Classical Sociology - Early Years Flashcards
1
Q
when was classical soc?
A
early 1800’s-early 1900s
2
Q
what SOCIAL forces that developed soc theory?
A
- Political Revolutions
- French Revolution of 1789 - Industrial Revolution & Rise of Capitalism
- Rise of Socialism
- Femininsm
- Urbanization
- Religious Change
- Growth of science
3
Q
what INTELLECTUAL forces developed soc theory?
A
Enlightenment & Conservative Reaction to enlightenment
4
Q
Explain the enlightenment
A
- long standing beliefs were overthrown and replaced
- rational vs. irrational
- social world, like physical world is dominated by natural laws
- Montesquieu and Rousseau were influenctial
- Early soc was reaction to enlightenment
5
Q
what were the 2 intellectual currents of the enlightenment
A
- 17th century philosophy
- Descarte, Locke, Hobbes
- They produced general, abstract theories
- Enlightenment was grounded in the real world - 17th century science
- the model for EN theories was science
- they used emperical research and reason
- scientific method was used to analyze social isues
6
Q
What was the Conservative Reaction to enlightenment?
A
- French Catholic counter philosophy
- extreme anti-enlightenment sentiments from this group
- DeBonald and Maistre - yearned for return to the peaceful middle ages
- reason is inferior to religious beliefs
- God created society, don’t change holy creation
- maintaining social order is important
- irrational parts of social life are positive characteristics
7
Q
what did the CR to enlightenment argue?
A
society over individual
change is negative, must maintain social order
we are interrellated and interdependant
8
Q
Name 4 early french sociologists
A
- Toucqueville
- Saint-Simon
- Comte
- Durkheim
9
Q
What were the beliefs of Toucqueville?
A
3 interellated themes:
- freedom
- equality
- centralization - poses a threat to freedom
10
Q
Saint-Simon?
A
- mentor of Comte
- develloped both conservative and Marxian theories
- wanted to preserve society as is, (not return like Maistre and De Bonald)
- positivist
11
Q
Comte
A
- coined the term sociology
- model soc after hard sciences
- law of 3 stages
12
Q
Durkheim
A
- studied ‘ social facts’
13
Q
What are social facts?
A
- forces and structures that are external to and coercive of the individual
material vs. non material social facts
material = bureaucracy, law
nonmaterial = culture, social institutions
- changes and nature of social facts led to suicide rates
14
Q
What does Durkheim believe about religion
A
religion is the ‘collective conscience’
religion is way society expresses itself as a nonmaterial social fact
15
Q
Who are influencial German sociologists?
A
Hegel Feuerbach Marx Weber Simmel
16
Q
Hegel
A
- dominant influence on Marx
2 main concepts: - dialectic - both way of thinking and an image of the world
- the world is made up of processes not static structures
idealism - emphasizes importance of mind, social interpretation of the physical world
17
Q
Feuerbach
A
- bridge between Hegel and Marx
- criticized Hegel’s excessive focus on consciousness and spirit of society
- need to focus on material reality
18
Q
how do Marx, Hegel and Feueurbach relate?
A
- Marx argued the problems of modern life are traceable to real material sources
- solution is for masses of people to overturn oppressive structures
- took Hegel’s dialectics and Feurbach’s materialism
‘ dialectical materialism’ - focused on dialectical relationships within material world
19
Q
what is political economy?
A
- adam smith
- marx believed labour is source of all wealth
20
Q
- labour theory of value -
A
- Marx
- profit of capitalists based on exploitation of labour
- surplus value was retained and reinvested in the system
21
Q
how was marx recieved in soc in his time?
A
- not accepted by many theorists in 19th century
- others concerned with social order and disorder after FR
- Marx was concerned with revolution and oppression that arose through industrial capitalism
22
Q
Explain Marxian theory
A
- people are naturally productive
- natural process of productivity has been subverted
- capitalism erects barriers between the labourer and product and process of production
- creates alienation
23
Q
what is alienation?
A
in 2 class system few capitalists own production process and products and labour of labourers - marx wanted to liberate ppl in socialist society that would stop alientation
24
Q
Weber vs. Marx
A
- Weber though Marx offered single-cause theories of social life
- all about economic structures
- marx thought material world influenced ideas
weber - focused on effect of ideas on economy - ideas not just reflection of economic factors
-
25
explain weber's theory
theory of process of rationalization
- institutions in west became more rational while there were barriers of development in the rest of the world
concerned with
ex. of rationalization - bureaucracy (fast food companies)
3 types of authority systems
26
explain weber's 3 authority systems
1. traditional - authority from long lasting beliefs
2. charismatic - authority from extraordinary abilities, characteristics and treats
3. rational- legal - rules legally and rationally enacted
west = rational-legal
everywhere else = mix of 1&2
27
how was weber's theory recieved
- widely accepted because he didn't propose radical solutions to problems
- weber seen as alternative to marx by conservatives
- thought in cause and effect terms instead of diallectically
- marx focused too much on economy, weber considered all social life
28
explain Simmel's theory?
- contemporary of weber
- focused on individual level, not just large scale structures
- argued there are forms of interaction (like conflict), and types of interactant (strangers)
- understanding interactions is important for sociology
29
what are the 3 themes of british sociological thought
British soc shaped in 19th century by 3 often conflicting sources
1. political economy
2. ameliorism
3. social evolution
30
What is 'political economy'
- theory of industrial and capitalist society by adam smith
- British soc saw the market as positive force, and source of social order and integration in society
- thus, sociologists ought not to criticize society, but gaher data
- focus on individuals who make up structures
- emperical sociologists collecting individual level data
31
Explain ameliorism
- desire to solve social problems by reforming individuals
- acknowledge that there are social problems, but they want to preserve society
- reform system so it continues as is, can victim blame
32
explain social evolution
influenced by spencer and comte
33
Explain Spencer and Comte
Spencer less conservative than compte
- both think state shouldn't intervene in individual affairs
- world is growing progressively better, and should be left alone
- survival of the fittest, social darwinism
- society = organism
34
explain evolutionary theory
2 perspectives
1. increasing size of society
- societies grow by unifiying more and more adjoining groups
2. militant to industrial societies
- militant societies structured for defensive and offensive warfare
- industrial socieites - warfare isn't functional and impedes evolution
= based on friendship altruism and cooperation
35
reaction to spencer in britain
- against government intervention and social reform
| - views against ameliorative British society
36
Who was an Italian sociologist?
Pareto
- major ideas in refutation of marx
- emphasized role of nonrational factors such as human instincts
- elite theory of social change, - elites must be responsible, masses not revolutionary force
