Sociology of Development By Irfan Azhar

Recap THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Global perspective is the study of the larger world and our society's place in it. Three categories of nations are identified based on their relative economic development. These include: The high-income countries, or industrial nations that are relatively rich. The middle-income countries, or nations characterized by limited industrialization and moderate-to-low personal income. The low-income countries, or nations with little industrialization and severe poverty.

Recap  Reasons why global perspective is so important are introduced, including:  (1) Societies all over the world are increasing interconnected, making traditional distinctions between "us" and "them" less and less valid; (2) Many human problems that we face in the United States are far more serious elsewhere; and (3) Studying other societies is an excellent way to learn more about ourselves.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE IN EVERYDAY LIFE  Encountering people who are different from us reminds us of how social forces shape our lives. Besides social diversity, there are two other kinds of everyday situations that also prompt us to view the world sociologically.

 Sociology and Social Marginality: The term social marginality refers to a state of being excluded from social activity as an "outsider." Different categories and groups of people in our sociey experience this phenomenon to varying degrees.  Sociology and Social Crisis: C. Wright Mills has suggested that certain historical periods have been represented by social disruption that has increased sociological awareness. The Great Depression in our society is discussed to illustrate.

Benefits of the Sociological Perspective  Four general benefits of using the sociological perspective are reviewed. These include: (1) Helping us assess the truth of commonly held assumptions, (2) prompting us to assess both the opportunities and the constraints that characterize our lives, (3) empowering us to participate activitely in our society, and (4) helping us recognize human variety and confront the challenges of living in a diverse world.

Applied Sociology  The benefits of sociology for various careers, particularly those involving social programs and social policy creation and implementation, are briefly discussed

Influences on Sociological Theory

Brief History of the world  People started to spread from Africa to Asia and Africa years back!  Environmental conditions influenced the population of different regions  humans had colonised nearly all the ice-free parts of the globe by the end of the Ice Age, some 12,000 years age.  At some point, humans began using fire for heat and cooking. They also developed language in the Palaeolithic period.  During the Paleolithic, humans grouped together in small societies such as bands, and subsisted by gathering plants and hunting or scavenging wild animals.

History  Chinese Philosopher Confucius ( BCE)  Greek Plato (427 – 347 BCE) and Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE)  Emperor Marcus Aurelius ( ) in Roman era  Shakespeare All thought about society. These thinkers were more interested in ideal society rathar than analyzing what society actually was.

THE ORIGINS OF SOCIOLOGY  The discipline of sociology emerged as a product of particular social forces in Europe during the nineteenth century. French sociologist Auguste Comte coined the term sociology in  Comte cared how society could be improved and strived to understand how society actually operates.  Factory based economy, growth of cities and new ideas about democracy and politics helped in the development of sociology.

Science and Sociology  Prior to the nineteenth century philosophers used only philosophical and theological perspectives in their studies, concentrating on the imaginary "ideal" rather than on the analysis of what society was really like. Sociology emerged as focus was given to understanding how society actually operates.  Auguste Comte argued for a scientific approach in studying society. He divided history into three distinct eras, which he labeled the theological stage, the metaphysical stage, and the scientific stage. Comte thus favored positivism, or an approach to understanding the world based on science.  Sociology emerged in the United States as an academic discipline during the early twentieth century.

Social Change and Sociology  Sociology emerged after the great transformations in European societies which took place during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Three basic interrelated changes fostered the emergence of the sociological perspective. These included: A New Industrial Economy: Rapid technological changes of the eighteenth century brought people in great numbers to work in factories. This change in the system of production weakened cultural traditions. The Growth of Cities: Factories drew people in from the countryside. Both "pushes" and "pulls" were involved in this process of urbanization. Political Change: Traditional notions of Divine Law were being replaced by ideas of individual liberty and individual rights. What can sociology do ---- French revolution! According to Alexis de Tocqueville changes brought by french revolution amounted to nothing short of regeneration of the whole human race!