Sociological Theory

Course Director:

Reza RahbariOffice: 827 Russ Building NorthOffice Hour: Monday 11:30 – 12:30Email: rahbarir@yorku.cahttp://www.yorku.ca/soci2040

Teaching Assistant:

 Karine Cote-BoucherOffice hour: Monday 9:30 to 10:30 Office: 368 York LanesEmail: Karinecb@Yorku.ca

Required Readings:

The list of the readings for the course will be posted on the course website. It includes full texts posted on the website as well as journal articles available electronically through the York Library system.

How to find Journal articles?Go to York Library Website

(http://www.yorku.ca/yorkweb/ and then click on the “Libraries” link)

On the left side you will see: "eResources at Home Quick Sign-On“

Click on that (you will need a valid Library Number and a password, or you could use your York Passport #)

 Click on: I AgreeAfter that you will be asked to make a selection

on each page. Please proceed as follows:

First Method:

“Find by Subject”

“Indexes and Databases”

“Sociological Abstracts”

Type (or copy and Paste) the title of the article.

Second MethodOn the right side you will find the

following link:“Title Quick Search Find by title: books, journals, databases, more” Type the Journal’s name (e.g. Critical

Sociology) in the box and then click “Go” bottom

Then look for the year and/or volume and the pages of the journal where the assigned article is published in.

The next week’s readings: Paul Paolucci, Classical Sociological Theory

and Modern Social Problems: Marx’s Concept of the Camera obscura and the Fallacy of Individualistic Reductionism,

In: Critical Sociology, Vol: 27, Issue: 1, January

2001

Evaluation:

Participation: 10%

Mid Term Exam: 20 %October 27 – In Class Take-Home Exam 20%Due December 7

Participation: 10%

It will be discussed in the Tutorials.

Mid Term Exam: 20 %October 27 – In Class

The mid-term test will be held in lecture and consist of short answer questions which will evaluate your understanding of all the course material covered to date including all lectures, readings and class discussions.

 

Take-Home Exam 20%Due December 7 - Essay QuestionsThe final, take home exam will be distributed

in the last lecture (December 1), and will be due one week later (December 8, at noon).

The take home exam is to be handed in to me in my office on Dec 7th between 10:00 and 12:00 PM.

No late papers will be accepted for this assignment.

The Development of Sociological Theory:

Three Founding “Fathers” of Sociology:Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Max Weber (1864-1920)

Karl Marx (1818-1883)Until the 1990s, nearly four

out of every ten people in the world lived under governments that at least claimed to follow Marx’s ideas.

The Russian Revolution [1917]

The revolution in China [1949]

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

was born in France on April 15, 1858.

In 1895 he published Rules of the Sociological Method, a manifesto stating what sociology was and how it ought to be done, and founded the first European Department of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux

Max Weber (1864-1920)

Weber was born in Germany

Weber's Christmas presents to his parents, when he was thirteen years old, were two historical essays!

Their ideals of happiness and good life:How can we achieve happiness?

The guiding assumption:Through self-realization, i.e., being true to

our human nature.

Karl Marx:

Self-realization through work. When we can choose our work and coworkers

freely, and are free and creative in doing our work.

When we are not forced to work just to make a living (i.e. wage labor).

What does it require?

Economic equality (elimination of class differences between haves and hove-nots, and employers-employee relationships).

We need a society in which we can all collectively plan our social needs, distribute our social resources and assign jobs based on peoples’ capabilities (i.e. a planned and socialist economy).

Emile Durkheim:

Self-realization of our social nature. When we are less dependent on our

individual needs (“physical needs”) and more on our social needs (e.g. religion, sociability, sense of belonging, family, etc..).

What does it require:A society in which our social roles are justly

assigned and fairly rewarded. Makes us feel content with our status and

roles in society. A society (or at least a group of people) in

which we have a sense of belonging due to our shared beliefs and values and in which there is strong and intense social interaction and social practices.

Max WeberSelf-realization through a principled and

purposeful life.When we set freely our principles or values in

life (i.e. being autonomous) and able to commit ourselves strongly to them.

What does it require?A society in rational thinking about our

values (value-rationality ) is more important than just trying to find ways of doing things more effectively and faster (instrumental, formal and technical rationality).

A society in which thinking rationally is more important than thinking based on tradition or emotions.

Their idea of social order

Marx: Social OrderSocieties have been so far held together

because some groups of people (dominant classes) have subordinated other groups in society to their own power and interests.

Conflict PerspectiveViews society as comprised of different

groups and interests competing for power and resources:

Looks at which groups have power, and who benefits from a particular social arrangement.

