INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SUMMARY OF THE LECTURES AND BOOK CHAPTERS
,Table of Contents
Important theories........................................................................................2
Important figures..........................................................................................5
WEEK 1 LECTURE 1: What is sociology?...........................................................7
WEEK 1 LECTURE 2: What is theory?...............................................................9
WEEK 2 LECTURE 3: History of sociological thought.......................................11
WEEK 2 LECTURE 4: Genesis of sociology......................................................14
WEEK 3 LECTURE 5: Karl Marx, Inequality & Historical Materialism.................16
WEEK 3 LECTURE 6: Inequality & Developments Historical Materialism...........18
WEEK 4 LECTURE 7: Durkheim - Cohesion & Structural Functionalism.............21
WEEK 4 LECTURE 8: Durkheim – Developments & Structural Functionalism.....23
WEEK 5 LECTURE 9: Weber – Rationalization & Interpretative Individualism....27
WEEK 5 LECTURE 10: Imperative Individualism & McDonaldization.................31
WEEK 6 LECTURE 11: Sociology of daily life Simmel.......................................33
Summary:....................................................................................................38
Notes from the chapters:.............................................................................40
Chapter 1 – Questions:...................................................................40
Chapter 2 - Theories......................................................................40
Chapter 3 – Methods......................................................................40
Chapter 4 – Perspective.................................................................42
Chapter 5 - Opinions......................................................................44
Chapter 6 - Norms.........................................................................47
Chapter 7 – Networks.....................................................................49
Chapter 8 – Groups........................................................................52
Chapter 9 – Stratification and mobility............................................54
Chapter 10 – Resources..................................................................55
Chapter 11 – Immigration and integration.......................................57
1
, Chapter 12 – Modernization............................................................59
Chapter 13 – Religion.....................................................................61
Important theories
1. Conflict paradigm (conflict theory Marx):
Core Historical materialism:
a. Whatever mode of production in a society prevails,
b. every inequality within that society
c.is based on some sort of coercion.
d. This coercion leads to some sort of conflict.
e. Which can lead to the abolition of old means of coercion and the disappearance of old
inequalities.
f. and under certain circumstances it may lead to equality.
Capitalism leads to inequality through coercion.
Ex. In capitalist societies, wages of workers will decrease while the profits of the owners will
increase. This is because workers are coerced, they can easily be replaced by machines, and
thus must keep working under these conditions. Inequality will grow, and this will lead to a
conflict and resistance. If the working class unite, they will win the conflict and private
ownership will disappear as this will lead to equality.
- Revisionism (Bernstein):
a. In capitalist societies without strong political rights for its workers.
b. Wages of workers fall relatively but rise absolutely.
c. Wages are rising because workers are higher education and less coercion can be exercised
on higher educated people, but wages are relatively decreasing because education cannot
completely erase coercion.
d. Conflict between workers and capitalists becomes a political conflict about rights. The
more peaceful the conflict, the more successful.
e. When workers unite, they get more political / social rights.
f. These rights will reduce the relative difference between wages of workers and capitalists.
Conflict paradigm perspective:
- Social inequalities are typical for society.
- A society offers certain groups more advantages than to other groups.
- The social relations are the result of a constant battle between parties.
Utilitarian individualism:
- people do things as efficient as possible to create the most benefits for themselves / to
achieve their goals.
- achieving goals with resources.
- benefits > costs
2
, 2. Structural functionalism paradigm (Durkheim):
a. Every society shows a certain cohesion,
b. showing by certain intermediate groups (a certain structure)
c. and showing by certain general values and norms (possess a certain culture)
d. The more integrated the members of this society are, the more they comply to these values
and norms.
e. This results in stronger integration / cohesion.
Integration leads to cohesion through norms compliance.
Integration Hypothesis:
The stronger people are integrated in whatever intermediate group in our society, the greater
the chance that they will comply to the norms of this group.
Socialization Hypothesis:
The stronger people of a society are socialized, the greater the chance that they will comply
to the norms and values.
a. Everything in society has a function.
b. All the organism and positions are there to promote stability and solidarity.
c. Even if some things do not do this, it will solve itself.
d. When one is too individualistic, there is a lack of religion, or the tasks are too specialized
one cannot be attached to society because it has no point of reference anymore-> Anomie.
Anomie: values on goals and norms to achieve this in a legitimate way are not consistent. In
advanced societies, individuals are interdependent on each other promotes organic solidarity.
Deviance can reaffirm what is right and wrong. Creates social consciousness. Religion is a
unified system, shows which things are sacred and which are not, these beliefs and practices
unite people into one single moral community.
