Today:
Sociologists to know
Social Class
Next class: Test 3
“History calls those men the greatest who
have ennobled themselves by working for
the common good” Karl Marx
What are you thoughts on the
results? Extra Credit Option
Auguste Comte
(1798 –1857, France)
• Coined the term “sociology”
• Positivism: applying the scientific
approach to the social world
• Discover social facts AND apply info
to social reform (make the world
better)
Herbert Spencer
• Sociology should NOT
include social reform
• “Organism” theorysociety is constantly
evolving like an organism
• Coined term “Survival of
the Fittest”
1820-1903, England
Karl Marx
• Economist, concerned with
Social Change
• Developed theories of Class
Conflict
• Described Capitalism as a 2
class system of bourgeoisies
and proletariat
1818-1883, Prussia, Germany
Emile Durkheim
• Study of suicide
• Elementary Forms of
Religious Life
• Believed sociologists
should look for causes of
social problems and
develop solutions
1858-1917, France
Max Weber
• Believed religion was the
main force of social change
• The Protestant Ethic and
Spirit of Capitalism
• Personal values or biases
should not influence social
research
1864-1920, Germany
Harriet Martineau 1802-1876, England
• First recognized female
sociologist
• Simplified Comte’s work from
French to English
• How to Observe Morals and
Manners. – Research Methods
Jane Addams
• Founded the Hull House:
social services agency in
Chicago
• 1st American woman to earn
the Nobel Peace Prize
• Said crime in urban areas was
not a result of the people, but
of economic desperation
1860-1935, United States
W.E.B. Du Bois
• First African American to
receive a doctorate from
Harvard
• Part of creation of NAACP
(National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People)
• Concerned with racial equality
and criminology
1868-1963, United States
George Herbert Mead 1863-1931, United States
• Children understand social world
through play
• Published Mind Self Society
• Described internal thought
processes and conflicts:
I, Me, Self, Mind
Charles Horton Cooley
• Studied the subject of
“the self”
• Interested in social interaction
• Looking Glass Self: He stated that
we form our sense of ourselves by
looking in a mirror. That mirror
symbolizes the people that we
interact with
1864-1929, United States
Robert K. Merton 1910-2003, United States
• Typology of Prejudice and
Discrimination
• Discussion of functions and
dysfunctions (manifest and latent) –
unintended consequences
• Theory on deviance
Social Class
What is social stratification?
Institutionalized pattern
of inequality
Some people get more
access to resources than
others
Reflecting inequalities
in life chances
How has U.S. policy influenced social
stratification?
View: The Way We Live. Ups and Downs of
Social Stratification
Discuss your answers in groups of
2-4
The American Dream-Rags to Riches
“America is the land of opportunities, anyone who works
hard enough can achieve anything and accomplish any
goal.”
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Why?
This belief is called Horatio Alger
myth: the belief that due to limitless
possibilities anyone can get ahead if
he or she tries hard enough
Mid to late 1800’s
View on Poverty
Symbolic Interactionist
Structural Functionalist
Conflict Theory
What is social class?
According to Max Weber: people who rank closely to one
another in terms of class/wealth, power, and prestige.
class/wealth
Property and
income minus
debt
1864-1920
power
Ability to carry
out one’s will
despite the
resistance of
others
prestige
Level of
respect an
individual or
their position
demands
Status consistent vs. Status inconsistent
Most people rank equally on all = Status Consistent
Status inconsistent =not equal on all 3 measures of class
class/wealth
power
prestige
Property and income Ability to carry out
Level of respect an
minus debt
one’s will despite the individual or their
resistance of others position demand
What is social class?
• According to Karl Marx: a system of “haves” and “havenots” based on the means of production
• 2 classes: bourgeoisie and proletariat
Lawyer who works for a firm and
clients
1818 –1883
Independent cab driver who owns
his taxi
*Bourgeois= adjective
Conflict Perspective
• According to Karl Marx the ruling class control the economic
system for its own benefit and exploits and oppresses the
masses
Karl Marx
•German
•Published Communist
Manifesto in 1848
C. Wright Mills
Power Elite.
Key people in three major institutions of modern society,
government, military, and economy.
1916-1962
Power Elite
• Political elite: highest political leaders
• The military elite: high-ranking military officials.
• Economic elite: major corporate owners and directors
Small group of people who control a high amount of wealth,
and access to decision-making of global consequence
Causes of Poverty
Functionalist Perspective
• Poverty persists because it performs some positive function
Causes of Poverty
Functionalist Perspective
Sociologists Kingsley Davis and Wilber Moore (1945) highly criticized view:
• Talents are rewarded and all positions
in a society (doctors - janitors)
must be filled
• Poverty discourages people from neglecting
their social duties
Causes of Poverty
Interactionist Perspective- 1st view
• People in poverty adapt to their
life circumstances
• Makes it more difficult to
improve their circumstances
• Criticized view because it seems
to “blame the victim”
Symbolic
Interactionist Perspective 2nd view
Labels of poor:
View of wealthy:
•irresponsible
•lazy
•low motivation
•low ability
•low morals
•capable
•hard working
•motivated
•deserving of wealth
•evil, greedy, undeserving
Which explanation of poverty applies best to
today’s economic crisis?
a. Symbolic Interactionist A: people get accustomed to living in
poverty and therefore have difficulty changing the situation
b. Symbolic Interactionist B: people in poverty get labeled as lazy
and lose out on opportunities due to the label
c. Structural Functionalist: poverty is a functional in society, it
motivates people to seek higher rewards
d. Conflict Theory: The masses are exploited by the few who have
money and power
Coming up:
Next Class
Tuesday NOV 13th: Test 3, STUDY
Check your grades on website (not including paper)
Socialism and Capitalism

Socialism
Economic system in which the means of producing
goods and services are collectively owned.

Capitalism
Economic system in which private individuals or
groups invest capital to produce goods and services
to sell for a profit in a competitive market.
Socialism and Capitalism

View Michael Moore’s: Capitalism: A Love Story
Terms:
Fannie Mae (The Federal National Mortgage Association)
Freddie Mac (Federal Home Mortgage Corporation):
Mortgage finance lenders that have operated since 1968 as
government sponsored enterprises (GSEs). Privately owned and
operated by shareholders, but protected financially by the
support of the Federal Government.
Today:
What is Social Class?
Sociological Perspectives on Poverty
Socialism and Capitalism
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to
help you discover who you are.” -Bernice Johnson Reagon, singer
Social Class
Next class
Study for Quiz 3
“Success means having the courage,
the determination, and the will to
become the person you believe you
were meant to be.”George Sheehan,
Philosopher