1. Social Agents and Theorists
December 4, 2013

2. Recap
Eric Erickson – Stages of development
Socialization

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

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

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

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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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