Origins and founders of Sociology

Introducing Marx, Durkheim and Weber

 Origins and founders of Sociology
 You probably know by now that Sociology is the study of …?
Society
What are the different
uses people might
have for Sociology?

Journalists might report patterns in society if they are interesting.

Some businesses want to understand society to make money…
Governments might want to work out how to improve society.
 Origins and founders of Sociology
• Although people have thought about society for as long as we have
lived in societies, the word ‘Sociology’ is less than 200 years old.
• Part of the reason for this is that around this time in Europe (the
‘Enlightenment’) their world was continuing to change thanks to
lots of developments, and people were trying to use reason to
explain all sorts of things. Originally it was meant to be a sort of
‘science of society’, although Sociology today is more broad.
• People in a society are necessarily in relationships, both with
individuals and institutions (e.g. educational), so the key sociologists
have views on these relationships in the context of wider society.
 Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)
• Karl Marx was a German thinker (though he lived in England for the
second half of his life) who was troubled by the changes he saw.
• With industrialisation and capitalism on the rise, he saw society
developing into two groups: the owners (or bosses) and the workers.
• The bourgeoisie (the ruling class) owned private property and the
‘means of production’; this power meant they had political power.
• The proletariat (the working class) owned nothing and so had to sell
their labour to the bourgeoisie, who would often exploit them.
• Therefore Marx saw society as being one big class struggle, and
argued that it needed to change for things to be more equal.
 Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)
Strengths of Marx’s views
 Marx teamed up with Engels to write ‘The Communist Manifesto’
and communism has appealed to many people across the world.
 Statistics show that economic divides are continuing to grow in
capitalist countries (such as USA) so his ideas are still relevant.
Weaknesses of Marx’s views
 Marx’s analysis of society being in a class struggle looks at one way
it is divided, but there are other divisions like ethnicity and gender.
 Marx wanted to aim for a classless society, but some think that
even with no ruling and working class other classes would exist.
 Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917)
• Emile Durkheim was a French thinker who also recognised society
was fast changing, with some influences fading and others growing.
• Institutions like the Church were less dominant, while other social
institutions were developing as society became more organised.
• Durkheim was interested in how societies could keep their integrity in
the midst of all of this change, looking at the big picture like Marx.
• Unlike Marx, Durkheim’s ‘big picture view’ tried to see how things
work (together) in society rather than how they clash.
• Durkheim was keen that Sociology be accepted as a legitimate
science; his research and key terms are still used today.
 Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917)
Strengths of Durkheim’s views
 His focus on the bigger picture to consider the impact of things
rather than going straight to the details is often a different angle.
 Some people appreciate Durkheim’s effort to make sense of how
everything in society fits and his optimism that this is possible.
Weaknesses of Durkheim’s views
 However some think that Durkheim’s views assume too much - e.g.
that everything can be explained and is linked to society’s needs.
 Like Marx, Durkheim’s big picture approach can be criticised for
viewing people like puppets who have little control as individuals.
 Max Weber (1864 – 1920)
• Max Weber was another German thinker who was concerned with
the reasons for and impact of a changing world and society.
• Like Marx, Weber thought that the distinction between those who
owned and didn’t own was the most important for class divisions.
• However, Weber argued these divisions are also based on people’s
skills and qualifications; people with these are more ‘marketable’.
• Connected to this was Weber’s work on status, which he pointed
out was not always connected to income.
• Weber also contributed to ideas on power, arguing that people have
power if they can make people behave how they want them to.
 Max Weber (1864 – 1920)
Strengths of Weber’s views
 His development of Marx’s views make the analysis of power and
class divisions more rounded as he considers more factors.
 Certain observations and ideas Weber suggested (such as those on
status) continue to resonate with us as we reflect on society today.
Weaknesses of Weber’s views
 Despite developing some of Marx’s views and focusing more on
individuals, he also ignored inequalities based on gender etc.
 Some might also criticise his work for being too theoretical,
identifying issues but lacking in passionate responses.
 Origins and founders of Sociology
Test 1
Brainstorm the differences between Marx, Durkheim and Weber.

Test 2
Imagine they went to the pub together – who would say what?
• Capitalism is making society more divided and affecting our status…
• Yes, and it isn’t right – the workers should join forces!
• But with all of this change, shouldn’t we stop to think about how the
different pieces of the puzzle all fit together?
Prepared by Sabah Mohid