The document summarizes key sociological theorists Marx, Comte, Durkheim, and Weber. Comte coined the term "sociology" and viewed it as a positive science to discover the laws governing human societies. Durkheim viewed "social facts" as external influences that exert social control over individuals. He studied suicide rates and the effects of social integration and regulation. Weber emphasized understanding social action and viewed society as composed of different forms of rational social action. Bureaucracy threatens individual agency.

1. SOCY111
Leereenheid / Study Unit 2
Zoom sessie / Zoom session
Sleutelfigure in Sosiologie /
Key Figures in Sociology

2. Uitkomste / Outcomes
Na voltooiing van hierdie leereenheid behoort jy:
• drie sosiologiese teoretici kan verduidelik en vergelyk.
• Marx (selfstudie); Comte; Durkheim en Weber.
On completion of this study unit you should be able to:
• explain and compare three sociological theorists;
• Marx (self study); Comte; Durkheim and Weber.

3. Leeswerk / Readings
• Stewart, P. & Zaaiman, J. (eds). 2020. Sociology: A
Comprehensive South African Introduction. Cape Town:
Juta. (Chapter 1):
• Marx: pp. 17-22 (selfstudie / self study)
• Comte: pp. 15-16
• Durkheim: pp. 22-27
• Weber: pp. 27-32
• Power Point Skyfies / Power Point Slides

4. Perspektiewe / Perspectives
Opsomming en vergelyking / Summary and comparison

5. Toepassing / Application

6. Sleutel figure in Sosiologie /
Key figures in Sociology
• Auguste Comte
• Emile Durkheim
• Karl Marx
• Max Weber
Bronne / Sources: Stewart en/and Zaaiman (2020, hoofstuk 1 / chapter 1)

7. Sleutel figure / Key figures: Comte (1798-1857)
• Formuleer die term "sosiologie" – sosiale fisika /
Coined the term "sociology" - social physics
• Skep wetenskap van samelewing om wette van sosiale
wêreld te ontdek /
Create science of society to discover laws of social world
• Vind wette wat menslike samelewings rig – om ons lot te
vorm en die welstand van menswees te verbeter /
Finding laws that govern human societies – shape our
destiny and improve welfare of humanity
• Sosiologie = positiewe wetenskap (streng) /
Sociology = positive science (rigorous)

8. Sleutel figure / Key figures: Comte (1798-1857)
• Positivisme = "…wetenskap moet slegs bemoeid wees
met waarneembare entiteite wat bekend is aan jou deur
direkte ervaring" /
Positivism = "…science should be concerned only with
observable entities that are known directly to experience"
• Versigtige observasie: wette wat verhoudings tussen
waarneembare verskynsels verduidelik /
Careful observation: laws inferred that explain relationships
between observed phenomena
• Ons kan voorspellings maak vir moontlike toekomstige gedrag /
We can then make predictions for possible future behaviour
• NB = kennis deur observasie, vergelyking en eksperimentering /
NB = knowledge through observation, comparison and
experimentation

9. Sleutel figure in Sosiologie /
Key figures in Sociology
Drie fases / Three phases:
• Teokraties / Theocratic
• Bo-natuurlike kragte / Supernatural powers
• Beheer oor mens en dier / Control over people and
animals
• Meta-fisies / Metaphysical
• Mens begin abstrak dink /
People start thinking in abstract way
• Invloed van fisiese realiteit (natuur) /
Influence of physical reality (nature)
• Betekenis van die lewe, good vs. sleg /
Meaning of life, good vs. evil
• Positiewe / Positive
• Rede en observasie = feite en bewyse /
Reason and observation = facts and proof
• Finale fase van kennis = positivisme /
Final phase of knowledge = positivism
• Bevraagteken logika gebaseer op nuwe feite – bestudeer
mens se intellek /
Question logic based on new facts – study human intellect

