1. Famous sociologists And Major sociological perspectives
Origins of Sociology
Famous sociologists
And
Major sociological perspectives

2. What, where, when and why Sociology?
Took root in 1800s
Originated primarily in France, Germany and England
These countries had most strongly felt the effects of the Industrial Revolution which took place over time between 1760 and 1840

3. Changes in the Industrial Revolution
Shift from farms to large-scale production
Factory replace the home as means of production
Shift from country to large city living
Rise in poverty as number of people seeking jobs outnumbered jobs
Housing Shortages
Crime
Pollution
Difficulties adapting to city life

4. Then What Happened?
Over time it became more difficult to ignore the effect of society on the individual
Individual rights became the focus of political movements
Demands for freedom and rights gave rise to the French ( ) and American ( ) Revolutions

5. So, Sociology is Born Political, social and economic changes
Scholars attempt to study social principles using scientific methods to explain basic principles that govern society

6. Auguste Comte Founder of Sociology as a distinct subject
Coined the term “sociology” as the study of society
Basic areas of study – social order and social change
Statics – processes that hold society together
Social dynamics – Society changes through processes
Like the physical world – society operates under a set of laws

7. Herbert Spencer
Strongly influenced by the work of the evolutionist Charles Darwin
Used Darwin's’ theory of evolution of biological organisms to society
Society has independent parts that work together to maintain the health of society
Social Darwinism – social change and unrest are natural processes and societies that are the fittest will survive
Felt because of this, these natural processes should be allowed to occur without intervention
Coined the phrase “survival of the fittest”

8. Karl Marx – Conflict Theory
Structure of a society is influenced by how its economy is organized
Society is divided into two parts
Bourgeoisie – capitalists who own the means of production
Proletariat – workers, own nothing, but provide the labor needed to produce goods
SO THEN
This imbalance would lead to class conflict that would only end when the proletariat joined together to overthrow the bourgeoisie
After this conflict, the proletariat would create a classless society where each would contribute according to ability and each would be rewarded according to his needs

9. Emile Durkheim
Concerned with problem of social order and the interdependent parts that maintain a system
Viewed the role of the independent parts in terms of their function – the consequence that an element of society produces for the maintenance of its social system.
Particularly interested in the function of religion in maintaining social order.
Famous study Suicide
Sociologists should only study the directly observable

10. Max Weber
Interested in separate groups in society and not society as a whole
Emphasis on the effects of society on the individual
Sociologists should go beyond the directly observable to uncover the feelings and thoughts of individuals
Verstehen – an attempt to understand the meanings individuals attach to their actions = Putting oneself in the place of others to see the situation through their eyes.
Ideal type – a description comprised of the essential characteristics of a feature of society.

11. Harriet Martineau
Observed society in the United States including race relations, family and religion
Published the study Theory and Practice of Society in America
Set the standards for objectivity in sociological study

12. Jane Addams
Opened Hull House in Chicago in 1889 to service the needs of the poor
If she was to help the poor she needed to know the exact nature of their problems
Widespread survey of Chicago poor and their social challenges
Published “Hull-House Maps and Papers.” First serious discussion of industrialization and urbanization effects
First American Woman to be awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Founder of the field of Social Work

13. Three Main Theoretical Perspectives
FUNCTIONALISTS - see society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system; focus on functions and dysfunctions
CONFLICT THEORISTS - focus on forces in society that promote competition and change; see social change as an inevitable feature of society
INTERACTIONISTS - focus on how individuals interact in society and on the meanings individuals attach to their own and to other’s actions