Chapter 1: Introduction – Understanding Sociology

Notessociological theory, a set of interrelated ideas that provide a systematic understanding of the social world.

 

 

1.1.3.

social facts — social patterns that are external to individuals and greatly influence our way of thinking and behaving in societalthough all three men look out the same window, each focuses on a different scene — the vineyard, the village, and the meadow.

The vineyard and village views represent macro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on social systems and populations on a large scale. The meadow is an example of micro sociology, a level of analysis focusing on individuals and small groups within the larger social system.The German Karl Marx (1818–1883) lived during the Industrial Revolution (1750–1850) and was the individual looking at the vineyard – steam engine, factories changed from agricultural to industrial.predominantly two classes: the proletariat, the majority, who were the poor, property-less industrial working class, and the land and business owners referred to as the bourgeoisie, the small minority who were the wealthy class (C-19)

Marx and Friedrich Engels co-authored The Communist Manifesto. Marx relied on Engels, a wealthy businessman, to financially support himself and his family for decades. 

 

His view of the world is described as conflict theory, a sociological perspective emphasizing the role of political and economic power and oppression as contributing to the existing social order (HP). 

Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), a French sociologist. His view is the village.conducting the first large-scale sociological studylifelong goal was to establish sociology as a science and an independent, recognized academic discipline. functionalist theory, a macro view of how the parts of society serve to maintain stability (HP). the theory focuses on the various parts of society and how each functions independently and as a whole concerning stability. Education, government, and families are considered parts of society. manifest functions, intentional and formally sanctioned functions of social institutions and society. Within education, the manifest function is to teach students reading, math, and science.

 Latent functions, unintentional and informally sanctioned functions of social institutions and society, that occur in education include learning social skills, finding romantic partners, and even negative functions, such as bullying and learning how to cheat on exams. 

dysfunction, the undesirable disruptions of social patterns resulting in negative consequences within society 

American sociologist and philosopher George Herbert Mead (1863–1931), who taught at the University of Chicago for 35 years, where the first sociology department was founded.

socialized self, which states that the self cannot develop apart from societysymbolic interaction, a micro view of how society is the product of interactions between people, which occur via symbols that have distinct meanings (

 Mead and other symbolic interactionists, like Charles Horton Cooley, Erving Goffman, and Herbert Blumer, believed that social structures are best understood in terms of social interactions (

1.1.3:social facts — social patterns that are external to individuals and greatly influence our way of thinking and behaving in society.values, norms, rules, and structures within society

Mead-ascinated by college party life and would want to learn about the details of behaviors at parties. 

1.1.4

German sociologist Max Weber (pronounced “Vay-bur”) (1864–1920)

he wrote about sources and forms of economic and political power. Protestantism and Catholicism. he was interested in how religion influenced economics.Weber is considered one of the most influential sociologists. However, he was emotionally unable to fulfill his academic responsibilities.Weber was hospitalized for a brief period and left his professorship for 16 years.verstehen (vûrst e hen), an empathetic approach to understanding human behavior, loosely translated as understanding or interpretation. In order to study people within society, the researcher must observe social actions to understand and explain the meanings that individuals attribute to their social interactions.observation and explanation — interpretation is required, which is a departure from solely using natural science techniques. In other words, you have to be in their shoes and take into account the meanings they attribute to their actions and environment, which is a micro-level analysis. Introspection and empathy are important in the process of analysis (Tucker 1965).verstehen can be used to investigate macro issues, such as economics and religion.capitalism in Western Europe.Calvinists. e was the first sociologist to combine the micro and macro, thus integrating social actions and social structures.

 

1.2.1he Age of Enlightenment (1700–1800) promoted the scientific method and challenged age-old traditions based on superstitions and religious faith, resulting in the restructuring of social institutions based on reason. Max Weber-rationalization of society, the replacement of traditional values and personal connections with bureaucracy, efficiency, and a means-end approach. A defining element of a social structure is that the social patterns must be outside a formal organization (Stinchcombe 2000). These are the common characteristics and functions of social structures: