History:

1. Challenge to encompassing religious authorities

2. French Revolution (1789)
- fall of divine right of king (religious explanation)
- niversal li!ert" and e#ualit"$ generated a climate of political changes in %urope
(look for rationalit")
&. Industrial Revolution in 'ritain in the late 18th centur"
- ur!ani(ation)capitalism (*ork at factor"$ !ut not home)
What is sociology?
+"stematic stud" of human societies, sociolog" is the scientific stud" of
interactions and relations among human !eings
stud" human !ehaviour and relations
!" collecting empirical evidences in a consistent *a"
to esta!lish theories a!out the social *orld.
+ociologists focus on things that are social -. assumption,
/ndividuals can !e understood in terms of the social relations into *hich the" are !orn
and from *hich the" derive meanings for their lives.
0ooking !ehind the taken-for-grantedness of our commonsense to discover the
underl"ing pattern and features of social life$ a de!unking perspective
Sociological Imagination C. Wright Mills:

1n a!ilit" to look !e"ond personal trou!les of individuals to see pu!lic
issues operating in the large societ". (C. 2right 3ills)
/n other *ords$ sociological imagination is the ability to associate and relate
personal experiences to the social processes and structure of the wider world
(both today and the past) (C. 2right 3ills)
examine the *a"s that individuals construct the social *orld and ho* the
social *orld impinge () on the lives of individuals. (0a*son and 4arrod$
255&)
most people fail to see things !e"ond their personal immediate circumstances
and thus fail to reali(e that their *orst pro!lems are results of social forces
instead of 6ust 7their o*n pro!lem8.
ne* resources for pro!lem solving,
the individual can understand his o*n experience and gauge his o*n fate onl"
!" locating himself *ithin his period$ that he can kno* his o*n chances in life
onl" !" !ecoming a*are of those of all individuals in his circumstances. C.
2right 3ills (1999)
Auguste Comte (1!"#1"$%
:rench ;evolution <. social chaos
=eople suffered from >intellectual anarch"? -. no shared !eliefs a!out the *a" things
ought to !e
+ocial chaos could !e overcome !",
having scholars speciali(ing in stud"ing societ"
proposing solutions and advices as to ho* life ought to !e lived
S&CI&'&()
@he use of scientific methods to stud" societ", !ased on empirical evidence dra*n
from o!servation$ comparison and experimentation to uncover or generate kno*ledge
a!out the social *orld (science of societ").
+tud" of societ" should !e mo*ele* on the stu*y o+ the natural ,orl* through the
use of scientific methods
-mile .ur/heim (1"$"#1!1%
+ocial life should !e studied *ith the same o!6ectivit" as scientists stud"ing
the natural *orld
Sociology: the scientific stud" of social facts A stud" social facts as things
+ocial facts
B 7manners of acting, thinking and feeling external to the individual, which
are vested ()with a coercive power by virtue of which they exercise
control over him8.
B Cot immediatel" visi!le
B Can onl" !e o!served through
anal"(ing their effects $ or
considering attempts that have !een made at their expressions in la*s$
religious texts and *ritten rules of conduct
B Mechanical soli*arity (%
=rimitive +ociet"
0o* division of la!our
B +ocial solidarit" !uilt on
+imilarit" in !elief and value
=eople shared similar situation and experiences
B Mechanical soli*arity (%
=rimitive +ociet"
0o* division of la!our
B +ocial solidarit" !uilt on
+imilarit" in !elief and value
=eople shared similar situation and experiences
B &rganic soli*arity (%
B 3odern societ"
B Digh level of division of la!our
B +ocial solidarit" !uilt on,
B 3em!er?s mutual dependenc"
B ;ecognition of importance other?s contri!ution in modern societ"
Anomie:
B @he condition of a !reak do*n in social norms governing social
interactions
B feeling that their dail" lives lacked meanings
B pro!lem *ith social integration (attachment to societ"$ level of
consensus over norms and values)
B 0eason o+ anomie:
;apid change of societ" (e.g. industriali(ation)
Eisruptive effects on social life
Challenges to traditional lifest"les$ morals and !eliefs
2ithout providing clear values
1arl Mar2 (1"1"#1""3%
0ook at changes in societ" during /ndustrial ;evolution
Duman idea and values
Cot led to social change
-conomic structure -.social change
Ca4ital class (5ourgeoisie%
- 2ith means of production (tools$ machine)

