The Foundations of Sociology: Early Sociologists and Their Contributions, Study notes of Sociology

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Introduction to Sociology

What to Expect in This

Chapter...

• What is Sociology

• Definitions of Sociology

• Sociology and Science

• Sociology and the Social Sciences

• The Development of Sociology

• The pioneers of sociology

Introduction to Sociology

Sociology is Social Physics. Auguste

Comte

It is the Science of Society. W.G.

Sumner

Sociology is the Science of Men

interdependence. Nicols

Sociology is the Science of Social

institutions. Emile Durkheim

Sociology is the study of Social Life.

W.F.Ogburn, Nimkof

The Scientific Method

Sociology and Science

• (^) Science is “...a body of

systematically arranged

knowledge that shows

the operation of general

laws.”

• (^) As a science, sociology

employs the scientific

method

Formulate hypotheses Choose research design Gather Data Analyze Data Review of literature

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

• (^) Responsible for coining the term “sociology”
• (^) Set out to develop the “science of man” that would be based on empirical observation
• (^) Focused on two aspects of society:
  • (^) Social Statics— forces which produce order and stability
  • (^) Social Dynamics— forces which contribute to social change

Harriet Martineau (1802-

• (^) Authored one of the earliest

analyses of culture and life in

the United States entitled

Theory and Practice of Society

in America

• (^) Translated Comte’s Positive

Philosophy into English

Harriet Martineau

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

• (^) Marx is the father of conflict theory
• (^) Saw human history in a continual state of conflict between two major classes: - (^) Bourgeoisie— owners of the means of production (capitalists) - (^) Proletariat— the workers
• (^) Predicted that revolution would occur producing first a socialist state, followed by a communist society

Emile Durkheim (1858-

• (^) Durkheim moved sociology fully into the realm of an empirical science
• (^) Most well known empirical study is called Suicide , where he looks at the social causes of suicide
• (^) Generally regarded as the founder of Emile Durkheim^ functionalist theory Durkheim's Four Types of Suicide High Low Integration collective sentiments (knowledge, beliefs, values)

1. Altruistic suicide Hero suicide , bombers, Followers, soldiers 3. Egoistic suicide Regulation (common norms people
2. Fatalistic suicide Slaves, Prisoners, 4. Anomic suicide

Durkheim Conclude that

Cont…

6. Suicide rates are higher in times of peace than in times of War also reduced the suicide rate: after war broke out in 1866 between Austria and Italy, the suicide rate fell by 14% in both countries.)
7. Suicide rates are higher in Scandinavian countries.
8. The higher the education level, the more likely it was that an individual would choose suicide. However, Durkheim established that there is more correlation between an individual's religion and suicide rate than an individual's education level. Jewish people were generally highly educated but had a low suicide rate.

Max Weber (1864-1920)

• (^) Much of Weber’s work was a critique or clarification of Marx
• (^) His most famous work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism directly challenged Marx’s ideas on the role of religion in society
• (^) Weber was also interested in bureaucracies and the process of rationalization in society