Social Agents and Theorists December 4, 2013

Recap Eric Erickson – Stages of development Socialization

Definition Norms: A group-held belief about how members should behave in a given context Example? Social Structures: Patterned social arrangements in society that are both emergent from a determinant of the actions of the individual

Definition Social Distinctions: Distinctions denotes a social force that assigns different values upon different people within a given society Example? Socio- economic Status: Economic and social factors combined to total measure of a persons status in relation to others

The Sociological Perspective Recall: Perspective is a way of looking at (or interpreting) something Sociologists look at the social world (or society) and, in particular, the nature of the relationships within it

Review Pull out the handout from September called Pioneers of Sociology Emile Durkheim Karl Marx Max Weber Dorothy Smith

Emile Durkheim France, 1917-1958 Brought sociology to forefront (first journal of sociology) Theory of social facts: things such as customs, institutions, and organizations exert control over people

Karl Marx Germany, 1818-1883 Believed capitalism (class differences) would be replaced with communism (everyone would have equal access to products and benefits) Wrote The Communist Manifesto

Max Weber Germany, 1864-1920 Disagreed with Marx (class structure) Believed human values and beliefs affected how people acted throughout history

Herbert Spencer England, 1820-1903 Theory of Social Darwinism: The most fit people (aka wealthy) would be the most successful in society

George Herbert Mead United States, 1863-1931 Social interactivism: How people ‘define the situation’ in different roles and settings in society

Talcott Parsons United States, 1902-1979 Theory of Structural Functionalism: Social Structures performed positive functions in society Functions ensured the social system would remain stable and orderly and able to absorb change

Dorothy E. Smith Canada, 1926- Women and powerless have been excluded from sociological research Society must include women and the powerless in how we think, speak, write, and act on a daily basis

Theorist Activity Grab a magazine and find a spot in the class That Louis Vuitton bag disgusts me! Everyone should have a workable bag Grab a magazine and find a spot in the class Pick an advertisement or article that you like Choose a theorist in the review, and analyze the article Make 5 facebook posts commenting on that article/ad as your theorist