Sociological theory

• Where did it come from?

• Theories and theorists

• Current theoretical approaches

• Sociology as science

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)

Theories

• Not just interested in how things happen, but why

• Theory: an abstract explanation of a set of observed events or situations

Theories and Theorists

• Auguste Comte– Reacted to French revolution– Coined term “sociologie”– positivist

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”

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

Theories and Theorists

• Max Weber

– Interpretive sociology: focus on meaning, culture, ideas

– Comparative studies: religion, bureaucracy, state– Rationalization as main trend in modern society

Theories and Theorists (neglected)

• Harriet Martineau– Translated Comte to English– Studied 1830s America– Brought women into sociology, along with

other neglected aspects

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.”

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

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

Current theoretical approaches

• Social conflict– From Marx to Marxisms: class, power,

ideology– Feminisms – Race, class, and gender theories (a.k.a

“identity theories”)

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

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.

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

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.