Utilitarian Individualism vs Structural Functionalism:
U.I
- Societies consist of individuals
- Who pursue the highest utility on free market
- Which determines the behavior of people
S.F
- Societies consist of groups/organizations
- People have strong/weak ties to these groups
-These ties influence the behavior of people
3. Symbolic Interactionism paradigm (Weber)
Interpretative individualism:
3
SUMMARY OF THE LECTURES AND BOOK CHAPTERS
,Table of Contents
Important theories........................................................................................2
Important figures..........................................................................................5
WEEK 1 LECTURE 1: What is sociology?...........................................................7
WEEK 1 LECTURE 2: What is theory?...............................................................9
WEEK 2 LECTURE 3: History of sociological thought.......................................11
WEEK 2 LECTURE 4: Genesis of sociology......................................................14
WEEK 3 LECTURE 5: Karl Marx, Inequality & Historical Materialism.................16
WEEK 3 LECTURE 6: Inequality & Developments Historical Materialism...........18
WEEK 4 LECTURE 7: Durkheim - Cohesion & Structural Functionalism.............21
WEEK 4 LECTURE 8: Durkheim – Developments & Structural Functionalism.....23
WEEK 5 LECTURE 9: Weber – Rationalization & Interpretative Individualism....27
WEEK 5 LECTURE 10: Imperative Individualism & McDonaldization.................31
WEEK 6 LECTURE 11: Sociology of daily life Simmel.......................................33
Summary:....................................................................................................38
Notes from the chapters:.............................................................................40
Chapter 1 – Questions:...................................................................40
Chapter 2 - Theories......................................................................40
Chapter 3 – Methods......................................................................40
Chapter 4 – Perspective.................................................................42
Chapter 5 - Opinions......................................................................44
Chapter 6 - Norms.........................................................................47
Chapter 7 – Networks.....................................................................49
Chapter 8 – Groups........................................................................52
Chapter 9 – Stratification and mobility............................................54
Chapter 10 – Resources..................................................................55
Chapter 11 – Immigration and integration.......................................57
1
, Chapter 12 – Modernization............................................................59
Chapter 13 – Religion.....................................................................61
Important theories
1. Conflict paradigm (conflict theory Marx):
Core Historical materialism:
a. Whatever mode of production in a society prevails,
b. every inequality within that society
c.is based on some sort of coercion.
d. This coercion leads to some sort of conflict.
e. Which can lead to the abolition of old means of coercion and the disappearance of old
inequalities.
f. and under certain circumstances it may lead to equality.
Capitalism leads to inequality through coercion.
Ex. In capitalist societies, wages of workers will decrease while the profits of the owners will
increase. This is because workers are coerced, they can easily be replaced by machines, and
thus must keep working under these conditions. Inequality will grow, and this will lead to a
conflict and resistance. If the working class unite, they will win the conflict and private
ownership will disappear as this will lead to equality.
- Revisionism (Bernstein):
a. In capitalist societies without strong political rights for its workers.
b. Wages of workers fall relatively but rise absolutely.
c. Wages are rising because workers are higher education and less coercion can be exercised
on higher educated people, but wages are relatively decreasing because education cannot
completely erase coercion.
d. Conflict between workers and capitalists becomes a political conflict about rights. The
more peaceful the conflict, the more successful.
e. When workers unite, they get more political / social rights.
f. These rights will reduce the relative difference between wages of workers and capitalists.
Conflict paradigm perspective:
- Social inequalities are typical for society.
- A society offers certain groups more advantages than to other groups.
- The social relations are the result of a constant battle between parties.
Utilitarian individualism:
- people do things as efficient as possible to create the most benefits for themselves / to
achieve their goals.
- achieving goals with resources.
- benefits > costs
2
, 2. Structural functionalism paradigm (Durkheim):
a. Every society shows a certain cohesion,
b. showing by certain intermediate groups (a certain structure)
c. and showing by certain general values and norms (possess a certain culture)
d. The more integrated the members of this society are, the more they comply to these values
and norms.
e. This results in stronger integration / cohesion.
Integration leads to cohesion through norms compliance.
Integration Hypothesis:
The stronger people are integrated in whatever intermediate group in our society, the greater
the chance that they will comply to the norms of this group.
Socialization Hypothesis:
The stronger people of a society are socialized, the greater the chance that they will comply
to the norms and values.
a. Everything in society has a function.
b. All the organism and positions are there to promote stability and solidarity.
c. Even if some things do not do this, it will solve itself.
d. When one is too individualistic, there is a lack of religion, or the tasks are too specialized
one cannot be attached to society because it has no point of reference anymore-> Anomie.
Anomie: values on goals and norms to achieve this in a legitimate way are not consistent. In
advanced societies, individuals are interdependent on each other promotes organic solidarity.
Deviance can reaffirm what is right and wrong. Creates social consciousness. Religion is a
unified system, shows which things are sacred and which are not, these beliefs and practices
unite people into one single moral community.
Utilitarian Individualism vs Structural Functionalism:
U.I
- Societies consist of individuals
- Who pursue the highest utility on free market
- Which determines the behavior of people
S.F
- Societies consist of groups/organizations
- People have strong/weak ties to these groups
-These ties influence the behavior of people
3. Symbolic Interactionism paradigm (Weber)
Interpretative individualism:
3
