Themes in Sociology

Sociology is the study of society 

1. Is the study of human society, including its development, functions and organisation. 

2. Three 'fathers' of sociology; Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. 

• Karl Marx (1818-1883) believed that capitalism opresses the working class, and that there needs to be a revolution to make all people equal.
• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was a functionalist. he believed that society is made up of different institutions, each with its own function - these institutions work in harmony to create a stable society. 
• Max Weber (1864-1920) believed that sociologists should study both structures and actions to understand society. He thought that an individual's behaviour is shaped by structural factors (such as law) and subjective factors (such as emotion). 

Identity is quite a Complex Idea in sociology

1. Identity is hard to define - there are different levels to it. The most basic level of your identity is made up of simple facts - your name, age , apperance etc. 

2. On a deeper level, your identity is the way you see yourself, and the way you are viewed by others. This is called your social identity. It's influenced by things like class, ethnicity, gender, age and sexuality, and also by your roles in society - e.g. teacher, friend or cousin. 

Globalisation is a Very Important Idea

Globalisation is the idea that the world is becoming more connected. Improved technology and communication, an increase in transnational corporations and more migration have all meant that national boundaries are breaking down. Globalisation affects many different areas of sociology - e.g. some sociologists say that culture is now globalised. 

Culture, Socialisation and Identity are Core Themes in sociology. 

Culture is a Society's Way of Life

1. The culture of a group of people refers to the way they live- their language, beliefs, norms, values, knowledge and skills. It reinforces the sense of community in a society. 

2. Cultures vary from place to place, it also varies with time- today's culture is very different to the culture from 100 years ago.

Socialisation is how Culture is passed on

1. Socialisation is the way in which culture is passed on from generation to generation. 

2. It begins in childhood, where you learn how to behave and what to believe, and this continues to adult life. Socialisation comes from families, schools, friends, religion, the media and work. 

3. A society's values and internalised by socialisation, so that they become part of your way of thinking.

Functionalism says the Individual is the Product of Society

1. Emile Durkheim believed that society is made up of various institutions, each of which has a useful function. 

2. They look at how society is structured - you can call functionalism a structural theory. Functionalists look at how institutions in society work , and how they affect individuals. 

• The Family - has the function of socialising children.
• Education - has the function of preparing the young people for adult life. 
• Religion - has the functions of uniting society through shared beliefs

3. Functionalists believe that the institutions of society are structured to allow society to run as smoothly as possible. 

Not Everyone Agrees with Functionalist Thinking

Interactionists think that Functionalists don't focus enough on individuals. 

Marxism says the Individual is the Product of Economic Factors

Karl Marx focused on the effects of capitalism. He thought that a society's economic system influenced its non-economic institutions and that the superstructure, in turn, determined the society's beliefs and values. 

Marxist believe that the most important force in society is class conflict.

1. In captialist societies, workers are employed to produce goods which are sold by their employers at a profit. 

2. Only a bit of this money ends up in the workers' wages - most of it's kept by the employer

3. Marx said that if workers were allowed to notice the unfairness of this, they'd revolt. So, to avoid revolution, the capitalist system shapes the superstructure to make sure that the workers accept their lot in life.  

4. Institutions like the family, education and religion are part of the superstructure. They lead individuals into accepting the inequalities of capitalism. 

Marx believed that society was divided into two classes: 

The Bourgeoise were the ruling class and the Proletariat were the working class. 

Feminists say Women are Opressed by Men 

Feminists believe that society is patriarchal - that it's run by men, and that things are done in men's best interests. They believe that there are many inequalities in society based on gender, and want to make society more balanced. 

Liberal Feminists want equal rights and opportunties for women. They believe that introducing more opportunties for women into the existing structures of society is the best way to try to bring equality. 

Radical Feminism believe that society is structured to oppress women, and that society itself needs to change. They believe there's an imbalance of power in all relationships, and that all women are always expected to be subserviant to all men. 

Marxits feminists combine the beliefs of Marxism and Feminism - they believe that women are exploited by capitalist societies. 

Feminists don't even agree with Each Other... 

Radical feminists criticise liberal feminists for not acknowledging that it's more than just institutions that are patrialarchal - it's all relationships. 

New Right Sociologists Say Traditional Values are Important.

1. Like Functionalism, the New Right is a form of consensus structuralism. New Right theorists are similar to functional theorists they believe society needs values and institutions to maintain social order. New Right theories focus on subjects such as family, education and welfare. 

2. They argue that a nuclear family is one of the most important social institutions. They argue that traditional roles within the nucler family are crucial to maintain social order. 

3. New Right sociologists say that the traditional family is under threat, which has led to a decline in moral standards and the breakdown of society. 

Feminists disagree with the New Right...

Feminists criticise the NR idea's of traditional roles within the family, which they see as being oppressive to women and reinforcing a patriarchal society.