Society Sociology Chapter 4 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 1.

Society Sociology Chapter 4 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 1

Society What factors shape society? Why do societies change?
How have Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim increased our understanding of modern societies 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 2

Society Societies around the world differ from one another
What are societies all about? Arlington Cemetery 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 3

Society Societies around the world can be different from ours
What makes societies different? 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 4

Society The Tuereg nomads
People wandering in Mali, Africa Never spoke on cell phone, text messaged, or accessed the internet Herd camels, goats, and sheep—110 degrees Little knowledge of larger world and technology “My father was a nomad. His father was a nomad. I am a nomad. My children will be nomads” “This is the life of my ancestors. This is the life we know” 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 5

Society Society refers to people who interact in a defined territory and share a culture People Interaction Territory Culture 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 6

Society We can certainly say the society is a derivative of culture
11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 7

Society In previous chapter on culture, we discussed key values as addressed by the author Mostly secular Progress, democracy, equal opportunity, freedom, science, etc. But, according to most surveys, 90% of Americans consider themselves Christians within one denomination or another 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 8

Society As Christians, much of our Judeo-Christian Ethic makes up our distinctive American culture Our high regard for life Thou shalt not kill, steal, covet, take the Lord’s name in vane, have no other gods, etc. Toleration (not necessarily approval) of lifestyles of others 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 9

Society Fiercely independent, freedom-loving and do-it-yourself people—government assistance is last resort: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” President Kennedy 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 10

Society Discussion from the point of view of
Gerhard Lenski—how technology changes society Karl Marx—social conflict and economics Max Weber—how ideas shape society Emile Durkheim—how traditional and modern societies hang together 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 11

Gerhard Lenski: Society and Technology
11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 12

Sociocultural evolution—changes that occur as a society gains new technology Simple technological changes support few people Large, complex technological changes support many people and support them in affluent ways 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 13

Inventing or adopting technology Sends ripples of change throughout a society One example, the invention of the sail Could now sail to new lands Helped expand the economy Increased military power and, thus, security 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 14

Question….? How many people today in America live as their grandparents did? No internet No text messaging No artificial intelligence No iPods No replacement hearts No space shuttles Etc… 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 15

Five types of societies to be discussed Defined by their technology Work of Gerhard Lenski Hunting and Gathering Horticultural and pastoral Agrarian Industrial Postindustrial 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 16

Hunting and Gathering Societies
Hunting and Gathering: making use of simple tools to hunt animals and gather vegetation for food Three million to twelve thousand years ago By 1800, there were still such societies Some remain today Aka and Pygmies in Central Africa Bushmen in southwestern Africa Aborigines of Australia Etc… 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 17

Spend most time looking for game and plants to eat Must be in lush areas Few members in a group Usually on the move and rarely forming permanent settlements 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 18

Depends on family Distribute food Protection Teach children Men hunt Women gather Men and women seen as same social importance 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 19

Hunters and gatherers have shaman Spiritual leader 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 20

Use simple weapons Spear Bow and arrow Rarely wage war Real enemy is nature Storms Droughts People encouraged to cooperate Many die in childhood Many don’t live to age of 20 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 21

These societies are going away due to encroachment by high technology societies What are some important lessons we can learn from studying the hunting and gathering societies? Discuss…. 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 22

Horticultural and Pastoral Societies
People discovered, thousand years ago, horticulture: the use of hand tools to raise crops Using hoes to work the soil Digging sticks punch holes in soil to plant seeds Allowed people to give up gathering 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 23

The first humans to plant gardens lived in the fertile regions of the Middle East Similar regions were soon spread in many regions of the world People in dry regions found little reason for horticultural adaptation 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 24

People adopt horticultural and/or pastoralism: the domestication of animals South America Africa Asia 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 25

Growing plants and animals greatly increased food supplies Pastoralists remained nomadic Horticulturalists would form settlements Settlements would then join by trade Societies formed with populations in the thousands 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 26

Once societies can produce more food than needed to support that society, people are free to diversify their work Productive societies are generally better, but there can be a downside Horticultural and pastoral societies have greater inequality—elites using government and military power for their own purposes 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 27

Material surpluses occur once food supplies exceed needs Crafts Trade Etc 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 28

Horticultural and Pastoral
Religion differs among types of societies Horticulturalists more apt to believe in one God as creator of the world Pastoral societies believe God directly involved in well-being of the world Pastoral roots in Christianity and Judaism Evident in terms like “pastor” “The Lord is my shephard” 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 29

