The Sociological Perspective Introduction to Sociology Chapter 1

The Sociological Point of View Our view of the world is shaped by our daily lives ~ our values, beliefs, lifestyles, personal experiences and historic events shape our thoughts and opinions to form us into unique individuals who have diverse and varied outlooks

Early Development of Sociology The roots of Sociology began during the Industrial Revolution * the ideals of the enlightenment era * scientific method used to study society The rapid urbanization of the population led to a multitude of social problems : * crime * housing shortages * pollution * competition for factory jobs

Influential Sociologists . . . Auguste Comte ( French ) Karl Marx ( German ) Herbert Spencer ( English ) Emile Durkheim ( French ) Max Weber ( German )

Comte : Comte is considered the “Founder of Sociology” Primary concern was to find solutions to the chaos developed by the French Revolution Believed that the scientific method could be applied to societies ills as it was applied to the natural sciences Believed that sociologists should be concerned with finding forces that caused “order in society” and “change in society” ( social development )

Marx : Marx focused his research on social classes Society is divided between those who “own the means of production” and those who provide the “labor” Labeled this an imbalance of economic power Leads to conflict and troubling social conditions Anti – capitalist Proponent of socialism leading to communism

Spencer : Considered “social change” and “chaos” a natural occurrence in a society’s evolution Best aspects of society would survive over time – no need for intervention to correct social problems Coined “Survival of the Fittest” – the best societies would survive over time leading to an upgrading of civilization

Durkheim : Durkheim believed that a common belief system was the glue that held society together Specifically interested in religion’s role in societal order His scientific analysis focused on “observable” behavior

Weber : Sociologists should study what is “beyond the observable” ( thoughts and feelings of individuals ) Verstehen : empathetic understanding of the meanings others attach to actions Responsible for developing the concept of the “IDEAL TYPE”

3 Theoretical Perspectives Functionalist Perspective Conflict Perspective Interactionist Perspective

Functionalist : People who view society from the “functionalist” perspective believe that society functions on the notion that the majority’s opinion will be the general rule Society functions through the general consensus ( agreement ) of the people

Conflict : People who view society from the “conflict” perspective believe that conflict exists in society due to clashes over resources : * natural resources * jobs * power Conflict forces social change ( revolution )

Interactionist Sometimes referred to as the “Symbolic Perspective” The focus is on the individual rather than groups or society as a whole Interaction between people takes place through the use of symbols

Application of the 3 Perspectives : Imagine a group of employees go on strike at a large factory Functionalist Sociologists would focus on how the strike is disrupting production Conflict Sociologists would focus on the economic disputes between the workers and the management team Interactionist Sociologists would focus on how the strike is affecting the family lives of the workers