Senior Seminar - First Exam

Major belief/change during The Enlightenment

Humanism (1685 – 1815)

Humanism

Atheists/Agnostics. They believe in science and were skeptical about the existence of a God.

Major belief/change during the growth of science?

The Scientific Method

What is The Scientific Method?

Distinctive process used to formulate a scientific inquiry before investigating it, and then supporting/refuting it.

Major belief/change during The Industrial Revolution?

(1760) Social problems such as laborer rights, human rights concerns, disease/public health, etc.

Political Revolution gave rise to what beliefs/changes?

French Revolution (1789): Gave rise to ideas of nationalism and class struggles.

American Revolution (1776): A new nation is born under the premise of personal freedom, protection from the Government and democracy.

Birth of Sociology

1780 — But Comte is considered the founder, who defined it and gave it a scientific backbone.

University of Chicago

1892: Created the study of Sociology and the Journal of Sociology. Qualitative focus.

Published Durkheim’s (1895) work.

Explain how institutions began to pick up Sociology

• University of Chicago was the first, focusing on qualitative work. Publisher of Durkheim.

• The American Sociological Association was formed by sociologists.

• Eastern Sociological Association formed to compete with rising field of sociology. Included the ivy leagues. Quantitative.

Conflict Theory

Karl Marx

• Macro

• There are Social Elites and the “Have-Nots” (Bourgeoise and Proletariat)

• Societal consensus is an illusion created by elites.

• Economic power is the most important factor

• Challenges the status quo

Functionalism

Emile Durkheim

• Macro

• Societies are living organisms that have 2 goals: Survive and thrive (social stability)

• There is a consensus among society

• Social institutions help society function

• laissez-faire approach: Don’t interfere with society/change it. Society will handle itself.

• Supports status quo

Symbolic Interactionalism

Max Weber

• Micro

• People interact with the world around them and meanings are created from it. Active, not passive.

• Study’s the interpretation of objective facts.

• Dramaturgy: Social interactions are a theatrical performance

• Ethnomethodology: Reality is subjective. People create their reality.

Functionalism - Crime

Crime is functional

• Provides jobs

• Creates societal norms

• Creates rituals of punishment

Conflict Theory - Crime

• There is street crime and white collar crime

• Poor people are forced to commit street crime to get by. These punishments have higher penalties and are more publicized than white collar crime.

Interactionism - Crime

Crimes are not inherently criminal/deviant. We decided these things

Functionalism - Education

Stepping stone to socialization within the workforce, society, etc.

Conflict Theory - Education

• We learn the values of the bourgeoise

• Teaches us to be complicit

• Poor education is worse than rich education

Interactionism - Education

• Identity and socialization occurs in the classroom

  • In part due to the treatment of students

Functionalism - Social Stratification

Creates an order which creates a more efficient society

Conflict Theory - Social Stratifcation

• The system exists to exploit the proletariat

• We can change the system to avoid exploitations

Interactionism - Social Stratification

• We assign “castes” based on cultural norms/values

Rituals of Punishment

When a wrong-doer is given a public/ceremonial/formalized punishment for their wrong-doing.

Purpose of Rituals of Punishment?

• Social control (reinforces moral boundaries)

• Society gets to express it’s outrage/sadness

Mechanical Society

• Pre-industrial, hunter-gatherers

• Low division of labor

• Criminal offenses determined by 1 person/small council. Focus on retributive justice.

• Strong collective conscious

Organic Society

• High division of labor

• There is now civil/administrative law

• Criminal offenses focus on restitution

• Diffuse collective conscience

According to Durkheim, what keeps social order?

Division of labor, which help create laws, which then lead to punishment when violated (rituals of punishment).

What was Durkheim’s view on social stratification?

• Organic societies have lots of jobs. But some of these jobs are more important than others.

  • Compensate more important jobs higher.

What was Durkheim’s view on religion?

• There exists 4 similarities between most religions

1. Emphasis on the sacred/profane

2. Community (“Church”)

3. Moral code

4. Rituals/Ceremonies

• Society is religion

Explain how Marx developed Dialectical Materialism

• Meets Georg Hagel in college

  • Believes in Idealism: Truly religious people will sacrifice their well being to follow religious code

  • Believes in "geists” (spirits) who give people ideas continuously until self actualization occurs

• Dialecticism: There exists counter ideas to every idea.

• Materialism: Humans need material things to survive and therefore people act in material self-interest

• Marx creates: Dialectical Materialism

Economic Determinism

Economics is the basis of everything

Relationship between base and superstructure

• Base includes the mode of production (economy), includes the means of production and relations of production

• Superstructure is culture

• Base determines the superstructure.

• After the superstructure is made, it’s used to justify the base

6 stages of history (in order)

1. Primitive

   • Hunter-gatherers

2. Ancient

   • Slave owners and slaves

3. Feudal

   • Lords and serfs

4. Capitalism

   • Capitalists and workers

5. Socialism

   • Transition. Removal of state and private property

6. Communism (Utopia)

   • No private property. No stratification

Max Weber — Economics

Culture affects economics

Max Weber — Ethics

Don’t let your values and beliefs interfere with your work

Max Weber — Stratification

We stratify in many different ways, but culture is the most important

Karl Marx — Ethics

Sociology should be used to help disenfranchised people

Karl Marx — Stratification

Economic power is the most important. If you have economic power you have cultural and political power.