US • Wrote The Philadelphia Negro (1899) on race relations• Used statistics to examine discrimination against blacks

February 23

“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”

Robert K. Merton(American) (1910-2002)

• Taught at Columbia University• Sought to bridge European “grand” theories & research style• Structural/Functionalist• Key concepts: manifest & latent functions, “Strain Theory” of deviance, dysfunctions

Problem is not created by sudden social change, as Durkheim proposed, but rather by social structure that holds same goals to all members without giving them equal means to achieve them

“Strain Theory”