Introduction to Sociology Lecture #01

8/12/2019 Introduction to Sociology Lecture #01.

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Sociology:

Definitions:

Sociologyis the study of society.

Sociologyis the study of social institutions.

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Historical Background of Sociology:

Muslim/Eastern History/Origin of Sociology:

Ibn-e-Khaldun(1332-1406) Tunis.

According to him:

Sociology is the science of culture.

Contributions:Important Book: Statue of Ibn-e-Khaldun

in Tunis

Muqaddamah.4


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Muslim/Eastern History/Origin of Sociology:

Ibn-e-Khaldun(1332-1406) Tunis.

Most Important Theories:

1) Cyclic theory of rise & fall of nations.

2) Effect of climate on human habits.

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CYCLIC THEORY OF RISE & FALL OF NATIONS:

Nations or dynasties have a natural life span like

individuals & no matter what the circumstances are,

no nation or dynasty lasts more than three

generations.

A generation, in his opinion, is equal to the average

duration of an individuals life which is about forty

years.

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Each succeeding generation loses some of the

vitality of the previous one & the third one is

utterly hopeless politically & morally & finally

disintegrates.

It soon dies its natural death & disappears in the

darkness of history , hence the rise & fall of nations.

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The cycle of rise & fall continues with the fall of one

dynasty or nation & other takes its place again to

give way to another.

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RISE

FALL

Total Time Period: 40Years+40Years+40Years=120YEARS.9


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Non-Muslim/Western History/Origin of Sociology:

How the term sociology emerged?

Languages ------- Latin + Greek

Words ---- socius or soci + logus or ology

Meanings-------society -------study of

New Term Sociology

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Auguste Comte(1798-1857)France.

Contributions:

Important Book:

The course of positive philosophy, published in sixvolumes between 1830-1842.

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1) The Three Stages of Human Thinking.

2) Two Divisions of Sociology.

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1) The Three Stages of Human Thinking.

i. Theological Stageii. Metaphysical Stage

iii. Scientific/Positive Stage

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The Three Stages of Human Thinking.

i. Theological Stage:

At this level of thinking there is marked lack oflogical & orderly thinking.

The theological thinking implies belief in another

world wherein reside the divine forces whichcontrol the events in this world.

Comte has classified the theological stage further

into three stages. 16


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a) Fetishism: The primary stage in theological thinking is that of

fetishism.

Fetishism is a belief that there is some living spritin the non-living objects. This is also known as

animism.

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b) Polytheism: The more developed form than that of fetishism is

known as polytheism.

At this stage man has classified gods as well asnatural & human forces.

Each god has some define function & his area of

action was determined. 18


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c) Monotheism:

The most developed form of theological thinking ismanifested in monotheism.

It implies a belief in one God as compared to

earlier belief in many gods. In monotheism it is believed that one God is

supreme & that He is responsible for themaintenance of order in the world.

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ii. Metaphysical Stage:

The metaphysical or abstract thinking marks the

second stage in the evolution of human thinking. According to Comte each successive stage is an

improvement upon the earlier stage.

With the gradual improvement in human thinkingthe human problems also become complex.

The theological thinking was not adequate totackle these problems efficiently.

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ii. Metaphysical Stage:

Under metaphysical thinking it is believed that anabstract power guides & determines the events in

the world.

Metaphysical thinking discards belief in concreteGod.

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iii. Scientific or Positive Stage:

The positive or scientific knowledge is based upon

facts, & these facts are gathered by observation &experience.

The observation & classification of facts are the

beginning of the scientific knowledge. From the facts we generalize & draw conclusions.

These conclusions once verified become

established laws. 22


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Two Divisions of Sociology.

A. Social Statics/Social StructureB. Social Dynamics/Social Progress

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A. Social Statics/Social Structure: In order to understand the social structure it is

necessary to know the place of an individual,

family, state, religion & morality in society.1) Individual in Social Structure:

Comte accepts individual as an abstract entity

only. 24


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1) Individual in Social Structure:

He does not assign any place to individual in the

social unit.

2) Family in Social Structure:

Family has been accepted as the starting point of

society & the study of sociology begins from here.

In the development of society, family provides the

base of progress.

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3) Place of State in Social Structure:

In the opinion of Comte, it is the state which

occupies the place of importance after family in the

scale of social development.

4) Religion & Morality in Social Structure:

According to Comte religion & morality occupy an

important place in social structure.

For social control both are excellent devices.

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Social Dynamics/Social Progress:

1) Physical Progress:The fundamental progress of mankind lies in the

physical progress. In the absence of physical

progress no other kind of progress is possible.By physical progress we understand the progress in

living conditions, namely, housing, agricultural &industrial development etc.

Physical progress provides the base for the socialprogress.

Physical progress is the first rung in the ladder of

social progress. 28


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Social Dynamics/Social Progress:

2) Intellectual Progress:

In social progress, intellectual progress occupies a

very important place.

By intellectual progress alone can we understand

the processes of social cohesion (The

integration of group behavior as a result of social

bonds, attractions, or forces that hold membersof a group in interaction over a period of time). &

social disintegration & also the forces which lead

to social disruption & disorder. 29


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2) Intellectual Progress:

Comte believed that if our intellect can be made toaccept the importance of social cohesion our selfishfeelings will automatically turn into altruisticdesires.

The increase in the feeling of altruism (Behavior in

which the individual gives primacy to the welfare orhappiness of another or others above his own

welfare or happiness. He suppresses his owndesires or impulses in order to make possible theother persons satisfaction of his desires). would in

turn lead to great strides in social progress. 30


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B. Social Dynamics/Social Progress:

3) Moral Progress:

Though Comte generally attached highestimportance to intellectual progress, he later oninclined towards moral progress.

