M1: Lec 1-2 Flashcards
-three central problems -August Comte -etc.
Define sociological theory
-body of organized and verifiable ideas which sociologists have developed about social life
What does the definition of sociological theory tell us about sociological theory?
- organized, all ideas are related
- verifiable, able to test these ideas
Do all sociologists use the same approach to study sociological theory?
No
How will we organize our study of sociological theory?
- around three central problems:
- problem of agency
- problem of method
- problem of change
What will we use the three central problems for?
We will use them to ask how each theorist answers these questions, as they will all differ in solutions
Why are the three problems central?
Every sociologist has to deal with them implicitly or explicitly
What question does the problem of agency ask?
-what is the nature of the relationship between human action/individuals and social structure/society?
What are the answers for the problem of agency?
-macro, micro. micro-macro linkage
Can you believe in macro, micro or micro-macro simultaneously?
No, they are logically contradictory
What is macro extremism? (4)
- focuses on properties of societies
- emphasizes social structures and processes
- societies have their own needs, goals, interests and laws of their own
- structural constraint is key
What is the diagram for macroextremism?
S–>I
What is the diagram for micro-macro linkage?m
I <=> S
What is the diagram for micro extremism?
I–>S
What do macroextremists think about individuals intentions, motives and reasons?
-irrelevant to sociological explanation of life
What is micro extremism? (4)
- gives priority to the individual
- studies face to face interactions, everyday routines etc.
- societies are a result of intentional, meaningful behaviour
- societies are constituted, created and changed by the social interactions of its members
What do micro extremists believe about purposes, motives and reasons of individuals?
- these are central explanations of what they do
- significant variables in research
What is micro macro-linkage
- rejects both micro and macro extremism
- starts from the link between individuals and societies
- argues that individuals and societies are mutually constituting and mutually constituted
- Gidden’s structuration theory
What is Gidden’s structuration theory?
- the patterning of social relationships only exists if individuals actively repeat particular forms of conduct from one time and place to another
- these social relationships make human action possible
What does the problem of method ask?
-can the social sciences be modeled like the natural sciences?
What are the answers to the problem of method question?
- Yes, naturalism
- No, verstehen
What is naturalism?
- a belief that social phenomena can be studied in the same way as natural phenomena
- humans are treated as objects in nature
As a naturalist, what does the science of sociology become a search for?
- Invariant laws of social activity
- laws that hold at all place and time
What is verstehen?
- a belief that sociology cannot be modelled like the natural sciences
- this is because the purposive component of human action is not found in nature
- Gidden’s double hermeneutic
What is Gidden’s double hermeneutic?
- we create society and are influenced by society
- we’re participating in the world we’re studying
What does verstehen say about invariant laws?
-laws are really historical products of human action
What is the problem of change?
- three questions that every theory of social change at the historical level must answer;
- what is changing
- what is the course of change
- what is the mechanism of change
What is the answer to what is changing under the problem of change?
-always society
What does the question about the course of change mean?
-what does the social change consist of, how would I describe the change?
What is the mechanism of change?
-the cause or causes of social change
What are the assumptions every theorist has about the nature of change?
-whether the change is a form of developmentalism or evolutionary theory
In what contexts did sociology become a discipline?
- french revolution + American revolution
- Industrial revolution
How did the French revolution and American revolution influence sociology?
- these revolutions started a dissolution of social order guided only by secular ideas
- people began to try and figure out what was going on, society, classes etc.
What three factors were most important in the Industrial revolution?
- Industrialization
- Urbanization
- Population growth
In summation, how did the French, American and Industrial revolution influence the creation of sociology?
- it was a transition from traditional society to modern society
- theorists wanted to help deliver humanity from oppression to freedom
- wanted to understand consequences of these changes and what brought these changes on
Why is Auguste Comte important?
- he coined the term sociology; viewed society as an object of science
- made the hierarchy of sciences and law of three stages
What would Comte’s answer be to the second question?
-he was a naturalist
What is the hierarchy of sciences?
- explains the relationships between the natural sciences and the social sciences
- rates analytical sense and historical sense
Which science was most general and which most complex?
-sociology was most complex and math was most general
What is the law of three stages?
-movement of all aspects of human history from theological stage–>metaphysical stage–>positive stage of thought styles
What are thought styles?
- shared ways in which people approach and comprehend reality
- thought styles determine all other aspects of social life
- change in thought style=change in society
What was the theological stage?
-everything was explained by Gods or spirits
What was the metaphysical stage?
-everything was explained by abstract essences or forces and abstract philosophical speculation
What is the positive stage?
- explained by science
- laws that are empirically verified
What are Comte’s 4 assumptions about social change?
Social change is;
- progressive
- in stages
- inevitable (different societies develop at different rates)
- irreversible
What type of knowledge passes through the three stages?
-all knowledge, science and non-science
Why do some sciences transition through these stages faster?
-astronomy was discovered before bio so will transition before bio
Why didn’t Comte put psychology into the hierarchy?
- believed psychology to be religious
- categorized it with bio
What are the four methods social facts can be collected scientifically?
- observation
- experimentation
- comparison
- historical method
What did Comte’s definition of positivism entail?
-his critique of Hegel’s idea of negation and science should be empirical and research-oriented
What does positivism mean now?
-science must be precede by the scientific method
What did Comte ultimately want social change to be?
- he wanted social change to be without revolution and disorder
- feared social upheaval
Why would one refer to Comte as a technocrat?
-he believed highly trained professionals should make social and political decisions
Which science did Comte crown the queen of science?
-Sociology
Can the problem of change be micro extremism?
-No, because its entered around society
