Chapter 2a Classical Social Theories Part 2 PDF

Chapter 2 Classical Social Theories Part 1 Learning Objectives 1. Describe the contributions of early classical philosophers Durkheim, Marx and Weber (for part 1 our focus is Durkheim) 2. Review and critique functionalism and the contributions of its principal theorists (for part 1) 3. Re...

Chapter 2 Classical Social Theories Part 1 Learning Objectives 1. Describe the contributions of early classical philosophers Durkheim, Marx and Weber (for part 1 our focus is Durkheim) 2. Review and critique functionalism and the contributions of its principal theorists (for part 1) 3. Review and critique conflict theory and the contributions of its founding theorists 4. Review and critique symbolic interactionism and the contributions of its founding theorists “Seeing” the World Theoretically A theory is a statement that tries to explain how facts or events are related, in order to predict future events Each theory has both strengths and weaknesses Each theorist offers unique insights into our social world The Enlightenment (1650-1799) Challenged years of Christian teachings Philosophes advocated critical thinking and practical knowledge and built on the natural sciences Challenged beliefs guided in tradition Resulted in the ability of the masses to challenge their oppressors Rational, scientific, universal civilization was at the heart of the Enlightenment (McDonald, 1994). Reorganization of societies Sociology was born out of the conservative reaction against Enlightenment thinking  Economic and Political Upheaval American Revolution 1775-1776 and the French Revolution 1787-1799 Industrial Revolution Rise of Capitalism Urbanization Secularization The Birth of Sociology Conservatives believed that society is not the product of individuals, rather an entity in itself 1. Society exists on its own 2. Society produces the individual 3. Individuals simply fill positions 4. Smallest unit of social analysis is the family 5. Parts of society are interrelated and interdependent 6. Change is a threat 7. Social institutions are beneficial 8. Modern social changes create fear and anxiety 9. Emphasis on seemingly irrational factors 10.Return to social hierarchies and healthy competition Functionalism Social world is a dynamic system of interrelated and interdependent parts Social structures exist to help people fulfill their wants and desires Human society is similar to an organism, when it fails to work together the “system” will fail Society must meet the needs of the majority Dominant theoretical paradigm between the late 1920s and the early 1960s Key Theorists: Herbert Spencer (1820-1903, Emile Durkheim 1858- 1917, Talcott Parsons, 1902-1979, Robert Merton 1910-2003) EMILE DURKHEIM (1858- 1917) Key Concepts (some) Social fact Anomie Social solidarity (mechanical and organic) Collective conscience Social integration  There are three themes that transcend all of Durkheim’s work: social facts—conditions and circumstances external to the individual that, nevertheless, determine one’s course of action. social solidarity, or the cohesion of social groups. positivism: rational, scientific, measured thinking Functionalist Theorists Emile Durkheim - Founder of modern sociology Human action originates in the collective rather than in the individual Collective conscience drives behaviour Social facts are general social features that exist on their own and are independent of individual manifestations Anomie is a state of normlessness that results from the lack of clear goals and creates feelings of confusion that may ultimately result in higher suicide rates Mechanical solidarity describes early societies based on similarities and independence Organic solidarity describes later societies organized around The Division of Labour 1893 Focus on social integration: Related questions: 1. How are individuals made to feel part of a larger social collective? 2. How are their desires and wants constrained in a way that allows them to participate in the collective? 3. How are the activities of individuals and other social units coordinated and adjusted to one another? (so how are patterns of social organization created, maintained and transformed?) (Turner, Beeghley and Powers, 2007: 280-281). The Division of Labor in Society cont. Durkheim argued that there were two basic types of solidarity: mechanical and organic. Mechanical solidarity is typified by feelings of likeness. It is rooted in everyone doing/feeling the same thing. Type of solidarity is characteristic of small, traditional societies (small farming villages). Organic solidarity refers to a type of solidarity in which each person is interdependent with others, forming a complex web of cooperative associations. It comes from embracing individual differences and knowing that each is doing her part for the good of the whole (more contemporary urban spaces). The Rules of Sociological Method Three essential points: (1) sociology is a distinct field of study. (2) although the social sciences are distinct from the natural sciences, the methods of the latter can be applied to the former. (3) the social field is also distinct from the psychological realm. Desfor Edles, Laura and Scott Appelrouth. 2010: 111 Social facts are general social features that exist on their own and are independent of individual manifestations Suicide 1897 Suicides could be classified by the nature of an individuals level of integration. There are two types of integration: 1. Attachment to social groups and their goals. 2. Regulation by the collective conscience of the social grouping. (Turner et al, 2007: 298) Suicide 1897 Durkheim saw two main characteristics of modern, industrial society: (1) a lack of integration of the individual in the social group (2) a lack of moral regulation. Four categories of suicide 1. Egoistic suicide 2. Altruistic suicide 3. Anomic Suicide 4. Fatalistic Suicide  Can you think of Question some criticisms s To of functionalism? Think Is this theory still About applicable today?