Overview
This lecture covers the development of sociology as a discipline, the historical conditions that gave rise to it, influential theorists, and key theoretical perspectives used in modern sociology.
Origins and Definitions of Sociology
- Sociology studies how social patterns and institutions (like politics, economy, religion) interact and affect individuals.
- The goal of sociology is to theorize human organization and explain the structure of social relations.
- Social institutions are stable patterns of roles, norms, and values that address fundamental problems and sustain society.
Historical Context: The Enlightenment and Social Change
- The Enlightenment (18th century) promoted reason and scientific thinking over tradition, myth, and superstition.
- Major changes in politics (rise of nation-states, citizenship, individual rights) and economics (currency, trade, industrialization) influenced sociology’s emergence.
- The Industrial Revolution led to urbanization, new forms of labor, and shifts in gender roles.
- The period saw increased emphasis on scientific and secular understandings of society.
The Founding Fathers of Sociology
- Auguste Comte aimed to model sociology on the natural sciences, advocating for positivism (objective, universal explanations).
- Karl Marx introduced historical materialism, focusing on material conditions (work and labor) and using critique to analyze and challenge social structures.
- Max Weber emphasized interpretation, seeking to understand social action and the process of rationalization in modern society.
- Émile Durkheim promoted explanation and positivism, identifying “social facts” to explain patterns of behavior.
Modern Sociological Theories
- Functionalism views society as an organism; institutions work together to maintain stability (macro-level, linked to explanation).
- Conflict Theory examines structural conflicts and power struggles between social arenas (macro-level, associated with critique).
- Feminism focuses on how gender organizes social relations, highlighting inequality and advocating for change (varied perspectives, critique).
- Symbolic Interactionism analyzes micro-level face-to-face interactions and how individuals construct social reality (linked to interpretation).
- Postmodernism critiques grand narratives and universal theories, emphasizing skepticism toward universal explanations and highlighting the limits of language and knowledge.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Social Institution — a stable system of roles, norms, and values organizing fundamental societal activities.
- Positivism — the approach of studying society with methods similar to the natural sciences, aiming for objectivity.
- Historical Materialism — Marx’s focus on material (economic) conditions as the foundation of social organization and change.
- Rationalization — Weber’s concept of increased emphasis on efficiency and calculation in modern society.
- Social Fact — Durkheim’s term for patterns of behavior that exist outside individuals but shape their actions.
- Functionalism — the theory that institutions function together to maintain society.
- Conflict Theory — the theory that social structures are defined by conflict and power imbalances.
- Feminism — a perspective emphasizing the role of gender and advocating for equality.
- Symbolic Interactionism — the study of how individuals create social reality through interaction.
- Postmodernism — a skeptical stance toward universal theories and totalizing explanations.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review assigned readings on the Enlightenment’s influence on social sciences.
- Prepare notes on Marx, Weber, and Durkheim for upcoming discussions.
- Next class: the construction of social reality and the process of socialization.