What is What is “sociology”?“sociology”?

Sociology is the Sociology is the systematic study of systematic study of social behavior and social behavior and

human groups.human groups.

……says our book.says our book.

It goes on to say that sociology: It goes on to say that sociology:

“…“…focuses primarily on the focuses primarily on the influence of social influence of social

relationships on people’srelationships on people’s [=individuals’][=individuals’] attitudes and attitudes and

behaviorbehavior, and on , and on how how societies are established and societies are established and

changechange.”.”

It is also possible, though, to answer the It is also possible, though, to answer the question “What is sociology?” by saying that…question “What is sociology?” by saying that…

“Sociology” is a late-comer among the social sciences;

it is a cluster of heterogeneous research programs and theories that splits into a large number of sub-disciplines,

but preserves a sense of unity by invoking a shared heritage.

In other words,In other words,

similar to how peoples maintain their similar to how peoples maintain their unity by telling themselves stories of unity by telling themselves stories of shared experiences and genealogies shared experiences and genealogies that trace a common origin,that trace a common origin,

sciences also have their narratives of how sciences also have their narratives of how they became what they are.they became what they are.

And this is the story of sociology in its And this is the story of sociology in its briefest version:briefest version:

French philosopher

Auguste Comte (1798-1857) coins the term “sociology” («sociologie»).

German philosopher and

activist Karl Marx (1818-1883) decrees, in a gesture of impatience with his fellow young philosophers’ attempts to define what “the human being” really is and should become, that our ideas do not determine our existence, but our existence—our position in a particular social world, that is—determines what we think. With this, the sociological With this, the sociological

perspective is born.perspective is born.

“Nicht das Sein bestimmt das Bewusstsein, Nicht das Sein bestimmt das Bewusstsein, sondern das Bewusstsein bestimmt das sondern das Bewusstsein bestimmt das Sein.Sein.””

(And now shut up, all you naïve philosophers—and let (And now shut up, all you naïve philosophers—and let ME tell you what the world is really like, and what ME tell you what the world is really like, and what history has been all about. In other words, let MY history has been all about. In other words, let MY ideas define existence…)ideas define existence…)

Sorry, back to our little genealogy. So we said that…

1) French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798-1857) introduces the term «sociology».

2) German philosophy-student and rebel-rouser

Karl Marx (1818-1883) decrees that „human existence determines human consciousness˝—so that rather than to understand “The Human Being” as an abstract concept, we should strive to understand how real people are shaped by their place in society.

…and now let’s go on:

French anthropologist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) explores the influence of collective ideas on the choices individuals make, and investigates the functions that social institutions have in the propagation of society.

German economist Max Weber (1864-1920)

investigates how religious beliefs and

practices have shaped economic systems all

over the world,

and reflects on the methodological status

and rules of the new science, “sociology.”

US-American sociologist Talcott Parsons

(1902-1979) interprets society as a

system of regular social behavior,

and develops tools to understand each sub-

system’s structural function within the larger

system—that is, its role in the maintenance of

society as a whole.

Parsons calls his own approach “structural-functionalist,” and finds in Durkheim a forerunner to his interest in society’s institutions and their functions.

Parsonian-Durkheimian “Functionalism” dominates American sociology during the 1950s and 1960s.

With the ascendance of alternative research-programs and theories starting in the late 60s, however, arises the need to categorize the varying approaches, and place the elders in different camps:

McGraw-Hill © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 14

Major Theoretical Perspectives

• Table 1-1 Comparing Major Theoretical Perspectives

Weber, to be sure, is not always placed in the “interactionist” camp; he does not seem to fit neatly into any of these categories.

Some textbooks, however, do categorize him as “interactionist,” citing his focus on social acts (soziales Handeln).

Generally, George H. Mead is considered the “father” of the interactionist perspective—though that may be a bit problematic as well.

Weber, to be sure, is not always placed in the “interactionist” camp; he does not seem to fit neatly into any of these categories.

Some textbooks, however, do categorize him as “interactionist,” citing his focus on social acts (soziales Handeln).

Generally, George H. Mead is considered the “father” of the interactionist perspective—though that may be a bit problematic as well.

Be that as it may.Be that as it may.

Something that unites the different camps or Something that unites the different camps or “schools” of sociology,“schools” of sociology,

something that the different “major something that the different “major perspectives” have in common,perspectives” have in common,

is their use of what has been termed, is their use of what has been termed, by C. Wright Mills, by C. Wright Mills,

thethe ““sociological imaginationsociological imagination””

——which is a mindset that seeks to which is a mindset that seeks to understand the individual as the product of understand the individual as the product of

his and her social worlds, and seeks to his and her social worlds, and seeks to understand the peculiarities and histories of understand the peculiarities and histories of

such social worlds. such social worlds.

Be that as it may.Be that as it may.

Something that unites the different camps or Something that unites the different camps or “schools” of sociology,“schools” of sociology,

something that the different “major something that the different “major perspectives” have in common,perspectives” have in common,

is their use of what has been termed, is their use of what has been termed, by C. Wright Mills, by C. Wright Mills,

thethe ““sociological imaginationsociological imagination””

——which is a mindset that seeks to which is a mindset that seeks to understand the individual as the product of understand the individual as the product of

his and her social worlds, and seeks to his and her social worlds, and seeks to understand the peculiarities and histories of understand the peculiarities and histories of

such social worlds. such social worlds.

To apply the To apply the ““sociological imaginationsociological imagination””To apply the To apply the ““sociological imaginationsociological imagination””is to…is to…

……observe people’s behavior, beliefs, observe people’s behavior, beliefs, and attitudes under the aspect of how and attitudes under the aspect of how

they are shaped by their they are shaped by their social contextssocial contexts..

To do this, we need to be able to…To do this, we need to be able to…

— — view our own society view our own society as an outsider as an outsider wouldwould

andand

— — comparecompare various social worlds, and various social worlds, and various sets of behavior, beliefs, and various sets of behavior, beliefs, and

attitudes, attitudes, to one another.to one another.

is to…is to…

……observe people’s behavior, beliefs, observe people’s behavior, beliefs, and attitudes under the aspect of how and attitudes under the aspect of how

they are shaped by their they are shaped by their social contextssocial contexts..

To do this, we need to be able to…To do this, we need to be able to…

— — view our own society view our own society as an outsider as an outsider wouldwould

andand

— — comparecompare various social worlds, and various social worlds, and various sets of behavior, beliefs, and various sets of behavior, beliefs, and

attitudes, attitudes, to one another.to one another.