 French ( )  Founder of Sociology as a distinct subject  Applied the methods of physical science to social life  Causes and consequences of French Revolution (social order and social change)  Social statics: certain process that holds society together  Social dynamics: definite processes through which society changes Today-ideas have been refuted, but basic concepts of order and change still studied by modern Sociologists

 English ( )  Civil engineer for a railway company  Influenced by Charles Darwin-adopted a biological model of society  Society is set of interdependent parts that work together to maintain the system over time  Social change and unrest are natural occurrences during society’s evolution toward stability and perfection  Social Darwinism- “survival of the fittest” the fittest societies would survive over time leading to a general upgrading of the world as a whole  Fell out of favor after making unfounded claims and disregarding rules of scholarship

 Prussian (German) – ( )  Writer and editor for a radical newspaper  Structure of society is influenced by how its economy is organized  Two classes- -Bourgeoisie: (capitalists) own the means of productions, materials and methods to produce goods and services -Proletariats: (workers) own nothing, but provide the labor to produce goods and services  Imbalance of power leads to conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariats. The proletariats unite and overthrow those in power.  Proletariats- build a classless society each contributing, “according to ability” and rewarded “according to needs”  Emphasis on conflict as primary cause of social change (Conflict Theory)

 French ( )  Developed the first university sociology course  First to systematically apply the methods of science to the study of society  Social order: society as a set of interdependent parts that maintain the system throughout time  Function: the consequence that an element of society produces for the maintenance of its social system  Function of religion in maintaining social order  Shared beliefs and values are the glue that hold society together  Influential in modern sociology  Sociologists should only study what is directly observable

 Prussian (German) ( )  Interested in separate groups within society rather than society as a whole  Effect of society on the individual  Sociology should go beyond studying what is directly observed and attempt to uncover feelings and thoughts  Verstehen- an attempt to understand the meanings individuals attach to their actions  Ideal type- description comprised of essential characteristics of a feature of society

Theory – explanation of relationships among particular phenomena Theoretical perspectives – broad set of assumptions about the nature of things (specific ideas about the nature of social life)

 Broadly based on Comte, Spencer and Durkheim  Society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system  Consensus: most people agree on what is best for society and work together to ensure a smoothly social system

 The negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system  -Example: crime disrupts society rather than stabilizes it

 Manifest Function: The intended and recognized consequence of some element of society (automobile = speedy transportation)  Latent Function: The unintended and unrecognized function of an element of society (automobile = social standing)

 Influenced by Karl Marx  Focus on changes in society that promote competition and change  The exercise of control by those who have power over those who do not  Competition of scarce resources is at the basis of social conflict  Violent and nonviolent competition

 Influenced by Max Weber  Focuses on how individuals interact with one another in society  How individuals respond to one another in everyday situations and the meanings attached to actions

 Anything that represents something else  Members of society must agree on the meaning  Examples- gestures, words, events (American flag, Uncle Sam, fireworks on the 4 th of July)

 Interaction between people that takes place through the use of symbols