1. Origins of Sociology
Section 2

2. Historical Connection
Cultural shift
Agricultural societies shift to industrial societies
Changes peaked to interest of scholars 2

3. Important People in Sociology
Auguste Comte
Harriet Martineau
Herbert Spencer
Karl Marx
Emile Durkheim
Max Weber
Jane Addams
W.E.B. Du Bois 3

4. Auguste Comte 1798-1857 Father of Sociology (coined the term)
Concerned with improving society
Believed society should be studied scientifically
Social Statics – study of social stability and order
Social dynamics – study social change 4

5. © 2002-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Harriet Martineau
Pronounced “Martin’o’”
Born in Norwich, England
Upper middle class family
Textiles and Imported Wine
Education
Self study at home
Saturday, April 15, 2017
© by Ronald Keith Bolender 5
© by Ronald Keith Bolender 5

6. © 2002-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
Harriet Martineau
Dealt with the problem of deafness throughout her life
She took the risk of being a “single” female in a very male-dominated economic world.
Her father died during the 1820’s and her fiancé had a mental and physical collapse…she decided to escape the confines of a Victorian marriage.
She remained single and independent the rest of her life.
By 1829, she had decided to commit herself to the writing profession.
She was concerned with the oppression of women
Saturday, April 15, 2017
© by Ronald Keith Bolender 6 6

7. Herbert Spencer
Dabbled in engineering, drafting, inventing, journalism, and writing
Society is like the human body
Created the idea of Social Darwinism 7

8. Social Darwinism
Natural selection applies to nature as well as society
Don’t interfere with who is rich or poor
Society will naturally weed out those that are not strong enough to survive 8

9. Karl Marx 1818-1883 Did not call himself a sociologist Communist
Class conflict will determine history
Proletariat vs Bourgeosie 9

10. Karl Marx Proletariat – working class (work for bourgeoisie)
Bourgeoisie – own the means for producing wealth (own businesses that employ proletariat) 10

11. Emile Durkheim 1858-1917 Researched suicide
Explained mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity 11

12. Emile Durkheim Contributions
Several major contributions to sociology:
Distinguishing and elaborating the field of sociology from other social sciences
Emphasis on empirical data to lend support to theoretical speculations
Focus on the division of labor and its consequences for social life
Collective conscience or the need for a common core of values and moral rules

13. Emile Durkheim Continues
Mechanical solidarity – consensus of values and beliefs, enforced conformity, and dependence on tradition (agrarian societies)
Organic solidarity – social interdependence based on goods and services (industrial societies) 13

14. Max Weber 1864-1920 Single most influence on sociology
Verstehen and rationalization 14

15. Max Weber
Verstehen – putting yourself in someone's shoes to understand social behavior
Rationalization – emphasizing knowledge, reason, and planning (as opposed to superstition and tradition) 15

16. Janes Addams
Focused on the effects of industrialism on the lower class
Fought for social justice for immigrants, the sick, the poor, and the elderly
Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1931

17. W.E.B. Du Bois 1868-1963 Fought for African-American equality
Influenced early development of sociology in America