10. Sleutel figure / Key figures: Durkheim
• Volgeling – Comte /
Follower of Comte
• Sosiale feite / Social facts
• Sosiale kohesie / Social cohesion
• Solidariteit & integrasie /
Solidarity & integration
• Selfmoord / Suicide
• Arbeidsverdeling / Division of labour
• Kultus van individu / Cult of individual
• Gedeelde bewussyn /
Collective consciousness

11. Sosiale feite / Social facts
• Eksterne "dinge" soos feite in natuurwetenskappe /
External "things" such as facts in natural sciences
• Rol in "sosiale strukturering" van samelewing /
Role in "social structuring" of society
• Sosiale rol in menslike agentskap /
Social role in human agency
• "…Gepatroneerde maniere van optree, dink en voel…" /
"…Patterned ways of acting, thinking, and feeling…"
• "…wat buite enige individu bestaan wat beheer uitoefen
oor elke persoon" /
…exist outside any individual [and] exert[s] social control
over each person" (Kendall, 2011:15)

12. SOSIALE KOHESIE /
SOCIAL COHESION =

13. Selfmoord & sosiale integrasie /
Suicide & social integration
Sosiale integrasie & regulering /
Social cohesion & regulation
Tipe sosiale band /
Type of social tie
Egoïsme / Egoism (Laag / Low – Individual)
Losmaak van sosiale bande /
Detachment of social ties
Egoïsties / Egoistic
Anomie (Laag / Low – Struktuur/Structure)
Versteuring van bande = dramatiese
verandering
Disruption of ties = dramatic change
Anomies / Anomic
Altruisme / Altruism (Hoog / High +)
Baie regulering van gedrag = positief vir I /
High regulation of behaviour = postive for I
Altruisties / Altruistic
Fatalisme / Fatalism (Hoog / High -)
Baie regulering van gedrag = negative for I /
High regulation of behaviour = negative for I
Fatalisties / Fatalistic

14. Sosiale kohesie en verandering /
Social cohesion and change
Landelik / Agrarian
Min arbeidsverdeling / Little division of labour
Gedeelde waardes / Shared values
Industrialisering &
verstedeliking /
Industrialisation &
urbanisation
Stedelik / Urban
Komplekse arbeidsverdeling /
Complex division of labour
Medediging om skaars hulpbronne /
Struggle over scarce resources
Meer interaksie / More interaction
Meganiese
solidariteit /
Mechanical
solidarity
Organiese
solidariteit /
Organic solidarity

15. Sosiale kohesie in 'organiese konteks' /
Social cohesion in 'organic context'
Kultus van "individu" en "homo duplex" /
Cult of the "individual" and "homo duplex"
• Meganies versus organies /
Mechanical versus organic
• Ubuntu versus egoïstiese individualisme /
Ubuntu versus egoistic individualism
• "Opheffing van individu" /
"Glorification of the individual"
• Aanvaarbaar = binne grense van sosiale
norme /
Acceptable = within bounds of social norms
• Kritiek teen … /
Critique against "…vain mimicry of
celebrities"
• Lei tot "homo duplex" /
Leads to "homo duplex"
• "…competing dual forces [in] modern
social life"

16. Sosiale kohesie in 'organiese konteks' /
Social cohesion in 'organic context'
Religie / Religion
• Primêre bron van sosiale kohesie /
Primary source of social cohesion
• Ontstaan uit gedeelde bewussyn /
Originates from collective conscience
• Heilig en onheilige / Sacred and profone
• H = roetines en tradisies van kerk (NB) /
S = routines and traditions of
church/religion (NB)
• OH = alledaags, onbelangrik (sekulêr) /
P = ordinary, no special significance
(secular)

17. Sleutel figure / Key figures: Weber (1864-1920)
• Duits / German
• Kritiek teen slegs strukturalistiese
benadering tot samelewing –
agentskap? /
Critique against only structural
approach to society – agency?
• Vermy "een of die ander"
verduideliking /
Avoids "either/or" explanations
• Comte/Durkheim – idealisties / idealistic
• Marx – materialisties / materialistic

