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Sociology as an academic science, born in 19th century Europe, explores major changes shaping the modern world. Impact of Industrial, French, and Scientific Revolutions analyzed through early sociologists like Comte and Durkheim. Comparison of mechanical and organic solidarity in societies. Key themes and thinkers highlighted in this informative overview.
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Soc 101: Introduction to SociologySpring 2013Course Instructor: Md. Zakir HossainTEXT REQUIRED Richard T. Schaefer (2006), Sociology, McGraw-Hill. REFERENCE Anthony Giddens (2006), Sociology,Polity Press
How did sociology begin? • Sociology as an academic science was born in Europe in the19th century. • The development of sociology has to be understood in the contexts of the major changes that have created the modern world. • Three great revolutions that gave rise to the emergence of Sociology as an independent science are: - Industrial Revolution - French Political Revolution of 1789 - Revolution in science & technology
Impact of Industrial Revolution • Europe was changing from agriculture to factory production • Masses of people moved to the cities in search of work • In cities people met crowding, slum, poverty, unemployment, diseases, crime, etc. • The contemporary social thinkers tried to explain the social problems scientifically.
Impact of French Revolution • The French Revolution of 1789 created social disorder not only in France but also in entire Europe. • The old social order that was based on kinship, land, Church & monarchy became very shaky. • The social thinkers (e.g. Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim) tried to find ways to re-establish social order. • They believed that the science of society is possible to explain social problems.
Impact of Scientific Revolution • In 19th century, natural sciences made tremendous progress. • The progress made by the natural scientists inspired social thinkers to follow their example. • If the scientific method can be successfully applied to the physical world, then why can’t it be applied to the social world?
Early Sociologists and their contribution Auguste Comte (1798-1857) • Considered to be the founder of sociology. His famous work was Positive Philosophy. • Coined the term sociology for the first time at about 1839 & provided an organized foundation for the field. • Believed that the major goal of sociology was to understand society scientifically. • Suggested the use of Positivism—applying the scientific approach to the social world.
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) • What hold society together? • To answer this question Durkheim compared premodern and modern societies. • Mechanical Solidarity existed in primitive societies. People in premodern community were alike and functioned as “simple machine”. • Collectivism dominated over individualism. All the people shared the same beliefs and values. • Durkheim used term “Collective Consciousness” to reflect the shared ideas, values, and goals.
Emile Durkheim (contd.) Organic Solidarity • Its primary characteristic is the development of a division of labor. The basis of organic solidarity is interdependence. Each depends on the skills and knowledge of others. • Durkheim suggests that preindustrial societies are characterized by mechanical solidarity while in modern industrial societies solidarity is organic.
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