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Lecture2:Originsand ContributionsofSociology

AncientThoughtaboutSociety
AncientPhilosophy Plato:
Republic:Ajustsociety DeathofSocrates h fS

Whoshouldrule? Howshouldonerule? History,BiographyandTheory

TheEnlightenment
Critiqueofaccepted wisdom
HereditaryRule TheDivineRightof Kings ReligiousOrthodoxy

ReverenceofReason
ReasonoverRevelation ScientificMethod

Newton,Galileo,Kepler,Bacon, Copernicus TheUniversewasrational Boundbynaturallawsthat couldbeunderstood ldb d d ScientificMethodapplied

Revolution!
JohnLocke
Societyistheresultofrationalchoice tocooperate Governmentensurescooperation
SocialContract

PhilosophicalRevolutions
Liberty Reason FreeMarkets Free Markets

JeanJacquesRousseau
Peopleareessentiallygood l ll d Corruptedbysocietyofprivate property Societymustguaranteeequality

ActualRevolutions
AmericanandFrenchRevolutions Revolutionof1848

Jefferson
Governmentistheservantofman Eliminateagovernmentnotabidingby thesocialcontract

SocialRevolution
Industrialization

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TheSearchforSocialLaws
AugustComte
CoinedSociology
Positivistattemptto understandsociety

HarrietMartineau
Translatedtheworksof ComteintoEnglish SocietyinAmerica Emphasizedtheimpact p p oflawandsocietyon socialproblems Firstbookon sociologicalmethod Sociologistsshouldact ontheirinsights

ThreeStagesofSocial Development
Religious:Supernaturalforces controltheworld Metaphysical:Destinyand fatecontroltheworld Positive:Sciencecontrolsthe world

StaticsandDynamics

DemocracyinAmerica
AmericalackedaFeudal Tradition Virtuallylimitlessland resources

AppliedDarwinianTheoryto society
Survivalofthefittest SocialDarwinism

fl l b Democracycanstifleliberty
Concentrationofwealthand poweratthetop Tyrannyofthemajority Amasssociety

Itisnaturalforsometoberich I i lf b i h andsometobepoor Helpingthepoorhurtssociety

Establishedsociology
FrancoPrussianWar Scientificunderstandingto helpmaintainsocial stability y Founderof Structural/Functionalist Tradition Socialfacts
External IndependentoftheIndividual Impactstheindividual

RulesoftheSociological Method

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Suicide
Individualchoiceshave socialinfluences SocialChange
Anomic ToomuchSocial Anomic:ToomuchSocial Change Fatalistic:TooLittleSocial Change

SocialIntegration
Egoistic:Toolittlesocial integration Altruistic:Toomuchsocial integration

ElementaryFormsof ReligiousLife
Bindsthecommunitywith sharedbeliefsandtraditions Bindstheindividualtothe Bi d h i di id l h communitythroughritual Providesindividualwith Meaning

Capitalismthesourceof economicinequality Twoclasses

Sourceofallconflict Bourgeoisie Proletariat

Societyneedssomekind ofbindingelement
CivilReligion

Laborprovidesvalue Bourgeoisieexploits Proletariatlabor Proletariatexperience alienation

Becomeswealthyonthevalue added

TheFrankfurtSchool
TremendousExplanatoryvalue
Emphasisonsocialclass Classconsciousness Economiccentrality

TheodoreAdorno,MaxHorkheimer,Herbert Marcuse,Jurgen Habermas Critical Theory CriticalTheory

Theoryaimedatchangingthesocietyasawhole Focusonsocietyasawhole Historicaloriginsofsocialphenomena Incorporateallofthesocialsciences

MarxistPolitics
Sociologicallyirrelevant BurdensMarxistTheorists

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EconomyandSociety
Rationalization:Application ofeconomiclogictoall aspectsofsociallife Bureaucracies
Efficient Goaloriented Ruledriven

TheProtestantEthicandtheSpiritof Capitalism
Originsofcapitalisminprotestantphilosophy Individualist Materialist WorkEthic

Verstehen:EmpathicUnderstanding
Humanlevelofunderstandingsocialforces

Dehumanising IronCage

StatusandPower

Extensive study of race in America

Race is a defining feature in American society

Studyformsoutsideof content
Competition,Exchange, Secrecy,Domination Eg.Howonecompetesis g p lessimportantthanthatone competes Society=Collectiveformsof interaction Doubleside:GoodandBad

The Philadelphia Negro

Dual Existence
American/Black Free/Segregated

Active Sociology
Founded NAACP

Howdoessociety influenceexpressionof self

W.E.B DuBois

Active sociology Interested in the plight of immigrants Established Hull House Sociology with practical focus t 1st American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize

Bring together macro and micro level analysis Functions of social structures
Manifest Functions: Obvious, intended functions Latent Functions: Hidden or unintended functions Manifest Functions: Teach knowledge and norms Latent Functions
Keep kids busy Socializing

Education

Jane Addams

Robert Merton

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Functions of Social Structures

Socialization
Family, Schools

The Power Elite

How the elite of society maintain their position Concentration of power and status Elite interests

Opportunity for social success Social Cohesion

Religion

Maintain Cultural Patterns

Passing traditions, norms and values

Role of Sociology
Locate individual in society Reveal power structures

Talcott Parsons

C. Wright Mills

George Herbert Mead

Social Psychologist Symbolic Interactionism
Human development and meaning are social processes Language = Mind

We learn to be who we are

Identity is a social process

W. I. Thomas
Thomas Theorem: That which people define as real becomes real in its consequences Definition f the Situation D fi iti of th Sit ti Racism Racist assumptions prejudicial and discriminatory practice Reinforces racism DOA

Erving Goffman
Dramaturgy:
Interaction comparable to a play performance Front Stage g Back Stage

Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Impression Management

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Harold Garfinkel
Ethnomethodology
We learn how to get along in society We assume that others have the same skills Much of this knowledge is hidden Participate in interaction to reveal the unseen rules of interaction

Charles Horton Cooley

Studied intimate groups
Families Peers Gangs

Small groups shape ideals, beliefs, values and social nature

Social Construction of Reality

Reality is a social process
Reality is negotiated through interaction Negotiated reality is practiced and becomes habitual Habits become institutionalized and become real Reality is reified through social interaction

Postmodernist Theory
Foucault, Derrida, Baudrillard History is nebulous Reality is individualized Technology and consumerism define society

Plane Crash Island