In his book Positive Polity, Comte lays moreemphasis on moral progress.

Comte began to regard morality as the highest aimof life.

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The Development of Sociology:

Herbert Spencer(1820-1903) U.K.

Contributions:

Important Books:

The study of sociology, published in 1873, was the

first sociology text book used in college courses in

the United States.

Descriptive sociology, published in eight large folio

volumes from 1873 to 1881.

He also edited The EconomistLondon.32
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spencer1.jpg


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Herbert Spencer(1820-1903) U.K.

Contributions:


Survival of the Fittest.

Laissez-Faire.

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LAISSEZ-FAIRE:

A doctrine, policy, or idea holing that the

government should not interfere with economic

activity either with assistance or control.

It is assumed that competition is capable of acting

as the supreme regulator of the economy,

preventing restrictions on trade or production &

promoting efficiency & progress.

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Karl Marx(1818-1883) Germany:

Contributions:

Important Books:

The Communist Manifesto.

Das Kapital.


Class Conflict.

Historical Materialism.35

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CLASS CONFLICT/CLASS STRUGGLE:

According to Karl Marx:

A social class is that which occupies a fixed place in

the process of production.

CLASSES

BOURGEOIS/ PROLETARIAT/

HAVES HAVESNOT

FEUDAL LORDS SLAVES

(Have socio-economic & (Dont have any

political resources) resources) 36


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Max Weber(1864-1920)Germany:

Contributions:

Important Books:

The Protestant Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism.

The Sociology of Religion.

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Max Weber(1864-1920)Germany:

Contributions:


Theory of Authority.Bureaucracy.

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BUREAUCRACY:

Basic Concept/Definition:

A large-scale, formal organization that is highly

differentiated & efficiently organized by means offormal rules & departments or bureaus of highly

trained experts whose activities are coordinated by

a hierarchical chain of command.

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BUREAUCRACY:

Important Note:

To understand the concept of bureaucracy, we must

understand the nature & kinds of authority.

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NATURE & KINDS OF AUTHORITY


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NATURE & KINDS OF AUTHORITY:

According to Max Weber:

Authority is related to power.

Indeed legitimate power is authority & authority is

nothing but legitimate power.

Weber recognizes three kinds of authority.

I. Traditional Authority:

II. Rational Legal Authority:

III. Charismatic Authority:

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I. Traditional Authority:

The traditional authority is that power which is

legitimatized through the force of tradition.

In traditional authority a particular class or group is

regarded superior only because this has always

been so in the past.

o Example:

In the Muslim community of the Indo-Pakistan sub-

continent the Syed have enjoyed supremacy on

account of traditional authority.42


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II. Rational Legal Authority:

In modern administrative set up this form of

authority is important.

o Example:

The head of a corporation has authority over allaffairs & machinery of organization under him.

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III. Charismatic Authority:

There are certain individuals who are so talentedthat they require neither position nor the boost of

tradition to affix impact upon others.

This extra-ordinary form of authority is known ascharismatic .

o Example:

The religious personalities & social reformers are

persons who have charismatic authority.45


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Most Important Note:

The rational legal authority is the form of authority

which constitutes bureaucracy.

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BUREAUCRACY


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BUREAUCRACY:

Functional Features of Bureaucracy:

Max Weber has enumerated seven features of

bureaucracy:

1) Importance of impersonal rules.

2) Clear & specified functions.

3) Hierarchy of positions.

4) A bureaucracy has rules of control.

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Th D l f S i l


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Emile Durkheim ( 1858-1917) France:

Contributions:

Important Books:

The Division of Labor in Society (1893)Suicide (1897)

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THEORY OF SUICIDE


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THEORY OF SUICIDE:

Nature of Suicide:

Death resulting either from a deliberate act of self-

destruction or from inaction when it is known that

inaction will have fatal consequences.

Types:

1) Egoistic Suicide.

2) Altruistic Suicide.

3) Anomic Suicide.

4) Fatalistic Suicide.

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THEORY OF SUICIDE


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THEORY OF SUICIDE:

Types:

1) Egoistic Suicide:

o Example:

Generally single male or female are more suicide-

prone than married persons.

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THEORY OF SUICIDE:


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THEORY OF SUICIDE:

Types:

2) Altruistic Suicide:An altruistic suicide is a form of sacrifice in which a

person puts an end to his life by some heroic means

in order to promote further the interest of thecause dear to him.

The persons committing altruistic suicide are thosewho attach great value & importance to the need &

imperative of social control.

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THEORY OF SUICIDE:


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THEORY OF SUICIDE:

Types:

3) Anomic Suicide:This type of suicides are concerned with social

disorganization & imbalance.

There are sudden changes which are unexpected.

The individual cannot adjust himself in the newcondition, this leads to normative gap.

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THEORY OF SUICIDE


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THEORY OF SUICIDE:

Types:

3) Anomic Suicide:

o Example:

Multi-millionaires may become pauper over night,& under these circumstances many people commit

suicide.

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THEORY OF SUICIDE:


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THEORY OF SUICIDE:

Types:

4) Fatalistic Suicide:

Also occurs where social regulation leaves no scope

for autonomous action apart from death.

o Example:

The suicide of the slave.

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Subject Matter of Sociology:


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j gy

Social Processes

Social Groups Collective Behavior

+ve ve

Social Interaction Social Organization

Social Disorganization

Culture Social Problems

Social Institutions

Socialization

Social control

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Introduction to Sociology Lecture #01