SOCIOLOGY IS A RELATIVELY NEW SCIENCE
•IT BEGAN IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY AS A RESULT OF THE
,
PEOPLE WHO MOVED TO THE CITIES FROM THE RURAL
FARMS. SCIENTISTS BECAME OBSESSED WITH THE
UNREST THAT DEVELOPED IN THE CITIES.
AUGUSTE COMTE (1798-1857)
• FATHER OF SOCIOLOGY
• POSITIVISM IS THE IDEA THAT ALL SOCIOLOGY MUST BE BASED UPON
SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION
• SOCIAL STATISTICS: THE STUDY OF SOCIAL STABILITY AND ORDER
• SOCIAL DYNAMICS: THE STUDY OF SOCIAL CHANGE
• WROTE: POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY
HARRIET MARTINEAU (1802-1876)
• SHE WAS A BEST SELLING WRITER DURING HER TIME
• TRANSLATED COMTE’S POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY
• HER BOOK, SOCIETY IN AMERICA, MADE A CONNECTION BETWEEN
WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND ENSLAVED PEOPLE
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=FN7TWELIA9Q
KARL MARX (1818-1883)
• HE DID NOT CONSIDER HIMSELF A SOCIOLOGIST
• HE BELIEVED THAT SOCIETY WOULD EVENTUALLY DISSOLVE TO TWO CLASSES:
THE BOURGEOISIE (BUSINESS OWNERS) AND THE PROLETARIAT (WORKERS WHO
ARE PAID JUST ENOUGH TO SURVIVE)
• HE THOUGHT THE POOR WOULD RISE UP AND DESTROY THE RICH. SOCIETY
WOULD THEN BECOME CLASSLESS
• THEREFORE, PEOPLE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND PLAN THEIR OWN REVOLUTIONS
HERBERT SPENCER (1820-1903)
• THE ONLY CHILD OF NINE TO REACH ADULTHOOD
• HE COMPARED SOCIETY TO HUMAN BODY: EACH DOES ITS OWN THING BUT
WORKS TOGETHER, HEART/LUNGS/EYES VS RELIGION/GOVMENT/FAMILY
• SOCIAL CHANGE BASED UPON DARWIN’S THEORIES, SOCIAL DARWINISM
• SOCIETY SHOULDN’T INTERFERE WITH THE RICH OR POOR
EMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1920)
• BELIEVED IN MECHANICAL SOLIDARITY: SOCIAL DEPENDENCY BASED ON A WIDESPREAD CONSENSUS OF
VALUES AND BELIEFS AND DEPENDENCE ON TRADITION AND FAMILY
• ORGANIC SOLIDARITY: SOCIAL INTERDEPENDENCY BASED ON A HIGH DEGREE OF SPECIALIZATION OF
ROLES
• HE USED STATISTICS TO PROVE HIS IDEAS
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=Z9W0GQVONKC
MAX WEBER (1864-1920)
• SOCIOLOGISTS MUST DISCOVER THE PERSONAL MEANINGS, VALUES, BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES
UNDERLYING THE HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
• HE BELIEVED IN VERSTEHEN: UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL BEHAVIOR BY PUTTING YOURSELF IN THE PLACES
OF OTHERS
• HE ALSO IDENTIFIED “RATIONALIZATION”: THE MIND-SET EMPHASIZING KNOWLEDGE, REASON AND
PLANNING (EXAMPLE: FARMING BASED ON KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN SUPERSTITION)