Understanding Sociological Theories: From Industrialism to Globalization, Apuntes de Sociología

¡Descarga Understanding Sociological Theories: From Industrialism to Globalization y más Apuntes en PDF de Sociología solo en Docsity! “Good theories are important to understand societies and to explain social changes”. • Are new social theories old theories dress up in a new language? The early sociologist tried to understand industrialism, urbanization and capitalism, a new series of issues have to be understood by the current sociologist: globalization, multiculturalism, gender division and environmental degradation are amongst the new central problems. sociological theories: Jeffrey alexander • The importance of the historical context: from depression to euphoria. • Relationship with the ideologies of the societies in which they are created. • Creation of models: Theories intend to be valid in different moments and contexts - abstracting and generalization. • The social action can be understood as rational or irrational. • Ideas of order: individualism and collectivism. ▲ Collectivist patterns assume a prior order to the individual- product of history (i.e: the economy). ▲ Individual patterns are the result of individual negotiation and individual choice. Functionalism Functionalism applied contributions of biology and medicine to the study of society: Similar to a body: a system consisting of subsystems (digestive system, nervous system). • Comte observed the ‘science of sociology’ as essentially similar to natural science. ▲ Positivism (direct observation and causal law). ▲ The final intention is to intervene and shape the social world. • Spencer: societies also experience evolution. ▲ Structural differentiation: from simple societies to a diverse society with separate institutions. ▲ Functional adaptation to the environment. ▲ Survival of the fittest applied in social sciences Functio nalism and structur Soci ologi cal Functionalism- Durkheim • Durkheim: Social institutions and social forms are beyond people’s actions and interactions. Hence, Durkheim is interested in social facts and not the psychology of individuals (i.e: suicide). ▲ Mechanical solidarity is found in less complex societies, when individualism is minimized and the individual is subsumed within the collectivity. ▲ Organic solidarity is found in large-scale, modern, industrial societies. There is a better balance between individual differences and collective purposes. • Social structure, according to Durkheim constrains our activities, setting limits to what we can do as individuals. i.e: the monetary system, marriage, language. ▲ The system is the ordered set of elements that tend to retain their organization. ▲ The structures are systems of elements that have enough stability to be considered independent of small fluctuations caused by external factors. ▲ Equivalence or relationship refers to the function of the structures: contribute to the maintenance and adaptability of the systems to which they belong. Functionalism Talcott Parsons tried to explain how society can hold together when all the individuals have different interests, desires and needs (the problem of social order). Systemic functionalism: ▲ Systems only partially control the environments and their variables. ▲ Consideration of the processes - change (i.e. the family). ▲ The importance of socialization to maintain the social order. The AGIL paradigm: ▲ A-dapting function: Economic sub-system, adaptation to the environment and the resources. ▲ G-oal attainment function. Political sub-system. Goals and mechanisms for their achievement.