Sociology Lecture Notes PDF

Think about classical theories and then think about contemporary theories as well. o Teleological thinking- the idea that we’re always marching towards progress Challenge theories bad reputation. It is not an obscure mind game. Theories is a way of thinking and understanding...

Think about classical theories and then think about contemporary theories as well. o Teleological thinking- the idea that we’re always marching towards progress Challenge theories bad reputation. It is not an obscure mind game. Theories is a way of thinking and understanding. Theoretical thinking is about generalization o Relating a new situation to an old one to figure out patterns and predict what will happen Theories can be used to shed light on everyday scenarios A theory provides an explanation of a phenomena o It is not a definition o It’s the how a change occurs, not just that it changes Opinions is a view or judgement, not necessarily based in fact or knowledge A fact is something that is indisputable o It exists outside your head Facts, opinions, and theories all get mixed up in discussions and debates Common sense assumptions is based off of personal preference and opinions We have to take into account our common sense assumptions in order to be the best theorists o The frameworks that we use to make sense of the world have to be questioned o The familiar has to become strange before we can be a good theorist o Everyone phenomena needs an explanation Ask questions about everyday reality even if we think we already know the answer Mapping social relations: Social theories map the space we navigate. We have to negotiate social relations in the same ways we use maps to navigate the school. When is it appropriate to make eye contact? To sit in silence? We use our base knowledge to know when to do what. Social theory’s aim is to make the social relations we navigate everyday, visible to us. o Many key aspects of society are not visible to us Introducing classical sociological theory: Older/earlier theories o People think they’re irrelevant and outdated. This is not true o Social media has changed our worlds. Classical theories can relate to social media o A theory tries to explain how certain facts or variables are related in order to predict future events Towards a science of society: Sociology was developed because they wanted to control the development of people in the 19th and 20th centuries o The thinkers of this time needed a framework to identify and contemplate and structure they were in o They needed to anticipate the consequences of their attempts to change this structure Henri de Saint-Simon and the study of industrial society (1760-1825): o He was described as wild and uncontrollable o He tried to promote canal building in France o When the French Revolution broke out he gave it his full support o He was one of the first to recognize a new social order was emerging out of the decline of feudalism o He was one of the first to introduce the term industrial society o He argued that industrialism was brining a new society  o Thought this new society would provide a base to solve all of the problems based in feudalism Social physiology- the ways that this new society should be studied The idea that society was like a living organism that could be studied its social organization. EX its growth, its stability o Begin by closely observing the course of civilization. This would yield laws of social organization Move from a Christian perspective to a scientific perspective He was one of the first to apply scientific thinking to the analysis of social organization The earlier writings about society were not based in science Most used the explanation that “god said no” Saint-Simon was one of the first to use science to explain. He advocated for the Industrial Revolution He wanted to preserve society, but also saw the pressing need for change of social norms. He was both radical and conservative Auguste Comte and the funding of sociology: He sought to reconcile the aftermath of the French Revolution o The distraught brought by the reign of terror He believed that European society was in a state of crisis because one form of social organization was being replaced by another He didn’t believe something new and exciting was happening He was an optimist He saw the French Revolution as a little more then social disorganization. Very pessimistic view of what was happening. He prospered a new scientific approach. Positivism What are the criteria by which we can distinguish scientific from non-scientific knowledge? He believed through careful study he could find some kind of natural laws “Society is more then just the sum of the individuals who make it up” Ones these laws had been proven they could be used to modify or change these worlds Any given society was an organic whole. Society needs to be a science of the whole given organism. Interdependent relation to one another. You have to study all of it, not certain parts You can’t study any parts of society if it is separated into divisions. You can’t study a single finger to decide the health of the entire body Positivism: every justifiable claim we make can be scientifically proven. Or it can be proven logically or mathematically How do we get to a positivist world? Law of three stages: Theological- sought absolute knowledge. To know the cause of everything. Why things happen. Imagination rules over observation. IMAGINATION AND FAITH Metaphysical- transitory stage- you can’t go from being theological to scientific immediately. This is the stage in between. Pulls on some facts but also some religious Positive- observation trumps imagination. Truth is judged by empirical facts. OBSERVATION Advantages of positivism: The positive system discovers other systems within Positivism is based on empirical observation. Provides the base for agreement He was opposed to the idea of “agree to disagree” concept. He wanted to find a way out of this and created a basis for agreement Positivism provides relief from the seeming arbitrariness of human existence. Politics based on beliefs was not based on reason and was harmful to society. This did not provide a basis for agreement  He was trying to find the laws to create that would be able to crease that base He was an elitist. He thought positivism would dominate because it would uncover so many laws He thought if we just waited, everything would get better over time