Sociological theory

1. Sociological theory • Where did it come from? • Theories and theorists • Current theoretical approaches • Sociology as science

2. Where did it come from?18th & 19th century roots of modern sociology in the West • New system of production: industrial revolution, capitalism, colonialism • New ideas: humanism and science • New political forms: democracies (e.g., French revolution)

3. Theories • Not just interested in how things happen, but why • Theory: an abstract explanation of a set of observed events or situations

4. Theories and Theorists • Auguste Comte • Reacted to French revolution • Coined term “sociologie” • positivist

5. Theories and Theorists • Emile Durkheim • Comtian tradition (positivism, science) • “Treat social facts as things.” • Norms, e.g., are social facts • They exist outside the individual • They have an effect on behavior • Statistics can show their existence • Social “glue”; cohesion, “solidarity” • Biological model: modern society = “organic solidarity”

6. Theories and Theorists • Karl Marx • Philosophy student, radical • Historical materialism • Society understood as a mode of production • Modern society is capitalism • “Class struggle is the motor of history.” • Revolution changes mode of production: capitalism  socialism

7. Theories and Theorists • Max Weber • Interpretive sociology: focus on meaning, culture, ideas • Comparative studies: religion, bureaucracy, state • Rationalization as main trend in modern society

8. Theories and Theorists (neglected) • Harriet Martineau • Translated Comte to English • Studied 1830s America • Brought women into sociology, along with other neglected aspects

9. Theories and Theorists (neglected) • W.E.B. Du Bois • African American perspective: “double conscoiusness” • History affects the self (Cf. sociological imagination) • “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.”

10. Current theoretical approaches • Symbolic interactionism • From George Herbert Mead • Blumer: 3 premises • Humans act toward things based on meanings • Meanings derived from interaction with others (“meanings as social products”) • The person uses an interpretive process to make sense of the meanings • Social construction of reality

11. Current theoretical approaches • Functionalism • From Comte and Durkheim • Function=contribution to survival of society as a whole • American version from Talcott Parsons • Merton adds manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions • Recent decline due to overemphasis on order

12. Current theoretical approaches • Social conflict • From Marx to Marxisms: class, power, ideology • Feminisms • Race, class, and gender theories (a.k.a “identity theories”)

13. others • rational choice theory: self-interest main variable in behavior • postmodernism • going nowhere (collapse of modern idea of progress) • no grand narratives • new media images—chaotic, diverse

14. Sociology as science Science: the use of systematic methods of investigation, theoretical thinking, and the logical assessment of arguments, to develop a body of knowledge about a particular subject matter.

15. Sociology as science: theoretical thinking • Concept: a relatively simple idea for a concrete (empirical), complex thing; e.g., Marx’s use of commodity • Theory: a systematic explanation or interpretation of empirical observations; e.g., Marx’s theory of Capital • Theoretical approach: a “grand theory;” set of fundamental assumptions that guide theory and research, like the ones Mills was talking about

16. Sociology as science: logical assessment of arguments • As participants in society, sociologists are self-aware subjects - we have an intimate interest in the object of our study. • Objectivity does not require detachment, but rather acknowledging and controlling the bias created by our interests. • Critical assessment of research and theory by the community of scholars safeguards against the potentially negative effects of interest and bias.