Lecture 2

Sociology

History and Sociological Perspectives

The History of Sociology
Continuing from lecture 1
The origin/development of Sociology
• Political changes

– Focus on individual liberty and rights

– American and French Revolutions

• Social changes

– Growth of cities

– Housing shortages

– Crime and pollution increased

• Economic changes

– Industrial Revolution

– Growth of cities
(1818-1883)
• Concept of class conflict/ class
struggle

• Society is made up of social

classes, the capitalists and the
workers

• Class conflict is the engine of

human history
• Times of industrial revolution and capitalism.

Social inequalities will become so extreme that workers would

eventually revolt and break the chains of bondage.

He believed that people should try to change the society, or ultimately

will change it due to class conflict
Social Conflict theory
• Society is composed of groups in ongoing conflict

• These groups, in modern times, are the main economic ‘classes’ of society-
the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.

• The advantaged class is a small portion but own the wealth of the society.

• The disadvantaged class owns little, but have the ability to labor

• Ultimately, a conflict will set things equal

• Denial of class conflict

• Poverty trap, cycle of

poverty, development trap
(1820-1903)

• Gave the concept of SOCIAL

DARWINISM

• Applied the theory of evolution to

society

• He believed societies would begin

simple and evolve naturally to
more complex forms
Social Darwinism
• Natural selection ensured that the fittest survive

• Societies are evolving from lower forms to higher, civilized forms

• With time and across generations, a society’s most capable and

intelligent members survive while the less capable die out- Survival of
the fittest

• These fittest members produce a more advanced society

• Social Darwinists believe that
certain people become
powerful in society because
they are innately better- Used
to justify corporate wealth

• Criticism: It has been used to

justify imperialism, racism, and
social inequality
Social Darwinism 2020?
COVID 19 has exposed numerous
social inequalities
• Health inequalities
• Differential exposure
• Consequences of lockdown Low-
paying jobs involve contact
• Living conditions cramped and
overcrowded… continued in article.

• https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/05/22/covid-19-we-are-not-all
-in-it-together-less-privileged-in-society-are-suffering-the-brunt-
of-the-damage
/
(1858-1917)
• Established the first European
department of sociology at a
University

• Concept of social solidarity

1.the frequency with which members

interact &

2.the degree to which they share

beliefs, values and morals
• Differentiated between healthy societies and pathological societies

• Pathologial societies see a breakdown in social norms between

individuals and society

• Rigorous studies on suicide rates

Examined association between rates of suicide and rates of

psychological disorder for different groups
 Main premise was that social forces influence individual behavior

Suicide is not simply a matter of individuals taking their lives here and
there,

Instead, social factors underlie suicide, and pathological societies

lacking in social integration have higher rates of suicide
• Social Integration is the degree to which people are tied to their social
groups

• Strong ties vs Weak ties

• The point is that the strength of these ties can substantially affect
interactions, outcomes and well-being
Suicide Rate by Age and Sex,
Canada, 2004

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(1864-1920) • Gave the concept of SOCIAL
DARWINISM

• Applied the theory of evolution to

society

• He believed societies would begin

simple and evolve naturally to
more complex forms
• Showed class conflict is not the only driving force of history

• Politics & religion also are important sources of historical change

Levels of Analysis in Sociology
• Macrosociology

• The study of large-scale systems or societies as a whole

• The study of long-term problems

• Microsociology

• The study of small-group settings

• The study of everyday interactions among group members

• Globalization

• A process of creating a world-wide system of interactions, larger than any one society
Major modern sociological perspectives
• Perspectives are like lenses of looking at, and understanding a society and it’s problems.
Functionalist perspective
• Macro level view

• Focuses on order and stability

• Views society as a whole,

made up of parts that
‘function together’ to make a
whole
• Spencer: Society is like a human body

• Harmony between functions

• Views society as a set of interrelated parts designed to meet the

social and biological needs of individuals who make up the society

• ‘Parts’ of society are its institutions: Economy, Political systems, Healthcare,

Educational system, Media, Religion, Family

• Societies evolve just as human body does… analogy by Spencer

Conflict Perspective
• Macro-level view

• Views society as a competition for limited resources

• Focuses on elements that create competition and change

• Inequalities exist in social structures (religious groups, governments, corporations etc)

• Individuals must compete for resources (political power, leisure time, money, housing, entertainment etc.)
• “Class Conflict/ class struggle”: The
struggle for power

• Exploitation by a small, powerful

group
• Uprise by the working class
• Think of examples?

• Cultural, ethnic, political, economic

conflict, etc.

• Gender conflict theory: Feminist

sociology
• Suggests male domination is determined by
structures of power

• Examines operation of patriarchy in both

microlevel and macrolevel social settings Margrit Eichler
Chair, Sociology, OISE.
Head of Women’s Studies,
• Recommends eliminating patterns of gender University of Toronto.

inequality (eliminating patriarchy)

Copyright © 2010 Nelson Education Limited 25

Conflict Perspective
Feminist theory Conflict theory

New recession will hit workers still paying the price of the last one
Symbolic Interactionism
Would you rate this the same?
Symbolic Interactionism
• Micro-level view
• Focuses on how humans act towards things on the basis of
meaning they assign to things- Symbols.
• Focuses on how individuals interact within the society
• Sees people as active in shaping their community
• Emphasizes social life is possible only because people attach
meanings to things
• Humans understand their surroundings
by assigning it ‘symbols’

• They assign these symbols meaning

• This develops their views about these

symbols (surrounding)

• Reflected in their behaviors during

interaction

• Collective assigned meanings of people

in a society shape the society
Activity
Max Weber SYMBOLIC INTERACTION
• Weber noted growth of the service sector of economy,
with its many manual workers & professionals
• Occupational groups stabilize society because they
enjoy higher status
• Showed class conflict is not the only driving force of
history
• Argued politics & religion also are important sources
of historical change

Copyright © 2010 Nelson Education Limited 34

Production vs. Reproduction
• FUNCTIONALISTS=argue that human beings reproduce and create for
themselves social institutions such as the family. (idealism)

• Conflict theorists- argue that human production gives rise to social

institutions as society advances the division of labour results in
human alienation. (materialism)
Production vs. Reproduction
• FUNCTIONALISTS=argue that human beings reproduce and create for
themselves social institutions such as the family. (SOCIALIZATION
PARADIGM-idealism)

• Conflict theorists- argue that human production gives rise to

IDEOLOGY-social institutions are ideological and bourgeois..
Reproduction
• FUNCTIONALISTS=argue that human beings reproduce and create for
themselves social institutions such as the family. (idealism)

• Conflict theorists- argue that human production gives rise to social

institutions (ie family)
• Conflict theorists believe that as society advances, the division of
labour results in human alienation. (materialism)
Main Methods of Sociology
• Are four main methods in sociological research:
1. Field methods (e.g., participant observation)
2. Experiments
3. Surveys
4. Analysis of existing documents and official statistics

Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Limited 38