 

Durkheim: Social OrderMostly through consensus over values and

beliefs, that is through shared ideas about what is true and what is good (=Collective conscience).

Max Weber: Social OrderPeoples’ beliefs in the legitimacy of

authorities.When people obey the commands of people in

power on the basis of their believes that their power is valid and legitimate.

The roots of our social problems today

Marx: Class ConflictsIn capitalist societies people are divided into

two main classes:1. Capitalist Class or Bourgeoisie: Those who

own the means of production (the Capital)2. Working Class or Proletariat: Those who,

because don’t have any capital, have to work for the first ones.

Class Conflictinterested in

keeping capitalism in place,

Are opposed to capitalism

This class conflict shapes laws and policy.

The major problems:AlienationSocial inequality (relative poverty,

homelessness, unemployment, etc.)

Durkheim: Major Social ProblemsSocial DisintegrationSocial Disorganization (Anomie)

Weber: Major Social ProblemsRationalizationBureaucratization

University Experience

Questions:What is your main objective in attending

University? In other words how would you measure your positive university experience?

Your Answers:

A Sociological Research: Most students are interested in getting good

grades; those instructors who give students high grades and communicate to them that they are learning well usually are rewarded with high ratings.

Students preoccupied with their grade point average (GPA), practice a system of learning that emphasizes making a good grade at the expense of deeper, critical analytic learning

"Students today want technical knowledge, useful knowledge, labor-related knowledge in convenient, digestible packages"

Another Analysis: While higher education used to be reserved

for the white, middle-class, today a greater percentage of students are more likely to be women and minorities—ethnic, racial, and economic.

Additionally, a greater number of students are the first in their families to attend college.

Changing student populations result in educators who do not necessarily understand the goals, hopes, and expectations of this new generation.

Additionally, students entering college today do not have the same backgrounds, experiences, and expectations as previous generations or as their instructors.

The majority of educators in higher education are white and middle-class, resulting in a gap in our understanding of the students in our classrooms.

The basis of a solution consists of educators more actively learning about their students, integrating such knowledge into their teaching strategies, and creating realistic expectations both for students and themselves.

A different analysis:Student consumerism (i.e. obsession with

grades) is a product of a new historical era— postmodernism—

Modernism: “Knowledge is Power”Knowledge leads us to have more control

over our lives.True knowledge is only scientific knowledge

Postmodernists: Power-KnowledgeKnowledge is determined through powerPower is exercised through knowledge

Knowledge is determined through powerScience is not viewed as a value-free form of

knowledge. Knowledge is a “discourse” created within a

context where power struggles occur for the control of its meaning.

Knowledge is powerOn the other hand the control of meaning is

the major way through which power is exercised today (rather than through economic, legal and political power) .

These media "have developed a power commensurate with university education."

Undermines the belief in professors as experts, particularly as ultimate authorities on the subjects they teach.

Colleges and universities are losing their legitimacy to television entertainment, news and documentary spectacles, as well as radio talk shows.

Much of what students want to consume that higher education has supplied in the past is either in the process of erosion, or can be supplied by other sources (vocational education, or the World Wide Web).

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?

Any intro sociology book begins with the following remarks made by C.W. Mills (an American Sociologist 1916-1962)

Sociological ImaginationIt is the capacity to range from the most

impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate features of the human self—and see the relationship between the two.

Testing Your sociological Imagination

Class Exercise #1:

Rank the following as a reason for a person's success. Begin from the most important (1) to the least important or not important at all (12)

Item

1. Hard work and initiative

2. Parents and Family

3. Member of a particular race/ethnic group

4. Getting right education and training

5. Dishonesty and willingness to take whatever one can get

6. Willingness to take risks

7. Gender (whether one is male or female)

8. Connections/knowing the right people

9. Money inherited from family

10. Ability or talent one is born with

11. Good luck/in right place at right time

12. Physical appearance/good looks

How the class answered the questions:

Most Important Rank

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

How the Americans answered the questions:

Remote Social Factors Rank

Immediate Social Factors Rank

Individual Factors Rank

Member of a particular race/ethnic group (11)

Parents and family (3)

Hard work and initiative (1)

Gender (whether one is male or female) (10)

Connections/knowing the right people (5)

Getting right education and training (1)

Money inherited from family (9)

Willingness to take risks (4)

Ability or talent one is born with (6)

Good luck/in right place at right time (8)

Physical appearance/good looks (7)

A Lack of “sociological imagination”!

Americans rank race (11) and gender (10)at the bottom of their list of reasons for success in America even below the Good luck/in right place at right time (8), and Physical appearance/good looks (7)!

