Social Sciences En Politieke En Sociale Wetenschappen
Introduction To Sociology
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Summary of all lectures + examples elaborated
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Course
Introduction To Sociology
Institution
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Summary of the entire course of introduction to Sociology. I attended all classes and took precise notes + elaborated on all the examples. Also added additional material from the book if needed.
Social Sciences En Politieke En Sociale Wetenschappen
Introduction To Sociology
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Introduction to Sociology
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
CLASS 1
Theory = a framework linking a set of ideas, to create a solution to a problem, to help
us understand.
Sociography = to describe what they see
Sociology = to explain, why things happen
Theories have to generalize, based on observations, sometimes you need to make it
more abstract
How broad do you want your theory?
o Gran theory = applies to everything, capture whole of society
Eg. Big fish little pound effect, rather than small fish in big sea
o Middle range theory = more particular, specific topic or context
o We use facts to make theory, and then we use theorie to test facts (FIGURE)
Theoretical perspective = glasses you put on to look in a certain way at reality, shapes
view on society
Eg. Giving little children coloured glasses to look at the world
Classic perspecti ves (GRAN THEORIES) Lead to a blurring of individuals
Functionalism (Spencer)
o Organic view of society, survival of the fittest
o Spencer studied biology as well, he sees society as a body
Every organ has a function to fullfill need of organism !! all functions have to
work together. -> Society as a system, has needs, different sub components
have to work together
Structural functionalism (Parsons)
o Famous in his days, took view of Spencer a bit further
o Functionalism on the MACRO level
o 4 basic needs
..1. Adaptation = need to adapt for survival, insured by economy
..2. Goal attainement = people that dicide, what are the goals?, political
..3. Integration = internal, making sure that people integrate to one cohesive
society -> make people understand and follow rules
..4. Latent = pattern maintance, maintaining through eduction, religion, family
Functionalism (Merton), tries to save functionalism!
o Something that exists in society can only have positive functions, otherwise it
would be erased
o What is good for everyone, is also good for every individual
Was more easy going in theory
o Manifest function = function that everyone in society can recognise
o Latent function = hidden function
, o Dysfunction = Negative effect it can have on society
Eg. Protest in brussels
-Manifest function = adapt system, disrupts system
-Latent function = ensures intigration, symbols, brings people together
+ makes people let of steam and express themselves, to prevent
violence and revolution
-Dysfunction = disrupts society
!!! Important that functions outway the dysfunctions!!!
Eg. Higher education
-Manifest function = educated people to work for society in future
-Latent function = keeping people of the streets, and of the job market,
relation desk
-Dysfunction = costs lot of money
o Critique on functionalism = sees society as normal, as one cohesive unit where
everything is needed
-> social problems are seen as normal, as necessary for society, are legitimized
-> change? Looks upon current situation as okay
Conflict perspective = complete opposite of funtionalism (Markx)
o Society is one big struggle
o Struggle between DOMINANT and OPRESSED
Dominant = fights for survival, legitimate dominance, reproduction to
inheret advantages (use of education to sort out people) people from
a certain class tend to remain in the same class, education can change
this!!!
In society everyone wants to be successful, everyone wants to be the
dominant
Opressed = fight for equal rights (class, gender, ethnicity, age..)
o Inequality -> conflict, seed for change
ATTENTION!!!
If we study society, we see the social problems BUT do we stop there? Do we just pass this
on to politicians or do we do something about it.
o Weber = no don’t do anything, you have to stay value-free researcher, don’t
let your own convictions get in the way
o Marx = critical sociologist
Social action perspective, taking individual in account
o How about the people?
MACRO = (Weber) How do individuals construct society together
Sociology of social action, looking @ things from above !!! book is
wrong, says it is a micro perspective!!!
MICRO = Symbolic interactionism (eg. Waving), accurs in interaction
between people, study of everyday life
, BOTH ORIGINATE FROM FREE WILL
!!! Attention, miss out on bigger structures !!!
Eg. Social inequality
THE BIG DEBATE
Determinism: no free will, everything is decided
Voluntarism: free will
Structure or agency = people work together on constructing society. But it comes
back to affect us! We are restricted by our own groups and choises (eg. Going to
class, without freedom of leaving, eating,…)
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
CLASS 2
Societies are the highest level
Society = people that share a specific culture and orginizational structure, that
interract in a defined space (doesn’t have to be on the map, eg. Minecraft) Mark that
societies are flexible
Changing patt erns in society
Sociocultural evolution
Societies grow in abbilities of adapting to situations, manipulating environment
This is the econonmy, ensures that society is adapted
Technological evolution (the Lenski’s)
Technology is driving change of society
Technology allows larger populations to develop
Surplus +++ = societies produce more than they can consume, you have
something to distribute
PEOPLE CAN’T SHARE EQUALLY = more surplus is more inequality
o Division of labor = people can engage in other activities
o Social inequality
Hunting and gathering societies
Labor devision is based on age, gender (once your old enough to hunt, you help)
Family is n°1 institution, kinship is key
Little stratification, everyone has same job, everyone is equal (maybe only best
hunter is leader) -> charismatic leadership
No material culture -> nomadic culture, material is a burden
Material = instrumental, objects to USE
Religion connected to forces of nature
Book gives a to negative view on this society
Struggle of survival?
o Work and leisure, a lot of free time
, o To desire little, you have to produce little
o “zen” road to affluence
Hesitant towards transition ? -> population pressure, more people to feed asks for
change
Horticultural and pastoral societies
Horticultural = they work the soil, hand tools, cultivaton SEDENTARY!
Pastoral = when there is no fertile soil, nomadic, domestication of anilmals
o Worst mistake in history??? NOT EASY TRANSITION
Mal nutrition, low life expectance
Semi-sedentary -> larger groups + material surplus
o Not all people have to work in procuring food
o Social hierarchy: elite, governement, military
GOD as benefactor, eg. When crops failed, who did this?
o People high in hierarchy use god to legislate their dominance
Argrarian = age of MASSIVE social inequality
Technological advance in agricultural technology (eg. Animal ploughs, soil get fertile)
Irrigation
Writing, numbers…
Social orginisation!!! -> people are fully sedentary
o Cities -> new ideas, politics, conflict
MASSIVE surplus +++
o Start of money, economy
o More social inequality, elite gets smaller and smaller
o Labor division is massive!
Art, philosophy, literature
o Religion and legitimation has to be very strong to face all the social inequality
Industrial societies
Technology (1750) -> industrial REVOLUTION
o Water steam machine, from home to factory
o Combustion engine and electricity
Life expectance rising!!!
More and more and more surplus +++
Social inequality becomes smaller -> technology has become that advanced, you
need more skilled workers = levelling
Post-Industrial society
Information!!! We don’t work in goods anymore but in information
Globalisation!, information currents running around the world
Change in values, from material values -> post material values
Content of jobs are changing, information is everywhere, everyone needs to be
flexible: time, location
Self-developement is key, constant struggle for quality of life
Post-modernism = first society that recognizes there is not 1 truth anymore,
everybody can make a different claim towards the truth and these are all accepted
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