Week 4: Sociological Theories Flashcards
Theory
A statement that tries to explain how certain facts or variables are related in order to predict future events, it has to have an explanation
- a group of linked ideas to explain something
- it’s a way of understanding, and a way of planning it’s core generalization
(Like when people say that the world in flat)
Opinion
A view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on a fact or knowledge
- deeply personal, depends on our feelings, taste and ideas about the world
- OUR VIEW of the world, it finest need any expertise explanation
- opinion influences our preference for a certain theory
Facts
A thing that is know to be proved true, has actual existence
(You and your friend argue about who is going to win. The score from the last game is a FACT, the STATEMENT (what is outside their head) is that their team has the best defence. That’s not true, no evidence)
Teleological
When you believe things progress in a series of steps or stages
Common Sense Assumptions
Blend of personal tastes and opinions.
- Due to the wisdom you received from family/ friends and knowledge gained from schools, church, media, political leaders
According to Terry Eagleton…
Children make the best theories, since they have not been educated into our routine as social practices “the natural”
Defamiliarization
Looking at objects or situations in an unfamiliar way, so it allows you to have a fresh perspective
Mapping Social Relation (any relationship or interaction between two or more individuals)
a map is a good example of abstraction, because it takes our unnecessary details. They filter out unnecessary things, so that the key elements stand out.
- Social Theories map the spaces we navigate
What is the aim of Social Theory?
To make the complex web of Social Relation we negotiate everyday visible to us
Basics of Classical Theory
Sociological theory is that the contemporary world is the outcome of a transition from “Traditional” to “Modern Society”
Classical Sociological Theory: towards a science of society
Thinkers in the 19th century needed a structure/ reference that would allow for
- identification and contemplation (looking at it throughly)
- anticipation of the consequences
What term did Henri de Saint Simon introduced?
“Industrial Society”
- brought a new era in human history
- this new society would accept FATALISM (attitude of the mind which accepts whatever happens, their destiny)
Classical Sociological Theory:
Social Physiology
The study of how a individual or group is influenced by the presence and behaviour of others
- the belief that society may be studied as if it were an organism: showing GROWTH, ORDER, STABILITY and CAUSE -and- EFFECT
Classical Sociological Theory:
Observation
Laws of social organization (the basis on which humans could construct the best of all possible forms of social organization)
Saint Simon contribution to Sociology
- said that the shift from NEXT TO NEXT stages involves a CRISIS
- conservative guy, he wanted to remain traditional
– used the principles of scientific study of society
What was Auguste Comte main focus in Sociology?
Positivism
Who is Auguste Comte and what shaped his view of Positivism?
- Sainte Simon’s secretary, but later on he became his own scholar
- born in the French Revolution, who his works is based around it
- Revolution, violence, conservatism, and industrialism and how that reconciled
What did Comte want to call “Sociology”, the study of society
Social Physics
Social Physiology involves a 3 part program….
- observing the course of civilization
- laws of humanity
- polytheistic stage, like Christian or religious practices
Positivism
A philosophical system that states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and knowledge can only come from positive statement of theories through the scientific method, and rejects metaphysics (none realistic theories) and theism (the belief in the existence of god(S).
- for example: organs have to work together to be alive, like when we look at society we have to work together to evolve society.
For Evolution of Knowledge what had to be done?
- Civilization had to progress, changing our nature to fit our needs
- the human mind and human knowledge move through stages
Theological
- imagination rules over observation
- the study of religion and gods
Law of Three Stages, Humanity progresses in 3 stages
- Theological: imagination rules over observation
- Metaphysical: transitory stage, connecting facts by ideas
- Positive: observation beats imagination, from “why” to “how”, empirical observation
Advantages of Positivism
- positive system discovers, instead of invent
- based on empirical observation
- rejects arbitration (based on random choice)
THE BUSINESS OF SOCIOLOGY IS TO DISCOVER LAWS, TO IMPROVE HUMAN SOCIETY
Disadvantage of Positivism
- elitist (system should be led by an elite)
- uneasy combination of both aristocratic (noble) and bourgeois (concerned middle class and their with wealth, possessions and respectable behaviour) points of view
- does not support political and social revolutions
- his work of ‘sociology as a religion’ shown signs of irrationality (not logical)
What shaped Durkheim view of society?
Scientific concepts and empirical explanations
What did Durkheim argue about Society?
- has no material existence
- we do things cause of external forces (the environment), and it shapes our behaviour
Collective Conscience
Share basic moral values
- related but not the same thing, like when you slap someone, ur moral values
Collective Consciousness
Agree on basic ideas about time, space, and reality as a whole
- social norms (how we behave, but it’s not written, moral) —> social product (goods and services provided by the state for housing etc)
- moral glue that pulls society together
Social Diversity and Moral Consensus
Schemes that classifies phenomenons in categories
Social Solidarity
How individuals feel connected and united with one another and to the society as a whole
- but turns to 3 issues within society
- Mechanistic ( simple society) vs Organismic (modern and organized society) analogy
Mechanical Solidarity (Simple Society)
- social structures are segmented (connected)
- they gave common values and beliefs
- but are inherently unstable, the more chaos society
for example: a remote has a high solidarity, the machine interact with each other
Organic Solidarity (Modern Society)
- the process in which people are incorporated in the social structure in order to make a unified society
- grows out the division of labour, when individuals function much like interdependent (supportive) but different organ living in a body
—more complex, different set of norms, every class
— different views
Who is Karl Marx?
German Philosopher, Sociologist, Political Theorist etc.
- one of the founders of Sociology
- Humanist—> he was affected by the suffering and exploitation of the working class about capitalism
- he wanted to understand the types of social classes
Marx: Activist & Social Scientist
- his view of the social world was influenced by his beliefs
- he was affected by when was the working class was suffering
- humanism—> he overthrew capitalism, based on oppression
Marx: Activist & Social Scientist—> Proletariat
Workers or working class people who are wage- earners in a capitalist society and their sole possession is their ability to work
Marx: Activist & Social Scientist—> Bourgeoisie
Relating to the social middle class, one that is being conservative and materialistic or a capitalist exploiting the working class
Marx Dialectical Materialism
Historical Materialism
Marx’s theoretical perspective for understanding history, society and social relations
Marx Dialectical Materialism
Dialectic
Discussion between two people, where they come to senses or come to truth as a method of intellectual investigation
Marx Dialectical Materialism
Capitalism
Economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit
Marx Dialectical Materialism
Why are social classes enemies?
Because they have opposite interests
- the structure of society makes their conflict inevitable (unavoidable)
- in his era, it was difficult to build basic needs because you were controlled by the clock and the activities. And if you couldn’t meet your basic needs it was hard for you to live
- but if you had a comfortable life why would you change society, like Wellington Crescent at that time was very rich
Marx Dialectical Materialism
Patterns of opposition in the social class
Historical Materialism:
Mode of Production
Central concept in Marxism and it’s the way human labour in society is organized to produce goods and services
Communism
Political Theory derived from Karl Marx, where property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs
What are the different types of Mode of Production
- Primitive Communism—> gathers and hunter society
- Feudalism—> peasants getting rid of the French Revolution
- Capitalism—> where we would come together and work together to overthrow capitalism, then move to
- Advanced Communism—> higher and advanced
- Ancient Societies—> Ancient Rome, Greece
Mode of Production is made up of…
- Material forces of production
- things, land, tools, things that allow us to produce what we want - Social Relations of production
- the classes and the actually stuff that is used to make what society needs to thrive
- relationships that existed among individuals with respect to the ownership and access to the material force of production
Each Mode of Production produces..
- specific ways of obtaining necessities
- specific social relationships
- specific social institutions
Mode of production purpose..
It determines the political, social, and cultural shape of that society and it’s possible for future development
- the relationship between base and superstructure
Base is a combination of…
- Material Forces of production
- Social Relations of production
Material Forces of Production
Everything needed for production to take place, including labour power and the means of production
Social Relations of production
The social relations through which control over the productive forces in established and maintained
- who owns the factory, who pays the wages, who owns the tools
Base
- combination of forces production—> raw materials, your skills and attitude
- labour power—> what you’re giving to your manager
EVERY SOCIETY HAS ITS OWN BASE
Superstructure
- develops in conjunction with a specific mode of production
- consists of institutions and of definite forms of social consciousness
— Canada consists of constitutions, our educational system and political institution
— Definite forms of social consciousness, political, ethical and culture that are generated by these institutions
—-Democracy
Structure of Human Society
Superstructure
- education, family, religion, politics media (everything not to do with production of society
Base
- peoples relation to production, machines, factories, land, raw material (all things needed to produce)
Relationship between Base and Superstructure
The base determines the superstructure and the structure maintains and legitimates the base
- so in order to to have an education (base), peoples relations to production has to happen, things need to produce, like school (superstructure)
