Sociology introduction

1. Introduction to
Sociology
Meaning and Emergence of Sociology
Lecture 1

2. Sociology
• The study of human society, social groups and
social interaction.
• Concepts of role and social structure allow
sociologists to analyze human drama.
• Social structure is a recurrent pattern of
relationships among groups.
• Role is a set of norms specifying the rights and
obligations associated with a status.
• Sociological imagination is the ability to see
personal experience in the context of social-
structural forces

3. Emergence of Sociology &
The Founders of Sociology
• Industrialization
• Urbanization
• Political Shifts
Founders
• August Comte (1798-1857)
– Coined Sociology 1839
– Positivism-use of scientific methods, scientific accuracy,
laws of social behavior
– studied social order-social structures (statics) and social
change-social process (dynamics).

4. • Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)- saw the parts of a
complex social order as functioning like organs in
the human body.
– Simple to complex
– Principle of adaptation-process of growth and change
– No “right” way for society to be organized –change as
circumstances change
– Objectivity and moral neutrality in investigation
• Karl Marx (1818-1883)- developed the concepts
and cornerstones of conflict theory.
– Economic Determinism
– Dialectic

5. • Economic Determinism-economic
relationships provide the foundation on which
all other social and political arrangements are
built.
• The Dialect -For every idea a counter idea
develops to challenge it.
• As a result of conflict between the two ideas,
a new idea is produced.
• Dialectic philosophy views change as a
product of contradictions and conflict
between the parts of society.

6. The Dialectic
• Change occurs
through conflict and
resolution rather than
evolution.

7. • Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
– Balance between social regulation and
personal freedom
– Collective conscience-community standards of
morality
– Sense of belonging and integration
– Use of reliable statistics to logically rule out
incorrect theories of social life
 Max Weber (1864-1920)
– Subjective meanings of social actions
– Value-free-what is and not what ought to be

8. Discussion Question
• Use the Sociological Imagination to
discuss some of the common obstacles
university students face that prevent
them from graduating on time.

9. Note
• Using these slides “ONLY” for preparation of
exams shall not be enough!!
• It is important and necessary for students to
take down class lectures, notes and handouts
for preparation of exams, quizzes and
assignments etc.