1.3 What is Sociological Theory?

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Classical Sociological Theory

1018 calificaciones

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University of Amsterdam

Classical Sociological Theory

1018 calificaciones

This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) will offer the participants an introduction into the most important classical sociological readings between the 18th and 20th century. Highly influential social science scholars, such as Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim, will be discussed during 8 sessions. Combined with small tests, based on the video’s and recommended readings, the participants will be encouraged to dive deeply into the complex texts and get familiar with classical sociological concepts that are still very relevant today.

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Session 1: Classical Sociological Theory - An Introduction

In this session the field of classical sociological theory will be introduced. It explains the historical roots of sociology. It shows you why classical sociological theories are still important in modern societies and it explains the Aims and Claims of this Course.

1.1 What is this course about?5:17

1.2 Implicit Theories in Everyday Life5:06

1.3 What is Sociological Theory?4:59

1.4 Founding Fathers5:46

1.5 Sociology in the Modern Industrial Age5:49

1.6 Linking Classical to Contemporary Theories6:07

1.7 The Sociological Theoretical Field6:44

1.8 Aims and Claims of this Course5:23

Conoce a los instructores

Bart van Heerikhuizen
Dr.
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

What is sociology?

Contrary to what is often thought, that is not such a difficult question.

Although it's easy to assemble hundreds of definitions and

make it all seem extremely complicated.

Sociology is the science that has as its subject matter, human societies.

As simple as that.

For the time being, it's enough to say that sociologists are interested in

the history, and the structure of the large

configurations that are formed by human beings.

The scientific study of human societies became an institutionalized

discipline told at universities at the end of the 19th century and

that implies that some of the classic sociologist

that we discuss here were not university professors at all.

Some of them never called themselves sociologists.

They were amateurs.

But amateurs in the best sense of the word.

The fact that their study of social life was done

in known institutionalized surroundings had its advantages.

There is something fresh and innocent about books by.

Who never had to worry about tenure.

Whose chapters were never scrutinized by academic committees or peer reviewers.

But the disadvantage may have been that a few of the classic

authors got carried away by their own arguments, because they lectured and

wrote for people who worshiped them, as was the case of August Comte,

who clearly missed the objections of a critical audience, as we will see.

The classical sociologists were not just interested in human societies.

They were focusing on problems attending the fundamental

social change that took place in Europe at the time of the Industrial Revolution.

They studied what has been called the great transformation.

And that means the transition from agrarian societies to

industrial societies, from traditional to modern societies.

The growing influence of the modern sciences.

The rise of the modern metropolis.

The process of secularisation.

The development of new political arrangements.

Such as modern democracy, but also modern totalitarianism.

And also those more general tendencies, such as the process of rationalization,

described by Max Weber, or the process of civilization, theorized by Norbert Elias.

The first sociological theories were proposed by intellectuals who were

struck by those brand new developments that they witnessed for

the very first time in the history of the human species.

And one of the reasons why we still experience their theories as illuminating

is that today, we live in the spin-off of processes

that became noticeable for the very first time during their lifetime.

That being said we still have to realize that the thinkers that are canonized

now as the founders of modern sociology, constitute a very one sided group.

They are all men.

They are all Europeans, and

with the exception of they are middle-class, all of them.

When studying their theories it's important to ask yourself from time to

time, what difference it would have made had they been women or

born in Asia or Latin America.

Or stemming from the very rich classes of society or from the very poor.

You know. There may be a gender bias.

A class preference.

Maybe even a bit of ethnocentrism at work.

In the composition, the selection of the members of the cannon of the greats.

And there is a possibility that some important thinkers have so

far been overlooked by the historians of the social sciences.

There may be authors, who in the future, might be given their well-deserved

place in the pantheon of the classic sociological thinkers.

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