SOC 2010 HON Honors Introduction to Sociology 1 14 15 Sociological Thinking Giddens et al pp 10 22 Social facts According to mile Durkheim the aspects of social life that shape our actions as individuals Durkheim believed that social facts could be studied scientifically Organic solidarity According to mile Durkheim the social cohesion that results from the various parts of a society functioning as an integrated whole Social constraint The conditioning influence on our behavior of the groups and societies of which we are members Social constraint was regarded by mile Durkheim as one of the distinctive properties of social facts Division of labor The specialization of work tasks by means of which different occupations are combined within a production system All societies have at least some rudimentary form of division of labor especially between the tasks allocated to men and those performed by women With the development of industrialism the division of labor became vastly more complex than in any prior type of production system In the modern world the division of labor is international in scope Anomie The concept first brought into wide usage in sociology by Durkheim referring to a situation in which social norms lose their hold over individual behavior The ideas of Karl Marx 1818 1883 German economic political and social theorist contrast sharply with those of Comte and Durkheim however Marx also sought to explain social changes arising from the Industrial Revolution Much of his writing concentrates on economic issues but because he was always concerned with connecting economic problems to social institutions his work is rich in sociological insights Marx s viewpoint was founded on what he called the materialist conception of history Materialist conception of history The view developed by Marx according to which material or economic factors have a prime role in determining historical change Capitalism An economic system based on the private ownership of wealth which is invested and reinvested in order to produce profit Interpreting Modern Development Durkheim o 1 The main dynamic of modern development is the division of labor as a basis for social cohesion and organic solidarity o 2 Durkheim believed that sociology must study social facts as things just as science would analyze the natural world His study of suicide led him to stress the important influence of social factors qualities of a society external to the individual on a 1 person s actions Durkheim argued that society exerts social constraint over our actions o 1 The main dynamic of modern development is the expansion of capitalism Rather than being cohesive society is divided by class differences o 2 Marx believed that we must study the divisions within a society that are derived from the economic inequalities of capitalism Marx Weber o 1 The main dynamic of modern development is the rationalization of social and economic life o 2 Weber focused on why Western societies developed so differently from other societies He also emphasized the importance of cultural ideas and values on social change Bureaucracy A type of organization marked by a clear hierarchy of authority and the existence of written rules of procedure and staffed by full time salaried officials Harriet Martineau 1802 1876 born and educated in England has been called the first woman sociologist Martineau is significant in sociology today for several reasons but in particular for her methodological insight She argued that when one studies a society one must focus on all its aspects including key political religious and social institutions She insisted that an analysis of a society must include all its members a point that drew attention to the conspicuous absence of women s lives from the sociology of that time She was the first to turn a sociological eye on previously ignored issues and institutions including marriage children domestic and religious life and race relations Like Comte she argued that sociologists should do more than just observe they should also act in ways to benefit society W E B Du Bois 1868 1963 was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University and among his many contributions to sociology perhaps most important is the concept of double consciousness Double consciousness a way of talking about identity through the lens of the experiences of African Americans Made a persuasive claim that one s sense of self and one s identity are greatly influenced by historical experiences and social circumstances in the case of African Americans the effect of slavery and after emancipation segregation and prejudice He connected social analysis to social reform Rationalization A concept used by Max Weber to refer to the process by which modes of precise calculation and organization involving abstract rules and procedures increasingly come to dominate the social world 2 The work of George Herbert Mead 1863 1931 a philosopher teaching at the University of Chicago influenced the development of sociological thought in particular through a perspective called symbolic interactionism Symbolic interactionism A theoretical approach in sociology developed by George Herbert Mead that emphasizes the role of symbols and language as core elements of all human interaction Auguste Comte 1798 1857 mile Durkheim 1858 1917 Theoretical Approaches in Sociology Functionalism Karl Marx 1818 1883 Marxism George Herbert Mead 1863 1931 Max Weber 1864 1920 Symbolic Interactionism Symbol One item used to stand for or represent another as in the case of a flag which symbolizes a nation Functionalism A theoretical perspective based on the notion that social events can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform that is the contributions they make to the continuity of a society Manifest functions The functions of a type of social activity that are known to and intended by the individuals involved in the activity Latent functions Functional consequences that are not intended or recognized by the members of a social system in which they occur Marxism A body of thought deriving its main elements from the ideas of Karl Marx Power The ability of individuals or the members of a group to achieve aims or further the interests they hold Power is a pervasive element in all human relationships Many conflicts in society are struggles over power because how much power an individual or group is able to achieve governs how far they are able to put their wishes