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Sociology
University
Introduction to the Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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What you need to know
Read the full theory →Definition, methodologies, and evolution of sociology
- Sociology: the science that studies human society and its relationships
- Relationships analyzed: production, distribution, consumption, solidarity, and division of labor
- Study groups: families, clubs, gangs, associations, and institutions
- Methodology: interdisciplinary to interpret the causes and meanings of behavior
- Levels of analysis: microsociology (interaction/organizations) and macrosociology (systems/structure)
- Traditional approaches: stratification, class, mobility, religion, law, and deviance
- Areas of expansion: environment, health, economy, penal institutions, Internet, education, and criminology
- Origins: linked to authors such as Comte, Marx, Durkheim, and Weber
- 20th-century sociologists: Parsons, Goffman, Merton, Foucault, Bourdieu, Luhmann, and Habermas
- Contemporary sociologists: Ritzer, Giddens, Castells, Latour, Bauman, Elias, Coleman, and Touraine
Founders and historical evolution of sociology
- Origin: Pre-existing in Greek philosophy and the study of roles by Confucius
- Ibn Khaldun: Considered the father of sociology for his work Muqaddima
- Enlightenment: The beginning of the analysis of institutions by Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Vico
- Positivism (19th Century): The search for a "social physics" led by Saint-Simon
- Auguste Comte: Coined the term "sociology" in 1824
- Harriet Martineau: Founding mother; developed social study methodologies in 1836
- Von Stein: Introduced sociology as a dynamic science and Hegelian dialectics
- Alexis de Tocqueville: Precursor with comparative studies of societies
- Émile Durkheim: Founding father who sought scientific autonomy and the quantitative method
- Durkheim's Works: The Rules of Sociological Method (1895) and The Division of Labour in Society (1893)
- Karl Marx: Fundamental influence on social critique and the Frankfurt School
- Max Weber: Proposed the interpretive method for the cultural sciences
Research methods, theories, and sociological paradigms
- Qualitative methods: seek the totality of facts and intensive engagement with subjects.
- Qualitative methods: prioritize phenomenology over generalization.
- Quantitative methods: based on positivism and measurement precision.
- Quantitative methods: select specific indicators (subjectively and intersubjectively).
- Social network analysis and history of events: overcome the limitations of traditional quantitative methods.
- Sociological schools: French, English, Chicago, and Frankfurt.
- Main paradigms: symbolic interactionism, social constructionism, conflict theory, phenomenology, and functionalism.
- Structural functionalism: a macro approach that views society as a complex system seeking solidarity and stability.
- Structural functionalism: elements of study are norms, customs, traditions, and institutions.
- Symbolic interactionism: a microsociological current centered on communication as a constitutive process.
- Mead: the person is formed through reflective thought and the use of others as a mirror.
- Goffman: dramaturgical interpretative model where the role is a set of behavioral expectations.
Ethnomethodology and Sociological Theories (Conflict, Exchange, and Systems)
- Ethnomethodology: a 1960s current (Harold Garfinkel) on practical sense and everyday methods.
- Ethnomethodology in education: Harvard Conjugate Acquisition Test (Pygmalion).
- Conflict theory: reaction to structural functionalism (1950s-60s).
- Conflict theory: a mechanism for innovation and social change (not pathology).
- John Dewey: conflict is the "gadfly of thought."
- Michel Foucault: analysis of social power, large-scale institutions, and control through knowledge.
- Exchange theory: roots in behaviorism (rewards vs. costs).
- Peter Blau: focus on social structure and the organization of associations.
- Systems theory (Buckley, 1967): offers unified vocabulary, macro and micro analysis, and a focus on relationships.
Structure vs. Action, Social Dynamics, and Sociology in Latin America
- Agency: the individual's capacity for free and independent decision-making.
- Structure: limiting factors such as social class, religion, and ethnic origin.
- Sociological epistemology: the study of causes and effects in the social world.
- Social reproduction: the mechanism by which structures of inequality are maintained through individual choices.
- Bourdieu: genetic constructivist theory.
- Habermas: distinction between instrumental/communicative rationality and system/lifeworld.
- Giddens: social structuration theory.
- Social dynamics: the flow of customs and beliefs marked by history.
- Social interaction: the process of mutual adaptation and differentiation from the statu quo.
- Latin American sociology: the search for a unique ideology in the face of imperialism.
- Dependency theories: the analysis of regional subordination on a global scale.
- Current topics: democracy, human rights, neoliberalism, and social conflict.
- Key organizations: ALAS, CLACSO, and FLACSO.
Flashcard preview (6 of 25)
- 01
Sociology is the social science concerned with the analysis of:
human society or the global population
- 02
In sociology, what specifically analyzes the relationship between human groups?
relations of production, distribution, consumption, solidarity, division of labor, etc.
- 03
Levels of analysis in sociology (from individual/group to structural):
microsociology and macrosociology
- 04
Traditional approaches to sociology (examples):
social stratification, social class, social mobility, religion, law, and social deviance
- 05
Prominent sociologists of the 20th century (mention 3):
Talcott Parsons, Erving Goffman, Robert K. Merton (or Wright Mills, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Niklas Luhmann, Jürgen Habermas)
- 06
Who coined the word "sociology" in 1824?
Auguste Comte
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