Agrarian Societies About 5000 years ago, there was the “dawn of civilization” Middle East Discovery of agriculture: large scale cultivation using plows harnessed to animals or more powerful energy sources Also, add the wheel, irrigation, writing, metals, numbers, etc. 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 30

Agrarian Societies The combined use of new technologies enabled agrarian societies to expand in size and population More specialization occurred, e.g. Builders Metalworkers The old barter system went away and money was invented to handle business volume 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 31

Agrarian Societies As heavy plows and strong animals become dominate in the agrarian society, men take charge of food production Religion reinforces the power of elites by defining both loyalty and hard work as moral obligations Building of Great Pyramids Building of Great Wall of China 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 32

Agrarian Societies Agrarian societies give people more life choices than previously mentioned societies 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 33

Industrial Societies Industrialization first took hold in rich nations
Industrialization: the production of goods using advanced sources of energy to drive large machinery People turned from animal power to water and steam to operate mills and factories First steam engine 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 34

Industrial Societies Machinery altered society much faster than earlier changes More changes over a century than over the one thousand previous years Early factory 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 35

Industrial Societies Change occurred so fast that it sparked the birth of sociology itself Steamships traveled the seas and skyscrapers reached higher than the old cathedrals that symbolized the agrarian age James Watt’s Steam Engine 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 36

Industrial Societies Industrialization brought conveniences such as
Refrigerators Washing machines Air conditioners Entertainment centers Telephones Computers Etc. 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 37

Industrial Societies Child Labor
Industrial societies drew people away from home People were placed on different schedules Industry placed close to power and transportation sources—rivers, lakes, etc. Child Labor 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 38

Industrial Societies Families were negatively impacted due to separation and different work schedules Steam Engine 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 39

Industrial Societies Occupational specialization became more important
Family ties less important Type of work had much to do with one’s standard of living Blast Furnaces 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 40

Industrial Societies Greatest impact on standard of living
Increased five fold over the past century First, elite benefitted most Over time, most people benefitted with greater incomes raises and more comfortable lives Crippled Boys of Industry 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 41

Industrial Societies Industrialization increased political voices particularly in nations with meager starts South Korea Taiwan China Eastern Europe Russia 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 42

Postindustrial Societies
Postindustrialism: the production of information using computer technology Lifecycle of information Create Process Store Apply 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 43

Postindustrial Society
Less labor and more information processing More jobs available Clerical workers Teachers Writers Sales managers Marketing reps Storage managers 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 44

Postindustrial Societies
Most evident in rich nations Links societies around the world At the heart of globalization 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 45

The Limits of Technology
Technology has made life easier Technology may not be quick fix to social problems Poverty still a problem But is this a mindset? Is there enough to go around—through training and education? 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 46

The Limits of Technology
Less sense of community Nuclear weapons Threats to physical environment 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 47

Karl Marx: Society and Conflict
Studied the Industrial Revolution Awed by the size and power of Britain’s new factories Karl Marx 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 48

Observed that most riches went to few people Industrialists and aristocrats lived in mansions Common wage earners live in less luxury, many in the slums, and many on the streets Karl Marx 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 49

Marx saw society in contradiction How could such a rich society have so many poor people? How can the situation be changed? Karl Marx 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 50

At the heart of Marx’s thinking is social conflict The struggle between segment of society over valued resources More specifically, for Marx, was class conflict Class conflict arises from the way a society produces goods 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 51

Society and Production
Marx said industrial capitalism turned small part of population into capitalists, people who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of profits Capitalists produce a product and try to sell it for more than cost 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 52

Capitalism, Marx theorized, turned most people into industrial workers he called proletarians, people who sell their labor for wages To Marx, capitalism ends up creating conflict between capitalists and workers 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 53

To increased profits, wages were kept low To Marx, this conflict would end of capitalism Societies are composed of social institutions, spheres of social life, or societal subsystems organized to meet human needs Economy Political system Family, etc… 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 54

To Marx, the economy dominates all spheres Marx used the philosophy of materialism, the way humans produce material goods shapes their experiences All of societies institutions will function in support of the economic system 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 55

Marx was saying that capitalism was the shaper of society Marx believed people misunderstood the differences between rich and poor Marx said people believed that: rich people “earned” their success and poor people lacked skills and drive to be rich Marx called peoples’ reasoning false consciousness 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 56

False consciousness, according to Marx, are explanations of social problems as the shortcomings of individuals rather that as the flaws of society According to Marx, it’s not people who make society so unequal, it is the system of capitalistic production 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 57

