Sociology Chap 1
Comte's three sociology stages of historical development:
Theological Stage (beginning - end of european middle ages) people believed that society expressed God's will. Metaphysical Stage (enlightenment) society was natural, not supernatural. Ideas of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Hobbes said that society reflected the failings of selfish human nature and not the perfection of God. Scientific Stage- modern physics, chemistry, and sociology. Copernicus, Newton, Galileo.
Theoretical approach:
a basic image of society that guides thinking and research. Sociologists make use of three different types of these.
Structural-functional approach:
a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks for social structure (stable social behavior pattern) and social functions (a pattern's consequences for the operation of society). (Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer).
Positivism:
a scientific approach to knowledge based on "positive" facts as opposed to mere speculation.
Theory:
a statement of how and why certain facts are related.
Symbolic interaction approach:
framework for building theory that sees society as a product of everyday interactions of individuals.
Social conflict approach:
framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change.
Auguste Comte (1798-1857):
french social thinker who coined the term sociology in 1838 to describe this new way of thinking. Comte used this new scientific approach, being used to study the physical world, to the study of society. His approach is called Positivism.
Sociological Perspective:
looking for general patterns in the behavior of particular people
Global Perspective:
study of the larger world's and our society's place in it
Interpretive sociology:
the study of society that focuses on discovering the meanings people attach to their social world.
Sociology:
the systematic study of human society