Sociologists Flashcards
Max Weber
Weber’s work made significant contributions to the understanding of bureaucracy, social stratification, authority, politics, and religion. He is best known for his thesis on the Protestant work ethic and the rise of capitalism, which argued that the values of hard work, thrift, and rationality associated with Protestantism played a key role in the development of capitalism in Western Europe.
Emile durkhiem
Social facts: Society shapes individuals (law, religion, etc.)
Studied suicide: Social factors influence suicide rates
Division of labor: Societies change from shared values to interdependence
Karl Marx
German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, political theorist
Founder of Marxism: theory arguing for a classless, communist society
Believed capitalism inherently exploits the working class (proletariat)
Advocated for worker revolution and socialist state ownership of the means of production
Key concepts: class conflict, historical materialism, dialectical materialism
Functionalists
Emile durkhiem
Talcott Parsons
Robert k berton
Conflict theorists
Karl Marx (1818-1883): Considered a founding figure of conflict theory, Marx focused on class struggle. He argued society is divided between the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) who own the means of production and the proletariat (working class) who sell their labor.
Symbolic interactionist
George Herbert Mead
Émile Durkheim
Founding father of sociology (with Marx & Weber)
Functionalist Perspective: Societies function like organisms, with parts working together to maintain a whole.
Social Facts: Society shapes individuals (law, religion, etc.)
Studied suicide: Social factors influence suicide rates
Division of labor: Societies change from shared values to interdependence
Karl Marx
German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian
Founder of Conflict Theory: Society is in constant struggle due to unequal power and resources.
Believed capitalism inherently exploits the working class (proletariat)
Advocated for worker revolution and socialist state ownership of the means of production
Key concepts: class conflict, historical materialism, dialectical materialism
Max Weber
Conflict Theory: Developed concept of class, status, and power as sources of conflict.
Social Stratification: Studied social classes and how they impact life chances.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism: Analyzed cultural factors that influenced the rise of capitalism.
Rationalization: The increasing emphasis on efficiency and logic in modern society.
Robert K. Merton
Functionalist: Studied how social structures can have unintended consequences (dysfunctions).
Theories of Deviance: Developed concept of anomie (normlessness) and different types of deviance (innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion).
George Herbert Mead
Founding figure of Symbolic Interactionism.
Self: Our sense of self emerges through social interaction (looking-glass self).
Meaning-Making: People create and interpret meaning through symbols and interactions.
Communication: Focuses on how language and symbols shape our understanding of the world.
Harriet Martineau
Pioneering feminist sociologist.
Studied social issues like gender inequality and poverty.
Used observation and firsthand accounts in her research methods.
W.E.B. Du Bois
African American sociologist, activist, and writer.
Studied race relations and the experiences of Black Americans.
Concept of “double consciousness” - navigating identities within a racist society.
Jane Addams
Founder of Hull House, a social settlement house in Chicago.
Advocated for social reform and progressive causes like women’s suffrage.
Pioneered the use of social research to address urban problems
Erving Goffman
Symbolic Interactionist known for Dramaturgy Theory.
Society as a stage where individuals perform and manage their impressions (frontstage/backstage).
Analyzed social interaction and the presentation of self in everyday life
