theory the framework of sociology. this week the three “perspectives” of sociology alienation as...

Theory

The Framework of Sociology

This Week

• The three “perspectives” of Sociology

• Alienation as an example of theory

Sociological Theory

Functionalist Perspective

Emile Durkheim

Henri Saint-SimonAugust Comte

Interactionist Perspective

Max Weber

Conflict Perspective

Karl Marx

Political Economy

Origins of Sociology

Sociological TheoryOversimplified

Structural Functionalism


Emile Durkheim

Henri Saint-SimonAugust Comte

Idealism


Max Weber

Materialism


Karl Marx

Political Economy

Origins of Sociology

Sociological Perspectives

• The “story” of Sociology tends to be placed in boxes.

• While sociologists are associated with certain perspectives, they are more complex that your text suggests.

• To make it easy to understand, Sociology is divided into “perspectives.”


• Conflict– Society changes as a result of struggles of various groups

against each other.

• Interactionist– The world is socially constructed - meaning that we interpret

the world around us and act based on those interpretations.

• Functionalist– The elements of society are understood by their role

(function) in maintaining society.

Karl Marx

• Lived from 1818 to 1883

• Political Economist• Studied Philosophy• Associated with the


Marx and Political Economy

• Marx criticized political economy of his time.

• Political Economists Like David Ricardo and Adam Smith ignored the detrimental impact of capitalism on workers.

Classes

• Classes arise out of the ability of one group to take what some else produces.

– Slave owners take the slaves’ labor and what they produce.

– Feudal lords take what peasants produce.

– Workers under capitalism receive wages instead of what they produce.

Two Classes

• Capitalists and Workers are bound together by their relationship.

– Capitalists want more production from the workers.

– Workers want more wages for the work they do.


• Marx argued that the purpose of studying society is to better understand it and change it for the better.

• The Conflict Perspective follows this tradition by studying conflicts and inequalities between groups.– Ethnic Conflict– Gender Inequality

• The Conflict Perspective also suggests changes.– Informs public policy decisions.– Studies and participates in social movements.


• Recognizes inequality between groups.

• To understand history and society, we must understand how people use power to their advantage.

• Does NOT assume conflict is inevitable.

Max Weber


• Historical Sociologist• Critical of Marxists• Associated with


Critical of Marxists

• Weber criticized the simplistic view of Marxists during his time.

– However, Weber, as well as so-called Marxists, oversimplified Marx.

– Weber actually followed Marx’s historical sociology approach.

Sociology as Science

• Weber opposed Marx’s view that Sociology should actively promote change.

• Weber felt Sociology should have “value neutrality” and be an objective science.

Verstehen

• Weber also argued that Sociologists should attempt to study their subjects deeply.

• Research should attempt to find the multiple causes of a social issue.

• Sociology is different from “natural” sciences in that it is “interpretive.”


• The focus on interpretation in the concept of Verstehen is the link between Weber and the Interactionist Perspective.

• The Interactionist Perspective attempts to understand the meanings people associate with their social actions and the social institutions around them.– How do people define themselves?

• Ethnicity

• Gender


• Interactionists focus on the “social construction” of the world around us.

• They focus on the meaning that people attach to actions and institutions.

• They also may look at how that meaning is manipulated by people in power (notice the link to conflict theory).

Emile Durkheim


• Wanted to make Sociology a science.

• Concerned with what held society together

• Associated with the Functionalist Perspective

Social Facts

• Durkheim argued that Sociologists should study “social facts” instead of philosophy and moral arguments.

• Social facts are material and non-material things created by people.– Material social facts are laws, art, technology, etc.– Non-material social facts are values, morality, etc.

Integration into Society

• Social institutions help integrate people into society.

• Some institutions are better than others.– Durkheim used the example of religion to

explain Suicide.• Catholics committed suicide less than

Protestants because the Protestants had greater freedom in their religion.


• Durkheim’s analysis of the role of institutions to integrate people into society demonstrated the “function” of social institutions.

• People who follow the Functionalist Perspective attempt to demonstrate how different social institutions provide a function for society.– Law enforcement and courts plays the function of controlling

unwanted behavior.– Religion performs the function of a sense of community.– Education socializes students to be good workers.


