Sociology contemporary theory 1200 word essat

CSUN SPRING 2019 – SOC 430-042 TUE-THU (20221) & SOC 430-04 S (20223) – KARAGEORGIS

EXAM 1 Topic/Question Menu Pick ONE of the following topics and write an essay of no more than 1200 words in response. Save

your essay as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file. Use quoted passages sparingly, and make sure you

appropriately cite the source(s) of quoted passages and paraphrases. Email the file as an attachment to

[email protected] and submit the file, through the Canvas site, to Turnitin no later than

A. 3:40 PM on March 7, 2019 (for 20221) or

B. 11:40 AM on March 9, 2019 (for 20223)

1. Compare and contrast Marx (& Engels) and/vs Durkheim on:

A. the ‘causes’ of the development of the division of labor and specialization of functions in

societies, and

B. the effects/implications of the development of the social division of labor for societies,

social groups within them, and their individual members.

2. Define ‘mechanical’ and ‘organic’ solidarity, according to Durkheim. Discuss the

(reciprocal) relationship between:

A. the extent of the division and specialization of labor/functions in a society and

B. the relative contribution of each type of solidarity in bonding/attaching individuals to each

other and to society (overall and/or various societies), according to Durkheim.

3. Compare and contrast “alienation” (as discussed by Marx) and “anomie” (Durkheim) as

problematic features of societies like ours, or of certain important sectors of them. Discuss

Marx and Durkheim’s proposed ‘remedies’ (or ‘solutions’) for the problematic feature each

focused on.

4. Analyze Marx (and Engels)’s description of, and predictions about, the formation of

proletarians into a solidary class (in the Communist Manifesto) using Durkheim’s concepts

of ‘mechanical’ and ‘organic’ solidarity.

5. Define Durkheim’s notion of collective conscience (or consciousness). What determines

the number of collective consciences that exist in a society, and their relations with one

another? What determines the strength of the effect of collective conscience(s) on (or control

over) individual consciences? What determines the effect of such collective consciences on the

thoughts, sentiments and conduct of individuals? Discuss.

6. Is every social group, to some variable degree, “a Church” according to Durkheim? What

determines the degree to which a social group is “a Church” (according to Durkheim’s

definition of the term), its “Church-ness”, as it were? What are the effects on individuals (their

thoughts, sentiments, actions) of being ‘members of’ groups which are “Churches” to a high

degree vs. of groups which are “Churches” to a low degree? Discuss. (The relative contribution

of mechanical vs. organic solidarity in integrating a social group may be useful here)

7. Under what circumstances, and in which types of societies, are “egoism” and “anomie”

(rather than “altruism” – i.e. “groupism” – and “fatalism”) likely to be regularly occurring

problematic or pathological/abnormal social (and individual) states, according to Durkheim?

What must such societies (allow or seek to) develop in order to prevent, minimize, and remedy

such problematic social (and individual) states, according to Durkheim? (NB. This topic is

NOT about Durkheim’s attempted typology of suicide, and explanation of suicide rates)

8. Compare and contrast Marx (and Engels) and Durkheim on the possible causes and effects

of “nationalism”/patriotism in modern societies? Does the content of the national/country

ideals matter for the possible effects of nationalism/patriotism? Discuss.

9. What is the ultimate basis for “alienated labor” in capitalist societies, according to Marx?

How are “alienated labor” and the “fetishism of commodities” connected according to Marx,

and how may they have different (even contradictory) effects on the consciousness of

‘proletarians’? Discuss.

10. Summarize Engels’ argument regarding the positions of, and relations between, men and

women in patriarchal (male supremacist) ‘monogamous’ (i.e. indissoluble) marriages.

Critically evaluate his analogizing of the relations between men and women in such marriages

to the relation between capitalists and proletarians. How does it strengthen or weaken his

analysis of gender, marriage and families?

11. Compare and contrast Marx and Durkheim on the “causes” of “religion” (as each defines

it) and the “effects” of religion and religious life on individuals, groups and societies in modern

settings.

12. Compare and contrast Marx (& Engels) and Durkheim on the effects of weakened,

inconsistent, or ‘too’ abstract and general moral – including religious – and

legal/administrative (in short, social and cultural) regulation of economic (production,

distribution, exchange, consumption) life on individuals, groups and societies.