Founding Fathers of Sociology - 1417 Words

Sociology is the study of social behaviour. Our behaviour is patterned in certain ways and sociologists study these patterns and differences in a scientific manner. The study of modern sociology, the objective and systematic study of human behaviour and society, only began from the late 1700s onwards (Giddens, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001). The origins of this science can be linked to the two great revolutions that occurred in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth century Ââ€" The French Revolution of 1789 and the Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth century. These revolutions greatly changed peoples values and ideas about society and the part they had to play in it. The early sociologists, who lived during these times of great social†¦show more content†¦Organic solidarity was the new form of solidarity that evolved with the coming of modern societies. This was the integration of society through the differences that now existed like occupation and economic factors. Dur kheim saw modern societies as ‘the interrelationship of interdependent parts. In other words society would not function effectively without everyone co-operating to reach their personal objectives. (Bilton1, 2002: 6) ‘A major concern of his was that societies in which we are members exert social constraint over our actions (Giddens, 2001: 667). He believed that society is superior over single individuals and it sets boundaries to what we can do and achieve as individuals. Other sociologists have disagreed with Durkheim as they believe that society does not determine what we do and; ‘Society is only many individuals behaving in regular ways in relation to each other as Â… we inhabit a social world permeated by cultural meanings (Giddens, 2001: 668). In this way the dilemma over structure and action has two distinct viewpoints. Another important concept that Durkheim was concerned about was social stability. He believed that a breakdown in the common values shared by a society, such as morality and religion would lead to a loss of social stability (Microsoft Encarta 2004). He called this decline in the structure of society Anomie. He explained that when there is anomie individuals act in dependently to the norms of society.Show MoreRelatedfounding fathers of sociology1117 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Sociology can be defined as the scientific study of society and human behavior. It tries to acquire knowledge about society, and about how the humans making up these societies interact with each other. Auguste Comte was the first true father of sociology. He was the person who coined the term â€Å"sociology†. Other sociologist who can also be called the founding fathers of sociology include Weber, Marx, Engels and Durkheim. In this essay I will be looking at where these sociologists came from and theRead MoreThe Founding Fathers Of Sociology, Emile Durkheim2373 Words   |  10 PagesThis is what one of the founding fathers of sociology , Emile Durkheim , meant when he wrote in 1895 that the establishment of a sense of community is facilitated by a class of actors who carry a stigma and sense of stigmatization and are termed ‘deviant’. Unity is provided to any collectivity by uniting against those who are seen as a common threat to the social order and morality of a group. Consequently, the stigma and the stigmatization of some persons demarcates a boundary that reinforcesRead MoreEmile Durkheim s Theory Of The Founding Fathers Of Modern Sociology841 Words   |  4 PagesEmile Durkheim, is known as one of the founding fathers of modern sociology. Durkheim has the theory that every individual in a community, is to born to live and then die. A Durkheimian definition of community is that it has propinquity, which means residential closeness. Also has a social network where everyone in the community all know each other. Finally, a Durkheimian community must include a collective consciousness, which is when the people in the community share the same understanding of rightRead MoreSociology: The Study of Humanity Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesHowever new you are to sociology it is probable that you have an idea, however vague and general, regarding what sociology is supposed to be about. It may be that you have an idea that sociology is about people. And you would be right to think so. We might start then by noting t hat sociology is one of the human sciences and as such it is a subject to be distinguished from the so-called physical sciences. Sociology is the study of humanity. However this description of sociology is only partiallyRead MoreHarriet Martineau, The Founding Mother Of Sociology924 Words   |  4 Pageswoman, Harriet Martineau, emerged as the founding mother of sociology. Inspired by Auguste Comte’s perspectives on positivism, Martineau advocated the use of scientific method and logic in sociological findings. She brought her sociological thought and studies to the United States and added a feminist voice to the field; calling for suffrage and education, she used applied sociology to advocate for change (Diniejko, 2010). Before Harriet Martineau, sociology was a field dominated by men, but her educationRead MoreThe Founding Fathers in Context2150 Words   |  9 Pagestime. This is a very interesting phenomenon since the founding fathers oscillated between history, the present-day’s ethnographic research as well as the views of their contemporaries. This leads one to ask if the time period in which sociology came about lead to it s birth? Or were these founding fathers generally interested in the social ties that bind us together? I believe it is a combination of both that lead to the development of sociology. For all intents and purposes, I will essentialize theRead More Karl Marx Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesChose one of sociology’s founding â€Å"figures† and critically assess his or her particular contribution. There are many of sociologys founding figures that have extremely well-built ideas, practices and studies that I could explore, but one renowned philosopher stands out amongst the crowd, and that person is named Karl Marx (1818-1883). In this essay I aim to explore and critically assess his ideas, theories, and studies in his contribution to sociology, and if his ideas, theories and studiesRead MoreSociology And The Theoretical Perspectives Of Sociology1710 Words   |  7 PagesSociology is seen every day in our lives as humans, it is the scientific study of human behavior and society. The idea of sociology has not been around forever. The term sociology comes from a man named Auguste Comte who takes credit for this study. Not only did Comte come up with this idea but there were several things that influenced the study of Sociology and how we view it today. These influences are called the origins of sociology and they include; new idea or discipline, Industrial RevolutionRead MoreSo cial Theories Are A Product Of Their Time1623 Words   |  7 Pagesphenomena such as why is there more crime in one area than another, is it due to unemployment or ethnicity. (Social theory applied, 2014) Auguste Comte was the first person who advanced the field of social science which formed â€Å"Sociology†, which then influenced the three founding fathers and their theories including: Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emilie Durkheim. Karl Marx’s theory was based on social conflict which looked at the differences between the capitalist and proletariats (rich and poor), Max Weber’sRead MoreAnalysis of Marx, Weber, and Durkheims Views Essay1223 Words   |  5 PagesThe sociological views of  the three founding fathers; Karl Marx,  Max Weber, and  Emile Durkheim  all assert that various aspects of our lifestyle are fully a product of the society in which we live. Each theorist views the impact of society and its manifestation of our identity in a different way. All three of these men used the Industrial Revolution  and capitalism to shape their theories of social identity, especially the identity created by capitalisms division of labor; the owners of the means