Download Founders of Sociology

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Founders of Sociology WebQuest
Your task is to investigate the founders of Sociology.
Sociology is a relatively new area of study emerging in the 1800's. Massive changes occurred during the late
1800's, such as many nationalist revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, changes in science and math, ideas of
progress and democracy. The Industrial Revolution is tagged as the primary cause of change during the 19th
century leading to changes in economy, politics, and society. As a result of these drastic changes, great thinkers
began to wonder what triggered the societal shifts taking place around them. Using methods created for the
physical sciences during the Scientific Revolution, social thinkers set out to understand the new dynamic taking
shape under industrialization. Originating in European countries such as Great Britain, France, and Germany,
Sociology took shape and quickly spread as a means to better understand the world in which we live as well as
how we connect to that world. The United States was quick to pick up this new area of study dealing with
similar issues of industrialization as Europe. American Sociology became hands-on focusing not only on
studying society but also finding solutions and changing society. These sociologists became the modern social
worker, using sociology to better understand what causes problems and then using the results to fix the society
around them. The influence of Sociology continues today in all social fields including social work, teaching,
criminal justice, and social reformers. The founders of Sociology started an age of thinking about society and
why it changes. Sociology is now one of the fastest growing and popular areas of study with many branches
including criminal justice and social work. The theories created by the founders are still used to evaluate
religion, marriage, race/ethnicity, education, poverty, government, gender, age and many more areas of our
society
Notes:
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Focus Questions:
What is the biographical information of your founder? (when and where they were born and historical events
shaping their studies)
What is their sociological perspective? (how did they view society, what theories did they create)
What was their impact on Sociology?
Possible Websites To Use:
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/CliffsReviewTopic/The-Founders-of-Sociology.topicArticleId26957,articleId-26835.html
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Sociology-in-America.topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26836.html
http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Philosophy/Comte.htm
http://www.biography.com/people/auguste-comte-9254680
http://sociology.about.com/od/Profiles/p/Auguste-Comte.htm
http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/spencer.htm
http://www.6sociologists.20m.com/spencer.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Spencer
http://www.6sociologists.20m.com/marx.html
http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/soc-marx.htm
http://www.sociologyguide.com/thinkers/Karl-Marx.php
http://www.emile-durkheim.com/
http://www.sociologyprofessor.com/socialtheorists/emiledurkheim.php
http://durkheim.itgo.com/main.html
Concluding Questions (Done After WebQuest):
What perspectives and theories did these thinkers use to explain the changes?
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How do we continue to use their ideas in Sociology?
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Emile Durkheim
Karl Marx
Herbert Spencer
Auguste Comte
Founder
Biographical Information
Sociological Perspective
Impact on Sociology