Download History of Soc - Beavercreek City Schools

HISTORY OF SOCIOLOGY
THE BEGINNING
• The Industrial Revolution and
rapid Urbanization (people
moving to cities) of mid-1800’s
caused many new issues.
• Different economy, different types of
work, people (ppl) living close and
often poor conditions, more people
than jobs or housing, pollution,
impersonality
• Built off the Scientific Revolution of
the 1700’s
EARLY SCHOLARS
• Comte: “Father of
Sociology”
• Gave name and used scientific
principals to study social life;
focused on order and(&)
change.
• Most ideas today not used
Harriet Martineau
• Published work based on her travels in
the US which helped bring focus to
what sociology studies: Family,
Marriage, Race Relations, etc.
• Set the standard for objectivity in
research and reporting
• Translated Comte for English speakers
• Believed that scholars should advocate
to change problems they studied
• Herbert Spencer
• Applied biological principals to societyinterrelated and interdependent parts
working to maintain a system
• Saw change and unrest as natural in the
movement towards stability
• Developed idea of Social Darwinism (the
strongest social elements succeed)
• No longer used
Karl Marx
• Not popular during his life due to political views
• Believed that society structured itself based on the
economic structure
• Always two classes
• Bourgeoisie/Capitalists/Owners things needed
to make other things
• Proletariat/Workers/Labor
• Believed the workers need to overthrow owners
and create classless society
• Each according their ability, Each according to
their needs
• Ideas linking social structure and economy, as well
(&) as the idea that conflict is necessary have had
lasting impact
Emile Durkheim
• Also used methods of science,
believed in studying only what
was observable
• Focused on social order &
interdependent parts, but based
on their function
• Saw shared beliefs, especially
religion, as what held society
together
Max Weber
• Looked at groups and interactions rather
than (not) the whole
• Thought sociologists should try to uncover
thoughts and feelings as well; what meanings
people attach to their actions
• Concept of the ‘Ideal Type’: using many
different examples to come up with a
general set of characteristics to
describe/show an element
• American Sociologists
• Chicago School: focused on interactions and impact of society on the
individual
• Cooley and Mead
• Belief in finding practical solutions to social problems
• Leads to Interactionist Perspective
• Jane Addams becomes part-time professor
• Jane Addams
• Set up Hull House in Chicago to assist those in need and new immigrant
families
• Leads to the need of exacting data collection to understand the problems
• Often times seen as ‘social worker’ rather than Sociologist, even with her
published work
• WEB Du Bois
• Uses his training to examine the conditions of African-American communities
and race relations in the US.
• Also believed in social reform