SOCIOLOGY - 8/25/26

Emergence of Sociology: Historical Events and Processes 500 BC to 325 AD: The Golden Ages

  • Roman, Greek and Phoencian civilizations ere foundational cornerstones of the advancement of the western intellect. (Language, arts, sports, mathematics, science, philosophy, etc".)

  • phoencians: the alphabet and 0-9 numeric system

  • Greeks: invented democracy, philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, algebra, geometry, architecture, mythology, the arts, and athletics, poly-theistic(zeus was the head and other smaller gods) made sacrifices to their gods to please them(ex. abt to go to war —> make an offer to god of war)

  • romans: sophisticated roads, buildings, running water and sewerage systems, large scale irrigation systems(gravity designed aqueducts)

The Medieval Period aka “Middle Ages” and the “Dark Ages” 325 AD to 1450 AD: The Pre-Industrial Period

  • Christians were punished for being Christian; had to meet up secretly to worship god

  • Roman Emperor Constatine legalizes and converts to “Christianity.”(death of polytheism)

  • Roman Emperor Theodocius declares ALL Romans must officially convert to Christianity, making it the Roman universal church; or the Roman “catholic” church.

  • Everything becomes Christianized in Rome(ex. holidays such as Christmas)

  • Germanic Tribes attacked Rome what was left was the Roman Catholic Church.

  • Dissolution of the Roman Empire caused political power became decentralized.

The Medieval Period

  • Dark Ages —> Secular Illiteracy-only the clergy could read and write

  • everyone was born a peasants

  • Occupation was determined at birth by ascription-what your parents did.

  • achieved status- partially made on ones own efforts.(countered to ascription)

  • travel outside one’s locale/village was extremely rare

  • the subjects were the Lords property and his responsibility.

  • both fertility and mortality were high. 1 in 2 children made it to age 15

  • knowledge about infection, contamination, and personal hygiene were yet to be discovered, and fundamental healthcare technologies had not yet been invented.

  • early death was caused by maladies now considered minor(flu, food poisoning, e. coli, tetanus, gun disease, tooth infections, and child birth.)

  • has sex at an early age because they knew chances of dying were high

  • children and wives were chattel(owned)

  • “childhood” was an unknown concept

  • children were assets

  • “freedom” and “individualism” were unknown

  • occasionally children got to “change” occupations

  • Mode of Production: how things of made

  • Cottage Industry prominent during the medieval period

  • “Schuman: The Cobbler” comes in as a goat hide then comes out as a shoe, taking pleasure in making quality goods

  • “bartering” was popular money was rare among peasantry

  • wealth is understood as, and believed to be negative(if you accumulated wealth, you had to accumulate it through exploiting other people and Jesus/God was against exploitation), you should pursue a relationship with god rather than wealth.

  • The “Roman” Catholic Church became dominant cultural and economic force in Medieval Europe shaping beliefs, norms, and values

  • The Church was the dominant institution during the Medieval period; as were the nation-states in the past and as in the corporations today

  • doctrine of works(Personal salvation is self determined)

  • European gentry and peasantry accepted the “Holy” authority of the Church

  • The Church actd as the custodiam of “western” knowledge

  • “The Library” Latin Term “Bible”

  • scribes: on the difficulty in storing books…

“Early Industrial” Period 1450-1850