The Sociological Point of View Sociology: Then and Now

1
The Sociological Point of ViewSociology Then
and Now

• Section 2

2
Sociology Then and Now

• Sociology did not develop until the 1800s.
• Several factors led to the development of
  Sociology
• Political and Social Change
• Revolutions
• Growth of population
• Individual freedom and rights

3
Important Factors

• Industrial Revolution
• Farms and cottage industries disappear and large
  scale production and factories are born.
• People leave their homes in the country and
  cities begin to grow.

• Urban Populations
• The of people looking for a job outpaced the
  available jobs.
• Housing Shortages
• Crime
• Pollution
• Difficulty adjusting to city (Country personal
  relationships)

4
Important Factors

• People can no longer ignore social problems and
  therefore begin wanting personal freedoms and
  rights
• American Revolution
• French Revolutions

• All of these changes political, social, and
  economic caused people to question old ideas and
  ways of life.
• Scholars especially begin to question traditional
  explanations of everything.

5
Auguste Comte

• French Philosopher (1798-1857)
• Founder of sociology as a distinct subject
• First to apply the methods of the physical
  sciences to the study of social life.
• Coined the phrase Sociology to describe the study
  of society.
• Focused on two major areas social order and
  social change.

6
Auguste Comte

• Social Statics certain processes hold society
  together.
• Social Dynamics Society changes through definite
  processes.
• Uncover these principles through methods of
  scientific methods.

• Comte originally worked for social change and
  reform.
• In 1816 he was expelled from school and never
  completed his degree.
• He began practicing cerebral hygiene and
  ignored all other works and writers to keep his
  mind pure.

7
Herbert Spencer

• English Philosopher (1820-1903)
• Began his life as a civil engineer for a railway
  company.
• After inheriting a large sum of money he no
  longer needed to work and began studying
  sociology.
• Modeled his studies after the teachings of
  Charles Darwin.

8
Herbert Spencer

• Just as a biological organism has parts that work
  together to keep the body going so does society.
• Society is a set of independent parts that work
  together to maintain the system over time.

• Considered social change and unrest to be natural
  occurrences in societys quest to perfection.
• Spencer believed that only the best aspects of
  society would survive over time and that nothing
  should be done to fix social problems.

9
Herbert Spencer

• Believed that only the fittest societies would
  survive over time. He actually coined the phrase
  survival of the fittest, not Charles Darwin.
• His views became known as Social Darwinism.

• He also disregarded the ideas and writings of
  other scholars whose ideas were different.
• Both Spencer and Comte and their ideas fell out
  of favor.

10
Karl Marx

• Prussian Philosopher (1818-1883)
• Attended several universities and earned a
  doctorate.
• Could not get a teaching position because of his
  political views.
• Worked as a writer and editor for a radical
  newspaper.
• Government eventually shut down the paper because
  of his revolutionary views.

11
Karl Marx

• Believed the structure of society is influenced
  by how its economy is organized.
• Society is divided into two classes
• Bourgeoisie (Capitalists)
• Proletariat ( workers)

• The Capitalists own the means of production the
  materials and means used to produce goods and
  services.
• The Proletariats own nothing, the provide the
  labor needed to produce goods and services.

12
Karl Marx

• Marx believed this imbalance in power would lead
  to conflict and that it would only end when the
  workers overthrew the capitalists.

• Marx believed the workers would then create a
  classless society in which each citizen would
  contribute according to ability and would be
  rewarded according to his needs.

13
Emile Durkheim

• French Philosopher (1858-1917)
• Educated in both France and Germany
• Taught at the University of Bordeaux
• Developed the first university sociology course
• One of the first sociologists to systematically
  apply the methods of science to the study of
  society.

14
Emile Durkheim

• Like Comte was concerned with the problems of
  social order.
• Like Spencer saw society as independent parts
  that maintain the system

• Durkheim viewed the role of these independent
  parts in terms of their functions.
• Function is the consequence that an element of
  society produces for the maintenance of its
  social system.

15
Emile Durkheim

• Interested in the Function of Religion in
  maintaining social order.
• He believed that shared beliefs and values were
  the glue that held society together.

• Durkheim believed that you should only study
  features of society that are directly observable.
• Durkheims study of Suicide
• See Map pg. 13

16
Max Weber

• Prussian Philosopher (1864-1920)
• Received his doctorate from the University of
  Berlin
• Taught at University of Berlin and University of
  Heidelberg
• Interested in separate groups within society
  rather then society as a whole.

17
Max Weber

• Focused on effects of society on the individual.
• Believed sociologists should go beyond studying
  what can be directly observed and attempt to
  uncover feelings and thoughts.

• Weber proposed Verstehen an attempt to
  understand the meanings individuals attach to
  their actions. In other words put yourself in
  the place of others and see the situation through
  their eyes.

18
Max Weber

• Weber also employed the concept of Ideal type.
• Ideal Type a description comprised of the
  essential characteristics of a feature of society.

• Ideal type is the base we use to compare to.
• A description of an ideal type school may be
  different from St. Joe but you would know it was
  describing an educational institution.