• Assumes the natural state is order or equilibrium.

• Attempts to understand the role of various social institutions and practices to maintain that order.

• Institutions and practices that disturb the order are considered deviant.– But even deviance plays a role in society!


• Conflict (Marx)– Society changes as a result of struggles of various groups

against each other.

• Interactionist (Weber)– The world is socially constructed - meaning that we interpret

the world around us and act based on those interpretations.

• Functionalist (Durkheim)– The elements of society are understood by their role

(function) in maintaining society.

Alienation

Theory as an application to your experiences at work.

Your Job

• What do you like about your job?– What do think are the positive elements of

a good job?

• What do you hate about your job?– What are the worst things about a bad job?

Human Nature?

• Because of how we evolved, people really desire to be creative and produce something (usually with their hands) in a social context.

Alienation

• According to Karl Marx, there are 4 forms of alienation.– Product– Process– Others– Species Being

• These forms of alienation take away our “human nature.”

Alienation from Product

• Estrangement from the things we make– The things we make do not belong to us. – As the worker produces, they are debilitated.

• Estrangement from nature– Workers do not engage environment directly.– Products take on a life of their own.

Alienation from Product

• Alienation

– ?

– Perhaps, we have no connection to the product we produce, so we don’t recognize we should in our typical jobs!

• “Now that’s the best quarter pounder I ever made!”

• Less Alienated– Something I like– Meaningful (product)– Difference in the

world– Accomplish

Something

– Work outside

Alienation from Process

• The mental aspect is stripped from labor.– People do not have control over their work.

• People do not meet their needs directly.– Work is a means to earn wages.– Wages are used to buy the things we need.

Alienation from Process

– Boring• Dead End, Needs to be

different, Tedious, Mindless, Meaningless tasks, Nothing to do

– Bad Management• No Respect, Push you

to work hard, No support, Bosses engage in politics, Do not work Micromanage, Rigid rules, Unjust policies, Opinions do not matter

– Low Wages• No Benefits

– Long Hours• Understaffed

– Not enough hours• Part time

– No Advancement – Interferes with other parts

of life– No free time– Being deployed away

from home

Less Alienation from Process

– Job is interesting• Variation - different

• Mentally challenging

• Learn new skills

• Choices

– Good Management• Respect

• Do not expect too much

• Help

• Fair

• Acknowledge work

– Wages• Bonuses

– Benefits• Insurance/Health

Care

– Flexible Work hours• Good Work hours

– Possibility for Advancement

Alienation from Others

• Relations between people become relations between people and objects.– No longer meet our needs through people we

know.

• People treat each other as workers, not as fellow people.

Alienation from Others

• Alienation– Bad Co-Workers

• Work less/lazy• Complain• Conflict• Office politics• Discrimination

– Bad Customers• Make it difficult• Rude (Cell Phones)• Belittled• Don’t cooperate or

understand

• Less Alienated– Get along with co-

workers• Fun• Social• Communication

– Get along with people

– Work with people

Alienation from Species Being

• What it means to be a social being is lost in wage work.– We lose our creative sense of self and do

not identify with our work, but “animal” functions.

– The social nature of making things is taken away since we usually do not know who ends up with the things we make.

Alienation from Species Being

• Alienation– Don’t like Job

• Stress• Unhappy

– Put on "fake smile"– Rather be doing

other things– Takes time out of the

day

• Less Alienated– Job Satisfaction

• Keep busy

• Low stress

• Fun / feel good

– Something I want to do– Meaningful (to

society/self)– Keep healthy / physical

Animal Functions

• What do I value in my free time?

– Sex

– Sleep/Naps

– Eating

– Nothing - No Thinking

Species Being in Free Time

• Product– Outdoors / lake

• Process– Creative– Flexible– Stress Free– Relax– No pressure to get things

done– No management– No one yelling at you– Am own boss

• Others– Family– Friends– Socialization– Party

• Species– Do what you want or like– Freedom– Independence– Fun– Athletic

Next Week

• How do methods distinguish Sociology from commonly held ideas?

• Health Care Inequality

theory the framework of sociology. this week the three “perspectives” of sociology alienation as...

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