Conflict and History To Marx, conflict is the engine that drives social change Communism is a system of commonly owned and commonly shared food and other produced things People do the same type of work and get the same reward, thus little chance of social conflict 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 58

Conflict and History As technology became more advanced, the “commercial” class (bourgeoisie) took control of Europe—even over the nobility class The old agrarian elite was overthrown Fields once plowed by serfs were now used for grazing by sheep for textile production People moved to cities for factory production Marx thought the new proletariat workers would overthrow the capitalist system 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 59

Capitalism and Class Conflict
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (Marx and Engels) Wrote, Manifesto of the Communist Party The ruling class owns productive property Proletarians sell their labor 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 60

As the theory goes, capitalists and proletarians are engaged in a struggle One class controls the other as productive property Marx used the term class conflict to refer to conflict between entire classes over the distribution of a society’s wealth and power 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 61

Marx thought of capitalism and the proletariat much like “masters and slaves” of the ancient world and “nobles and serfs” of the feudal system Discussion: but was this a good analogy of Marx? Did slaves have choices? Did serfs? Were there opportunities to better themselves as a slave or serf? What about the standard of living of slaves and serfs—etc. 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 62

What distinguished class conflict in capitalistic society is how open it is Marx said serfs and nobles were tied together through “traditions and mutual obligations” Marx said capitalists and proletarians were different: it was mutual “naked self interest” Under such a situation, Marx thought that proletarians would not put up with “oppression” 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 63

Marx knew that workers must be “educated” away from false consciousness and to replace it with class consciousness, workers’ recognition of themselves as a class unified in opposition to capitalists and ultimately to capitalism itself 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 64

Because Marx believed he was witnessing inhumanity, he believed that industrial workers would soon rise up to destroy capitalism Marx also believed that capitalists would not unite because they feared competition among themselves and they would keep salaries low for higher profits 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 65

Capitalism and Alienation
Marx condemned capitalism for, in his view, producing alienation, the experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness Marx believed capitalists had little regard for the welfare of workers Marx called treatment of workers “dehumanizing” 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 66

Marx identified four ways capitalism alienates workers Alienation from the act of working Alienation from the products of work Alienation form other workers Alienation from human potential 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 67

Alienation from the act of working Capitalism denies workers a say in how much they make Work is constant repetition of routine tasks Oh? 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 68

Alienation from the products of work Products belong to capitalists, not workers Oh? 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 69

Alienation from other workers Industrial capitalism makes work competitive rather than cooperative Offers little human companionship Oh? 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 70

Alienation from human potential Worker does not fulfill himself in his work Feeling of misery rather than well-being Physically exhausted At work, he feels homeless Oh? 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 71

Revolution Marx said that the only way out of capitalism is to remake society Called it socialism Believed a socialist society would end class conflict Marx ended up to be wrong—the revolution he envisioned never took place Also, the revolution he imagined took the form of repressive regimes, killing tens of millions of people 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 72

Revolution Could Marx have been wrong about something else as well—the economic system of capitalism has been the most successful in history and offers the most freedom and potential to humankind 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 73

Max Weber: The Rationalization of Society
Wide knowledge of law, economics, religion, and history Many regard as greatest contributor to sociology Max Weber 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 74

Understood the power of technology Shared much of Marx’s views on social conflict Disagreed with Marx on his materialism philosophy Weber’s philosophy was called idealism Max Weber and wife 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 75

Idealism Emphasized human ideas—especially beliefs and values Shapes society Societies differ by how people think about the world—world view Modern society is a product of a new way of thinking Max Weber, 1917 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 76

Two Worldviews: Tradition and Rationality
Rather than focus on societies according to their technology or productive systems, Weber focused on ways people think about the world Preindustrial societies: tradition Industrial-capitalistic societies: rationality 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 77

Tradition: values and beliefs passed from generation to generation Guided by the past Rationality: a way of thinking that emphasizes deliberate, matter of fact calculation of the most efficient way to accomplish a particular task Evaluating the consequences 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 78

Two World Views: Tradition and Rationality
Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution were evidence of modern rationality Rationalization of society: the historical change from tradition to rationality as the main type of human thought Willingness to adopt new technology Countries with a rational view would adopt computers Countries with traditional view would not—a threat tho their way of life 11/10/2018

Technological innovation in a country depends on how a people understand their world It takes rational cultures to exploit new technologies 11/10/2018

Is Capitalism Rational?
Marx says no because it does not meets the needs of most people Weber says yes because capitalist try to make money in any way they can 11/10/2018

Weber’s Great Thesis: Protestantism and Capitalism
The key to industrial capitalism was in the Protestant Reformation Industrial capitalism was the main outcome of Calvinism 11/10/2018

