Georg Simmel Flashcards
What is Georg Simmel known for?
Symbolic interactionism, exchange theory and small group research
What was Simmel’s basic approach?
Everything interacts with everything else (methodological relationist) , social reality has multiple levels
What are the three levels of sociological study?
Pure sociology (micro, forms and types) , General sociology (meso-level), Philosophical sociology (macro, fate of society)
What is the contradiction of fashion?
It is a form of social interaction that simultaneously enables conformity to the group and deviation to the norm. The rise of fashion leads to its demise. The leader of fashion is actually its best follower.
What is the conflict between subjective and objective culture?
Conflict arises when objective culture (what people make) overrides subjective culture (ability to make, consume and control objective culture)
What are more-life and more-than-life?
More-life : Creative capacity that allows people to transcend themselves by making sets of objects
More-than-life : Sets of objects take a life of their own and oppose creators
To Simmel, where is society?
Micro—People must conceptualize social structures, norms and values to be influenced by them, synthesis of social interaction
How is geometry seen in sociology?
- Number: Dyad to triad
- Group size: as group size increases, so does individual freedom, as well as dominating ideas and number of groups with limited authority
- Distance: Value of objects depends on how easy/hard it is to get, stranger cannot be too close or too far…
How does Simmel describe the poor?
Someone who is aided or has the right to be aided by others—not determined by money
Why does Simmel say there is an obligation to give to the poor?
He does not want them to become ‘enemies of society’
What is the difference between social types and social forms?
Social types describe people and social forms describe patterns that interactions between them have.
What are examples of social forms?
Superordination/subordination, conflict, sociability, adventure…
What are the benefits of a money economy according to Simmel?
Expanded marketplace, Limited obligations, More gratifications and Greater freedom. ELM G
What did Simmel think about alienation?
It is human condition that objective culture is alienated from subjective culture—it cannot be stopped.
What determined value to Simmel?
Value is determined by the distance of an object (not too close or too far). Money makes objects distant yet not too out of reach.