18. Begrip van samelewing / Understanding society
• Verstehen – verstaan / understand
• Die individu en individuele aksie – interpretivisme /
The individual and individual action – interpretivism
• Interpretasie van individu en samelewing /
Interpretation of individual and society
• Individuele aksie – basiese eenheid van sosiale analise /
Individual action – basic unit of social analysis
• "…interpret the meaning of social action and thereby give a
causal explanation of the way in which the action proceeds and
the effect it produces"
• Gedrag versus aksie / Behaviour versus action
• G = outomaties en instinktief / B = automatic and instinctive
• A = intensie en vir 'n rede / A = intentional and for a reason

19. Sosiale aksie / Social action
• Sosiale aksie ontstaan uit onafhanklike individuele
agentskap /
Social action results from independent individual agency
• SA = Aktief en reaktief, NIE passief /
SA = Active and reactive, NOT passive
• SA = gerig tot ander sosiale agente = wederkerigheid /
SA = directed towards other social agents = reciprocal
• Samelewing te verstaan = hoe skep ons betekenis, hoe
tree ons op gebaseer op hierdie betekenis = ons skep
instellings /
To understand society = how we create meaning, how we
act based on these meanings = we create institutions

20. Aard van sosiale struktuur? / Nature of social structure?
• Strukture (en individu se verhouding tot dit) = slegs
verstaan in verhouding tot sosiale aksie /
Structure (and individual's relationship to it) only
understood in relation to social action
• NIE sosiale feite, eerder betekenisvolle gelowe en praktyke /
NOT social facts, rather meaningful beliefs and practices
• DRIE basiese sosiale strukture (met aksie verbind) /
THREE basic social structures (linked to action)
• Assosiasie en affektiewe sosiale aksie /
Association and affective social action
• Gemeenskap en tradisionele sosiale aksie /
Community and traditional social action
• Samelewing en rasionele sosiale aksie /
Society and rational social action

21. Aard van sosiale struktuur? / Nature of social structure?
DRIE basiese sosiale strukture /
THREE basic social structures
• Assosiasie en affektiewe sosiale aksie /
Association and affective social action
• Mense kom byeen … / People come together …
• Deel van sienings & sentimente /
Share of views and sentiments
• "We associate with those with whom we have an affinity"
• Emotief / Emotive
• Sosiale bande wat ons skep – vriendskappe /
Social bonds that we create – friendships

22. Aard van sosiale struktuur? / Nature of social structure?
DRIE basiese sosiale strukture /
THREE basic social structures
• Gemeenskap en tradisionele sosiale
aksie /
Community and traditional social action
• Gewoonte en tradisie (kleiner groepe) /
Habitual and traditional (smaller
groups)
• "One does things in a certain way
because that is always the way things
have been done"
• Sosialisering / Socialisation
• So geleer … / Taught that way …

23. Aard van sosiale struktuur? / Nature of social structure?
DRIE basiese sosiale strukture /
THREE basic social structures
• Samelewing en rasionele sosiale aksie /
Society and rational social action
• Meer komplekse en rasionele aksie – spesifieke doel /
More complex and rational action – specific purpose
• Spesifieke rede waarom ons op sekere manier optree /
Specific reason for acting in a particular way
• Instrumentele rasionaliteit = swot om te slaag (middel tot
doel) /
Instrumental rationality = study to pass (means to an end)
• Waarde-rasionele aksie = hulp aan andere (liefde) /
Value-rational action = support others (love)

24. Aard van sosiale struktuur? / Nature of social structure?
Dominasie van rasionele aksie … /
Domination of rational action …
• Formele rasionaliteit / Formal rationality
• Instellings (universiteite) – regulasies /
Institutions (universities) – regulations
• Burokrasie / Bureaucracy
• Substantiewe rasionaliteit /
Substantive rationality
• Waarde-gedrewe doelwitte /
Value-driven objectives
• Sosiale bewegings / Social movements
• "…embody and promote a set of values
and corresponding actions by their
members"

