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Chapter 2 Sociology’s Family Tree: Theories and Theorists 1
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What is Theory? Plausible explanation Cause-and-effect Among observed phenomenon 2
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What is Theory? Common-sense theories Everyone creates theories Make sense of world 3
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Common Sense Theories Examples: How to make friends? How to succeed in college? How to get a job? 4
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Sociological Theories Not just how things happen, but Why? 5
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Theory Vital to making sense of social life Facts make sense because we interpret them using Categories Assumptions 6
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Categories Class of people or things Particular shared characteristics 7
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Assumptions Beliefs we hold to be true Often with little or no evidence 8
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Assumptions About Human Nature 1.Selfish or Selfless 2.Aggressive or Compassionate 3.Competitive or Cooperative 4.Basic needs: Food / Water Companionship Perception of control 9
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Formal Sociological Theory Assumptions and categories explicit Open to examination Scrutiny, and Reformulation 10
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Sociological Theories Explain social world Make predictions->Future 11
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Sociological theory Where did it come from? Theories and theorists Current theoretical approaches Sociology as science
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Where did it come from? 18 th & 19 th century New system of production: Industrial revolution Capitalism Colonialism
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Where did it come from? Enlightenment: New Ideas Humanism Importance of human rather than divine matters Science Knowledge of physical world by observation & experimentation New political forms Democracies 14
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Auguste Comte (1798–1857)
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Theories and theorists Auguste Comte Coined term “Sociology” (1839) Also called “Social Physics” Assumption: Society=Organism Categories: Social Statics Social Dynamics 16
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Theorist: Auguste Comte Sociology-> Similar to biology Groundwork-future sociologists Helped build the discipline 17
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Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) Categories: Gender Politics Race Assumptions: Equality Belief in science
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Theorist: Harriet Martineau Social activist Labor unions Abolition of slavery Women’s suffrage Traveled to United States Translated Comte’s work from French to English 19
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Theorist: Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxfbq4evdTY The Greatest Individual of the 19 th Century
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***Theorist: Herbert Spencer Categories: “Fit” and “Unfit” Men and Women Rich and Poor 21
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Theorist: Herbert Spencer Assumptions: Society=Organism Societies adapt to changing environment “Survival of the Fittest” 22
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Theorist: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
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Theorist: Emile Durkheim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX QqMyMIAhI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX QqMyMIAhI Sociology->Academic discipline Taught courses Research—”Suicide” 24
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Theorist: Emile Durkheim Categories: Social facts (Material & Non- material) Types of social solidarity Mechanical solidarity— Similarities Organic solidarity— Differences 25
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Theorist: Emile Durkheim Assumptions: Society studied as science Social factors hold society together 26
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Karl Marx (1818-1883)
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Theorist: Karl Marx German philosopher Political activist Contributed to Conflict Theory 28
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Theorist: Karl Marx Categories: Social Class Proletariat Bourgeoisie Modes of Production 29
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Theorist: Karl Marx Assumptions Humans want to work Humans are creative Humans are social Society is shaped by “mode of production” 30
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Videos about Marx http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ztVeUX8Hpo&featu re=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ztVeUX8Hpo&featu re=related Marxism made simple http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KUl4yfABE 4&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KUl4yfABE 4&feature=related The Communist Manifesto Cartoon
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Max Weber (1864-1920)
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Theorist: Max Weber Categories: Types of societies Traditional Modern industrial Social Class Class Status Party 33
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Theorist: Max Weber Assumptions: Modern societies-> Dehumanizing Increasing bureaucracy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCAlZPF0 D0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCAlZPF0 D0&feature=related Social institutions=“Iron cage” 34
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Theorist: W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) 35
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Theorist: W.E.B. Du Bois Categories: Race African American perspective: “double consciousness” Education Industrial Higher
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Theorist: W.E.B. Du Bois Assumptions: History influences self “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” 37
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Modern Schools of Thought Structural Functionalism Society as: Stable Ordered system Interrelated parts 38
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Structural Functionalism Social institutions: Family Education Politics Economy Meets need of society Function 39
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Conflict Theory Social conflict basis: Of society and Social change Source of Conflict: Inequality 40
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Conflict theory Conflict and tension Basic to social life Disagreements over goals & values Sources of Conflict Scarce resources Power 41
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Conflict theory Focus: Dominance Competition Social change 42
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Conflict theory 1.Materialist Labor and Economic reality 2.Critical-> existing arrangements 3.Dynamic historical change Inevitable 43
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Symbolic Interactionism Interaction Symbols Shared meaning Social creation of reality 44
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Feminist Theory Gender inequalities Nature Source Gender structures social world Remedies to inequalities 45
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Queer Theory Sexual identity is social construct No sexual category fundamentally deviant or normal 46
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Postmodernist Theory Social reality is: Diverse Changing No truth, reason, right, order, or stability Everything is relative & temporary 47
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Theory in Everyday Life
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Perspective Level of Analysis Focus of Analysis Case Study
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