SOCIOLOGY 402: INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
I. Orientation
- who am I?
- what am I doing here?
- how?
- why?
- so what?
II. What is Sociological Theory?
- what is sociology?
- what is theory?
III. Why did it develop
- when?
- where?
- how?
IV. National/Regional effects
- on instituted order
- on instituted political debate
- on development of orthogonal, extra-institutional
sociological perspectives
IV. Philosophical and Political Dimensions of
- institutionalized political debate
- sociological debate
A Model of Political Attitudes*
Faith in
Existing Institutions
Faith in
Common
People
optimistic
pessimistic
optimistic
Liberal
Radical
pessimistic
Conservative
Reactionary
* Adaptation of model used by Tom Ruth, Political
Science professor at Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY IS
- A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS, ASSERTIONS, AND
PROPOSITIONS
- ORGANIZED IN THE FORM OF AN
EXPLANATION OR INTERPRETATION
- OF THE NATURE, FORM, OR CONTENT OF
SOCIAL ACTION
SOCIAL ACTION IS
- ACTION THAT TAKES OTHERS INTO
ACCOUNT (WEBER)
- IT MIGHT INVOLVE
- INDIVIDUALS
- GROUPS
- ORGANIZATIONS
- INSTITUTIONS
WHY DID SOCIOLOGY DEVELOP IN LATE
NINETEENTH CENTURY WESTERN EUROPE AND
THE UNITIED STATES?
1. THE INSTITUTIONAL ORDER FUNDAMENTALLY
CHANGED—RAPIDLY AND DRAMATICALLY
2. THERE WAS A PROTRACTED POLITICAL
DEBATE, WITHIN THE INSTITUTED
GOVERNMENT, BETWEEN
- ENLIGHTMENT LIBERALISM
- REACTIONARIES
3. SOCIOLOGY DEVELOPED AS AN INDEPENDENT
OR ORTHOGONAL DEBATE BETWEEN
CONSERVATIVES AND RADICALS