25. Burokrasie / Bureaucracy
• Grootskaalse organisasie opgedeel in kantore met persone
met verskillende range /
Large scale organisation divided into offices staffed by people
in different ranks
• Wetlike gesag / Legal authority
• Nodig om mense effektief te organisering = "oor-regulasie" van
lewe /
Necessary to organise people effectively = but results in an
"over-regulation" of life
• "Disenchantment" – "destruktief" / "destructive"
• "…we make rational, cold and deliberate decisions about how to
behave rather than using our traditions, customs…or spiritual
beliefs to guide us"
• Uitdaging vir individuele agentskap /
Serious threat to individual agency
• Mense het nie baie beheer oor hul lewens
en werk nie /
People do not have much control over their
own lives and work

26. Sleutel figure / Key figures: Weber (1864-1920)
Selfstudie / Self study
• Gesag / Authority (pp. 29-30)
• Tradisioneel / Traditional
• Rasioneel-wetlik / Rational-legal
• Charismaties / Charismatic
• Stratifikasie / Stratification (pp. 31-32)
• Klas / Class
• Status
• Partye / Parties
• Ideaal-tipes / Ideal types

27. Vorme van gesag / Forms of authority
• Rasionele-regtelike gesag / Rational legal authority
• Mees effektiewe vorm van sosiale regulasie in samelewing /
Most effective form of social regulation in society
• Domineer moderne samelewing / Dominates modern society
• Burokrasie / Bureaucracy

28. Vorme van gesag / Forms of authority
• Tradisionele gesag / Traditional authority
• Pre-industriële samelewing / Pre-industrial society
• Minder kompleks / Less complex
• "Persoonlike lojaliteit" / "Personal loyalty"
• Gemeenskap, tradisionele leier, patriargie /
Community, traditional leader, patriarchy
• Gerontokrasie / Gerontocracy

29. Vorme van gesag / Forms of authority
• Charismatiese gesag / Charismatic authority
• Spesiale, bo-natuurlike en uitstaande eienskappe /
Special, super-human and extraordinary features
• "…beacon of light in a disenchanted world and is
treated with god-like status"
• Verandering en inspirasie /
Change and inspiration

30. Sleutel figure / Key figures: Weber (1864-1920)
Selfstudie / Self study
• Gesag / Authority (pp. 29-30)
• Tradisioneel / Traditional
• Rasioneel-wetlik / Rational-legal
• Charismaties / Charismatic
• Stratifikasie / Stratification (pp. 31-32)
• Klas / Class
• Status
• Partye / Parties
• Ideaal-tipes / Ideal types

31. Dimensies van sosiale stratifikasie /
Dimensions of social stratification
• Klas / Class
• Dieselfde lewenskanse / Same life chances
• Ekonomiese dimensie / Economic dimension
• Toegang tot materiële / Access to material
• Gemeet = inkomste, eiendom en finansiële bates /
Measured = income, property and financial assets

32. Dimensies van sosiale stratifikasie /
Dimensions of social stratification
• Status
• Prestige – sosiale eer, erkenning, waarde /
Prestige – social honour, recognition, worth
• Lewensstyl / Lifestyle
• Eenderse lewensverwagtinge, bewustheid /
Similar life chances, awareness
• Verband tussen klas en status /
Association between class and status
• Een mag lei tot ander, maar nie noodwendig dieselfde /
One may lead to the other, but not necessarily the
same
• Loodgieter & akademikus / Plumber & academic

33. Dimensies van sosiale stratifikasie /
Dimensions of social stratification
• Parties / Partye
• Mag, politieke dimensie – sosiale mag /
Power, political dimension – social power
• Kapasiteit van beïnvloeding selfs met teenkanting /
Capacity for influence even with opposition
• Onderhandelingskapasiteit = belangrik /
Capacity for negotiation = important
• Ook verband met vorige twee: klas & status /
Also associated with foregoing two: class & status

34. Thank you!