Wor/ing class (6roletariat%
- 2ithout means of production
- +ell their la!our to !ourgeoisie for survival
B 5ourgeoisie#4roletariat relationshi4
n!alance
%xploitation
( =roletariat exploited !" 'ourgeoisie)
Class conflict
(motor of histor")
revolution
B 0ise o+ ca4italism7social change
3arx,
B %conomic structure
2e!er
B Cultural ideas and values
We8er
0ise o+ ca4italism an* 4rotestant ethic
B 6rotestant ethic
B %ncourage *orking hardF
B Eiscourage luxur" livesF
B 1ccumulative savings for future investment
B 2orldl" success - a sign of personal salvation
B Ca4italism
B 4ro*th of rational !ehavior
B ;ational -. goal oriented
B /rrational-. for the sake of experience and pleasure
In*i9i*ual in ca4italist society
B 7increasingl" engaging in rational$ instrumental calculation that took
account of e++iciency and conse#uences on the !asis of technical /no,le*ge8
B Capitalism -. gro*th of !ureaucrac"
B 'ureaucrac"
B Eivision of la!our
B Dierarch" of authorit"
B :ormal rules
(4overn relationship !et*een officers and administration of officers)
B %mplo"ment !ased on technical #ualification
B /mpartial and impersonal
B 1dministrative of thingsF (!ut not people)
Controlled !" !ureaucratic organi(ation
0ost of freedom and individualism
/ron cage of !ureaucrac"F
:orm
guidelines that direct conduct in particular situations
defines *hat accepta!le and appropriate !ehaviour is in specific situations
:ormal norms, *ritten do*n (e.g. la*s$ rules)
/nformal norms, generall" understood (e.g. dress code)
are enforced !" positive and negative sanctions
(re*ards and punishments)
- formal < e.g. promotion$ !onus)firing$ imprisonment
- /nformal < e.g. smile$ cheers) humiliation$ !elittling
social control mechanisms to maintain order in societ".
;alue
!eliefs that something is good and desira!le
define *hat is important$ *orth*hile and *orth striving for
general guidelines for
- *hat is good and desira!le
- *hat is !ad$ inappropriate and undesira!le
norms reflect values
+ @he more cherish value
the more heav" sanctioned
e.g. murder -. live imprisonment
+ @he less critical value
light sanction
e.g. s*earing -. teasing
Social Action 4ers4ecti9e
B 5asic assum4tions
Do* people act depends on -. ho* people see and evaluate realit"
=eople learn from others ho* to see and evaluate realit"
- =eople possess a self-concept or idea of *hat sort of person the" are
- @his self-concept develops in response to the reactions of others
- =eople end up thinking of themselves in the same *a" as others think of
them
3eanings FF
=eople constantl" *ork to interpret their o*n !ehaviour and the !ehaviour of others
3eanings develop during interactions !et*een people as the" tr" to get a feel for
the intentions !ehind other people?s actions.
=eople construct their o*n social *orlds
<unctionalism
societ" - . like a !iological organism
various parts -.the functioning of the *hole
various tissues and organs -.the functioning of our !od"
Society
- made up of man" integrated parts
- %ach parts has its respective function)s
- a >structure? *ith ke" institutions
- performing vital functions and roles directing mem!ers of societ" ho* to !ehave
- /nstitutions
- to meet the !asic needs or functional pre-re#uisites of societ".
<ocus o+ stu*y:
Do* social institutions relate to each other
1nal"(ing the functions of an institution
- sho*ing the parts it pla"s in the continued existence and smooth running of
societ"
Con+lict 4ers4ecti9e
- @ensions and conflicts !et*een groups (dominant and disadvantaged groups)
- Do* po*er relationships are esta!lished
- Do* relationships of control and resistance come !" and are perpetuated)continued
Summary
- +ocial action perspective (3/C;G),
Do* people construct social *orld
e.g. Do* people interpret 7thro*ing !ottles8H
- :unctionalism (31C;G),
Do* social institutions integrate)functions
e.g. Do* police and @riads help in the smooth functioning of societ"H
- Conflict perspective (31C;G),
Do* different groups conflict)esta!lish po*er relations
e.g. Do* police (dominant) esta!lished their po*er over @riads (dominated
group)H
Culture
a *a" of life shared !" mem!ers of societ"
- collection of ideas and ha!its
- it defines accepted *a"s of !ehaving
- for mem!ers to communicate and *ork together
- is often taken-for-granted
- is learned and transmitted from generation to generation (socialization)
.ur/heim
shared culture ) >consensus? over culture
- necessar" for societ"
culture
- passed do*n from generation to generation
culture
- existed independent of the *ishes and choices of individuals
people conformed to the culture of one?s o*n societ" to avoid negative sanctions or
punishment
Culture (+unctionalist 4ers4ecti9e%
6arsons
+hared culture
- necessar"
- allo*ed people to communicate and *ork to*ards shared goals
Culture passed do*n to children through
- sociali(ation
- %sp. primar" sociali(ation in the famil"
B Culture as slo* to change
B 3a6or change in culture did occur as societ" evolved
Culture
:unctional
Contri!utes to social sta!ilit" and consensus
1llo* societ" run smoothl"
5=> ???
- :unctionalists exaggerate,
- the >consensus? over culture
- the extent to *hich people conform to the culture in *hich the" are sociali(ed
- Cultural diversities in certain societies
e.g. religion$ ethnicit" and regional diversities
- 3ore applica!le to >traditional societies? rather than modern or late modern societ"H
Culture (3arxist perspective)
Culture (Mar2ist 4ers4ecti9e%
Society as strati+ie* 8y class
# Capitalist
- 2orking Class
Culture
- ruling class ideolog"
- distorted () vie* of the *orld promoted !" the dominant capitalist class
Ca4italist7ruling class 4romote
;uling-class ideolog" (@usti+y the e2isting social or*er%
@hrough sociali(ing agencies to internali(e !elief and values that
accepted the existing social order
e.g. mass media$ famil" and education s"stem
0uling#class i*eology
generated Ifalse consciousnessI
concealed ine#ualit"$ oppression
6ustified exploitation
5=>???
- >Cultural diversitiesIF
- Gnl" capitalists and *orking classH
- other dimensionsH
e.g. age ("outh culture)$ ethnicit" (or race such as Chinese culture)$ sexualit"
(ga" culture).
- 1ll these different dimensions impl" that societies are much more diversified
and that cultural development take place along different dimensions.
Summary
- :unctionalism,
Culture-. functional$ maintaining societ"
- 3arxism,
Culture-. ;uling-class ideolog"
(6ustif" the existing social order and domination of ruling class)