Questions%20to%20Ponder

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Questions to Ponder

• What are the processes that hold society
  together?
• What are the processes that change society?
• Which one is sports a part of?
• Do you think society is evolving?

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History of Sociology

• People have always talked and thought about
  society and its organization
• Why is there an apparent order in society?
• Why is that order different in different
  societies?

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Pre-sociologists who tried to explain society

• Theologians believed that God had a plan for the
  world and sacred scriptures could reveal that
  plan
• Ex. Feudalism in Europe
• Philosophers tried to understand human nature
  through observation and reflection in order to
  create a perfect society
• Ex. Greek guy named Plato (Republic)
• Historians looked at the past in order to
  understand the present

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A New Way to Understand the World

• Social Sciences started to develop between 18th
  and 19th century (1700-1800)
• World was changing quickly
• People needed new tools to understand it

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What factors led to the development of Social
Sciences?

• French Revolution A new social order was needed
• Industrial Revolution Industries were replacing
  agriculture
• City life started to replace country life
• The scientific method could be applied to
  understand human life and behavior

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First Sociologists
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History of Sociology

• Auguste Comte (1789-1857)
• Cool Nickname Father of Sociology
• Coined the term sociology in 1822
• Believed in Positivism idea that true knowledge
  is that which can be verified and assumes that
  the only valid knowledge is scientific. It
  believes that humans can figure things out
  because they have the capacity to research.
• Practiced cerebral hygiene ignored others
  publications in order to keep his mind pure
• There can be no study of society if it is
  separated into portions

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Comte and Positivism

• Positivism view that information derived from
  logic and mathematics is the only accurate source
  of knowledge

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Positivism in Sports

• How does science play a role in sports?
• Ray Allens Shot, Lebron James, Bolt
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v-vGFwhFzuvo
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vueJ3hZZgZj8
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vlHo9e-fdAbM

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Comtes ideas

• He focused on social order and social change
• Social statics processes that hold society
  together
• Social dynamics processes that change society

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Video on Comtes Ideas

• http//education-portal.com/academy/lesson/comtes-
  3-stages-of-society-theory-of-positivism.html

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Comparing Social Statics and Social Dynamics

• Social statics

• Social Dynamics

• Aspects of society that create order and hold
  society together
• Religion, Language, Division of Labor
• Studies rules and laws that hold society together
• Comte studied the interaction between them

• The evolution of the mind through 3 stages
• Least advanced stage is theological stage
  (religion)
• Most advanced stage is positivism
• He saw change in society as progress
• He saw Western Europe as the most developed of
  regions (he lived there)

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Social Statics
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Social Dynamics
Law of 3 Stages in development of society

• 1st Theological supernatural or divine
  explanations to understand society and the world

2nd Metaphysical People do not explain
everything through the divine. They mention
forces of nature that are not yet well
understood. It is a step towards true
understanding

• 3rd Scientific (Most advanced) the world
  explained by scientific principles.

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Harriet Martineau (1802-1876)

• Respected British author
• Society in America democracy in the United
  States
• Talked about marriage, race relations, education,
  etc.
• Study of social systems was a science of morals
  and manners
• Set standards for objectivity in Sociology
• Translated Comte work for English speakers
• Believed scholars should look to solve the issues
  they studied
• Spoke out in favor of womens rights, religious
  tolerance, and the end of slavery

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Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

• Studied natural and social sciences
• Influenced by Charles Darwin
• He studied society just like he studied biology
• Refused to read work of other scholars

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Spencers Ideas

• Society functions like a living organism, with a
  set of independent parts that work together to
  maintain the system
• Changes in societies were part of their evolution
  towards perfection
• Best aspect of society would survive over time
• Believed fittest societies would survive over
  time
• World would be a better place over time
• Spencers view on Society is known as Social
  Darwinism
• He was widely followed in England and France

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Does football reinforce Social Darwinism in our
culture?
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Social Darwinism
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Problems with Social Darwinism

• Misinterprets the idea of evolution and natural
  selection and holds that people who rise to the
  top in society are automatically "superior
• Societys elite may take it as an explanation for
  their superiority

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Day 2 The End