Calvinists approached life in highly disciplined and rational way One belief was predestination—some saved and others not Calvinists came to a resolution Shouldn’t those destined for glory in the next world see signs in this one 11/10/2018

Eager to gain reassurance, Calvinists threw themselves into their work Applying rationality, hard work, and discipline Not wealth for wealth’s sake—that was sinful Not likely to share wealth with the poor—poverty is sign of God’s rejection Their duty was to press forward as a personal calling from God 11/10/2018

Catholicism taught a passive, “otherworld” view Good deeds emphasized Making money had no spiritual influence Weber concluded that Calvinism was the main reason for industrial capitalism developing in Europe 11/10/2018

Weber emphasized the power of ideas to shape society, not the economy “Religious ethic” was transformed into a “work ethic” Is industrial capitalism a “disenchanted” religion—wealth now valued more as the author suggests might be the case? 11/10/2018

Rational Social Organization
Weber identified 7 characteristics of rational social organization 11/10/2018

Weber’s Seven Characteristics Distinctive social institutions Religious, political, and economic institutions Education and health care Large-scale organizations Large corporations and federal, state, and local governments, etc Specialized tasks Look at the yellow pages 11/10/2018

Weber’s seven characteristics… Personal discipline Business and government organizations expect people to be disciplined Awareness of time Events scheduled precisely Clocks appeared in Europe with the expansion of industry 11/10/2018

Weber’s seven characteristics… Technical competence People judged more for what they are, not who Education, skills more important Impersonality Emphasis on impersonal relationalships devoted to tasks that must get done Devalue of emotion 11/10/2018

Rationality, Bureaucracy, and Science
Large, rational organizations Considered highly rational because of elements Offices Duties Policies, etc. Capitalism, bureaucracy, and science—all expressions of rationality 11/10/2018

Rationality and Alienation
Weber feared that all the demands of modern society with rules, policies, and routines would crush the human spirit—not economic inequality as Marx thought One fear Weber had was that the rational society would turn humans into robots 11/10/2018

Emile Durkheim: Society and Function
French sociologist “To love society is to love something beyond us and something in ourselves” Important visionary of human society 11/10/2018

Structure: Society Beyond Ourselves
Society more than individuals Social facts have an objective reality beyond the lives of individuals 11/10/2018 John 3:16

Structure: Society Beyond Ourselves
Society has the power to guide our thoughts Studying individuals cannot capture the heart of the social experience Once created, society takes on life of its own and demands level of obedience from creators We experience reality—the face of temptation and the tug of morality 11/10/2018 John 3:16

Function: Society as System
Established fact: society is a structure As a structure, what is its function? The answer may be in social facts For example, crime exists, but crime may be necessary to society 11/10/2018 John 3:16

Function: Society as System
Crime… Only by defining acts of wrong do people construct and defend morality Therefore, crime is normal and necessary 11/10/2018 John 3:16

Personality: Society in Ourselves
Society is not beyond ourselves, but in ourselves Society provides moral disciple that guides our behavior People need the restraint of society because we always want more “The more one has, the more one wants” 11/10/2018 John 3:16

Personality: Society in Ourselves
Durkheim studied suicide Why are rock stars prone to destruction? Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain Durkheim: the highest rates of suicide are found among the categories of people with the lowest level of societal integration

Modernity and Anomie Modern societies impose fewer restrictions on everyone Anomie: a condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals Celebrities destroyed by fame Sudden fame tears people from family, disrupts values, and breaks down societies support of the celebrity

Evolving Societies: The Division of Labor
Tradition binds us together in a collective conscious Durkheim used the term mechanical solidarity: social bonds, based on common sentiments and shared moral values, that are strong among members of preindustrial societies With industrialization, traditional bonds become weaker

Modern life creates a new solidarity Organic solidarity: social bonds, based on specialization and interdependence, that are strong among members of industrial societies Solidarity based on differences People rely on people for their daily needs

Organic solidarity… People depend more and more on people they trust less and less “because we can’t live without them” Division of labor fosters better efficiencies Less moral dependence and more functional Technology forces declining morality and rising anomie

Marx, Weber, and Durkheim worried about the direction of society Durkheim most optimistic of the three More freedom and privacy ahead Laws and other norms can control anomie

Society Sociology Chapter 4 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 1.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Society Sociology Chapter 4 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 1."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

Society Sociology Chapter 4 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 1.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Society Sociology Chapter 4 11/10/2018 11/10/2018 John 3:16 1."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback