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Sociology B1
Week One - Introduction to Sociology
David Allan Riess, MSW, LCSW
Your Challenge
“The difficulty in sociology, is to manage to think in a completely astonished and disconcerted (confused) way
about things you thought you had always understood.” -Pierre Bourdieu
Your Invitation
... to be fascinated by the commonplace, the everyday...
... see in a new light the very world in which we have lived all our lives.
... to learn that things are not what they seem. -Peter Berger, 1963
Your Website
www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/driess
Your Syllabus (Contract)
What is Sociology?
Sociology is a ________________________________.
Astronomers do not live in remote galaxies.
The nuclear physicist can, outside his laboratory, eat and laugh and marry and vote without thinking
about the insides of an atom.
The geologist looks at rocks only at the appropriate times.
The linguist speaks English with his wife.
Sociology B1 - Week One - Introduction to Sociology
-Peter Berger
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Social phenomena are much harder to study.
Variables are difficult to control.
The challenge in all sciences is to operationalize a concept so that it can be
measured.
Humming Bird Physiology and Social Capital for example.
“Operationalizing lends itself to ridicule in the social sciences because the concepts being studied tend to
be familiar ones that all of us would consider ourselves experts on.”
“Much of the practical difficulty in social science research resides in “operationalizing” fuzzy, hard-tomeasure, but important concepts such as happiness.”
-Jared Diamond, 1987, 2010
“The sociologist moves in the common world of [humans]... there is a deceptive simplicity and obviousness
about some sociological investigations.” -Berger, 1963
You are all already sociologists.
Sociology being more susceptible to ridicule must work harder to legitimize itself in a world of “arm-chair”
sociologists.
Defining Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of interactions and relations among human beings.
-McIntyre, 2014
Your Own Definition
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“Sociology is a science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action… to arrive at a causal
explanation of its course and effects.”
-Max Weber
“Social facts are things, that is realities external to the individual.”
-Emile Durkheim
Pre-Contractual Solidarity (Durkheim).
A Brief History
Philosophers/religious authorities of ancient and medieval societies made observations of
human behavior.
The church had to concede certain scientific truths about the physical world.
Humans became skeptical of the natural order of things which led to them becoming
skeptical about social order of things.
European theorists in 19th century were positioned to make pioneering observations/
contributions to understanding human behavior.
A Little Theology
The estate or status into which the individual was born was the estate into which that person
ought to have been born.
“The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them, high
and lowly, and ordered their estate.”
The Law of Three Stages
Theological Form
Metaphysical Form
Positivistic Form
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The Law of Three Stages
The sciences developed in this order:
Mathematics
Astronomy
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Sociology
Each of these sciences had to go through each of the three stages: theological, metaphysical, positivistic.
Emerging Positivistic Understanding
In the 16th century Greek/Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy determined that the earth was the center
of the universe using geometry.
This Geocentric perspective was reinforced by the institution of religion.
We are God’s unique creation. We ought to be the center of his universe.
Resistance to Positivism
Copernicus hypothesized that the universe was heliocentric, meaning that the planets (including
earth) revolved around the sun.
It was risky to go against the church in Copernicus’ time.
Galileo, with the use of a new scientific tool for observation, found evidence to support the
heliocentric hypothesis.
In part due to fear from the church he published his observation as a debate between two
scholars.
Resistance to Positivism
Galileo is found guilty of heresy; he questioned the church.
Spent the last 8 years of his life in prison.
Died 1642
Newton (born in 1642) published works in 1687 and would ultimately salvage Galileo’s
reputation.
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Industrial Revolution
Sir Richard Arkwright’s water frame (1768)
U.S. industrial revolution in two waves.
1811/12-Mid 1800s
1870-1914 (Start of WWI).
Henri de Saint-Simone
Aristocrat
Believed the ruling class should be given to the scientists.
“Industrialism is the future and progress is not a matter of science alone but
affects all the conditions of life… the new society [will] provide the basis for
solving all the old problems.”
August Comte
Hired by Saint-Simone
They split over who should receive credit for the Law of Three Stages.
Considered one of the most influential philosophers of the 1800s.
Claimed sociologists would be the experts on the earthly social world as astronomers are the
experts on the heavens.
Sociologists would reform society, making it a better place to live.
Sociology to take the place of religion.
Gave us the term SOCIOLOGY in 1838.
Positivism – A scientific approach to knowledge based on facts.
Harriet Martineau
Known primarily for translating Comte into English.
Wrote 35 books and numerous essays in sociology, religion, and domestics.
Was said to have a “masculine intellect”.
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Herbert Spencer
Studied “evolutionary” change in society.
Sociologists should not guide social reform.
Society evolving from “barbarian” to “civilized” forms.
Survival of the fittest.
Social Darwinism.
Karl Marx
Economist. Not a sociologist…. Says Karl
Engine of human history is class conflict.
Everything is secondary to economic realities.
Religion is the opium of the masses (It numbs the pain).
The Communist Manifesto.
Bourgeoisie
Proletariat.
Emile Durkheim
Pre-Contractual Solidarity
CollectiveConscience
Mechanical Solidarity
Organic Solidarity
Social facts and suicide
Major Contributions to:
Deviance
Religion
Work
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Ferdinand Tönnies
Interested in industrialization and its impact on society.
Tönnies examined changing relationships.
Two types of relationships:
Gemeinschaft
Gesellschaft
Max Weber
More than economics.
SES
Ideal-Type
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Examined Behavior
Rational Behavior
Non-Rational Behavior
Pre-Modern / Modern Typology
What They Examined
Pre-Modern Society
Modern Society
Durkheim
Tönnies
Weber
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Sociology in America
First course taught by William G. Sumner at Yale University.
The first Department of Sociology was organized in 1892 at the University of Chicago.
In 1905, sociologists organized the American Sociological Society.
Shortly thereafter changed it’s name to the American Sociological Association
(ASA).
Basic vs. Applied Sociology
Jane Addams
First and only sociologist to win the Noble Prize
1889 opened the Hull House for Chicago’s poor.
Studied the causes and consequences of poverty.
One of the founders of the NAACP.
Co-founded ACLU.
Eight hour work day.
Child labor.
Mother of Social Work.
W.E.B. DuBois
First African-American to earn a PhD from Harvard (1895).
Saw society as conflict-ridden.
More than economic inequality there was racial inequality.
Helped to found the NAACP
Double Consciousness
Later in life promoted segregation.
Moved to Ghana at age 93.
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