They give prominence to the individual factors such as

Hard work and initiative (1), Getting right education and training (2), Willingness to take risks (4), Ability or talent one is born with (6)

Testing Sociological ImaginationClass Exercise #2

2. For the following two questions, indicate your answer from the choices provided:

a. Why are some people poor?

__lack of effort __ circumstances beyond their control

__both __don't know

b. Why are some people rich?

__strong effort __ circumstances beyond their control

__both __don't know

Why are some people poor?

Lack of effort Circumstances beyond ControlBothI don’t Know

Why are some people rich?

Strong effort Circumstances beyond ControlBothI don’t Know

How the Americans answered the questions:

Again individual factors such as lack of effort (43%), and strong effort (53%) are assessed as the most important reasons for why people are either poor or reach.

The following is the result of a sociological research on the educational attainment which confirms the validity of “Sociological Imagination”, i.e. the influence of the most impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate features of the human self.

WHO SUCCEEDS? THE INEQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTSocioeconomic status is one of the best

predictors of educational success and attainment

a) middle‑and upper‑socioeconomic students are more likely to perform better in schools and complete more years of education than lower‑income students

b) young people from high-income families were 1.5 times more likely than those from low-income families to have been enrolled in a postsecondary institution

Reasons for lower educational achievement among lower income studentsFewer economic resources to commit to

educational purposes (to buy books, computers, tutors or educational extracurricular activities such as dance classes or trips to the zoo or museum)

less likely to expect their children to go to college or university, thus leading to a self‑fulfilling prophecy

Less Social Capital: limited language and academic skills, less likely to be able to offer the parental involvement so crucial to the educational success of the child

The Development of Sociological Theory:

Three Founding “Fathers” of Sociology:Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Max Weber (1864-1920)

Karl Marx (1818-1883)Until the 1990s, nearly four

out of every ten people in the world lived under governments that at least claimed to follow Marx’s ideas.

The Russian Revolution [1917]

The revolution in China [1949]

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Social FactsSocial

IntegrationAnomie

Emile Durkheim, distinguished sociology from psychology by saying that sociology is the study of "social facts," not of individual people acting freely.

Water!Composed of two active elements: Hydrogen

(H) and Oxygen (O). When they are associated in a certain

combination (H2O) they produce something which is totally different from the original elements.

H2+O=water

In the same way: “society is not the mere sum of individuals”

“by aggregating together individuals give birth to a being which constitute a psychical individuality of a new kind.”

He called this as a “social Fact”

So, for example, when Durkheim studied suicide he ignored the reasons people gave (in notes) to explain their own behaviour, or the reasons other people gave for the suicides of friends or family members.

 On the other hand, suicide rates offered him a believable explanation of suicidal behaviour.

According to Durkheim’s research Protestants kill themselves much more than Catholics do.

This is because Protestant church is: “a less strongly integrated church than the Catholic church.”

Currently suicide rate in Canada is lower among farm operators and in the RCMP.

The suicide rate among Indian youth is five times that of the total Canadian population.

In 1991 the rate of suicide for young men was six times greater than for young women.

However young girls seem to attempt suicide more than boys

Durkheim maintained that when society is disturbed by some crisis (for instance a sudden social change from socialist system in East European countries to free market) people lose their orientation and commitment to social norm.

He termed this as “anomie”

Suicide Rates (per 100,000) —

Country Males FemalesLithuania 73.7 13.7Russian Federation 72.9 13.7Estonia 64.3 14.1Latvia 59.5 11.8Kazakhstan 51.9 9.5Hungary 49.2 15.6Belarus 48.7 9.6Slovenia 48.0 13.9

Country Males FemalesPoland 24.1 4.6Czech Republic 24.0 6.8New Zealand 23.6 5.8Germany 22.1 8.1Yugoslavia 21.6 9.2Canada 21.5 5.4Sweden 20.0 8.5USA 19.3 4.4.    

Max Weber (1864-1920)

Authority and Bureaucracy

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Spirit of Capitalism:“Remember, that time is money.” “Money can beget money and its offspring

can beget more, and so on.”Etc…..

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706 –1790) was one of the best known Founding Fathers of the United States.

Weber argued that it does not come naturally to human beings to “earn more and more money.”

The idea of making money as goal in life (= the spirit of capitalism) found a powerful moral support in the Protestant movement and especially in its most radical sect Calvinism.  

Salvation vs. predestination.The destiny of the individual in the after life

is decided by God on the basis that only He knows how.

All believers can do is to look for the signs of their predestined fate after life.

The proof of salvation  God's blessing was revealed for them in1. the multiplication of profit and possessions 2. the success in occupation.