1000 Word Sociology essay

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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“To understand a science it is necessary to know its history.”

-Auguste Comte, A Course of Positive Philosophy (1832)

I. Welcome and General Housekeeping

a. Hello and welcome to an “Introduction to Sociology”! Hopefully you have reviewed the

Welcome Letter and Syllabus for this course by now, both of which can be found in the “Start

Here” folder on our course homepage. If you haven’t, please do so ASAP because the answers

to most general questions about this course can be found in these documents. Also, Quiz #1 may

contain material found there (hint, hint).

b. In online learning, and in this class in particular, the Syllabus and Week #1 content are of

heightened importance because we are laying both the policy/procedural and substantive/content

groundwork for success in this class. So, I encourage each of you to pay great attention to detail

in Week 1, especially with respect to reviewing the Syllabus. I know that there is a tendency to

disregard the Syllabus and Course Calendar in traditional classes—we might think that, because

we’ll physically be attending each scheduled class, we’ll get the overall gist of where we are and

where we’re heading from instructor announcements and in-class discussions. Although I’ll be

your guide through the academic content, online learning is more self-directed than traditional

classes with respect to completing the coursework and meeting deadlines. As we did in the

Syllabus, let’s turn again to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) for some sage advice…

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Moral of the story: spend some time this week carefully reading the Syllabus.

Now, a clumsy segue from the notoriously-clumsy 16th U.S. President1 to a brief discussion of

what these weekly Lecture Notes are all about…

II. About the Weekly Lecture Notes

a. Because this is an online course, traditional lectures are not possible; instead, the weekly

academic content will be presented in these Lecture Notes documents. Therefore, there is fair

amount of text to read each week when we take into account the fact that you are responsible for

reading the Lecture Notes AND completing the assigned readings. Although there is no assigned

reading this first week (in order to let you get acclimated), this week’s Lecture Notes will be a bit

longer than most.

b. Note that key terms, concepts, and people will appear in bold. Definitions are in italics and

additional important content is underlined for emphasis. As I do below, I keep my irreverent, but

nonetheless interesting (I hope!), digressions in the footnotes. Occasionally, I will include a

citation in the footnotes as well.

1 Weird and completely non-sociological digression: Medical researchers, clinicians, and historians continue to debate the causes of

Lincoln’s awkward gait and unfortunate appearance (though I find him to have a rather stately countenance, don’t you?). Some have

even engaged Lincoln’s surviving relatives in genetic testing and there is solid evidence pointing to Marfan syndrome.

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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c. On that note, rather than traditional outlines designed purely for memorization (which is not my

intent here), I do my best to make the Lecture Notes entertaining and relevant by splicing in my

own unique brand of observational humor, pop culture references, and personal experiences in

life just as I would in a traditional lecture format. If you find my jokes and stories lame, I

apologize in advance—rest assured, you’re not the first. If you can find humor in them or any of

the material in this course, awesome! Learning should be fun and I will do my best to make it so.

I try to write these lecture notes in an informative, but conversational, style. Hopefully, you find

them easy to read.

d. Weekly Lecture Notes will be made available at the beginning of each week when the weekly

folders unlock (Sunday nights at 11:59pm). Quiz material is taken from these documents—as

well as the assigned readings and media—so anything that is presented here is fair game for

quizzes. Just a friendly heads-up…

e. Interactive Online Learning

i. Occasionally within the Lecture Notes, you will come across multimedia hyperlinks.2

These links come in two types:

1. “VISUAL SOCIOLOGY.” These required links will take you to a variety of web

images (memes, cartoons, infographics, and photography) that will supplement

course content. These VISUAL SOCIOLOGY images will help students with

comprehension of key content and, I hope, offer some humor and fun.

2. “EXPANDING THOUGHTS.” Although optional, this content will delve deeper

into key sociological terrain and, if time permits, you may explore these links to

expand your thinking. However, you will NOT be quizzed or otherwise assessed

for knowledge of this content.

ii. Finally, and importantly, if you have any questions specific content or it sparks a

particular interest for you, I encourage you to post questions, concerns, or interesting

content to our weekly Discussion Board. This, of course, is also entirely optional, but I

have found this type of interaction especially rewarding and fun. Before we jump into

some introductory course content, let’s take a look at our Week #1 Learning Objectives…

Week #1 Learning Objectives

 Define sociology and its levels of analysis  Explain the founding of sociology, with specific reference to the role of the

Enlightenment, positivism, and key early thinkers like Auguste Comte.

 Identify the meaning and relationship between structure and agency  Describe (and apply) the sociological imagination

2 Because Blackboard does not open these links in a new tab by default, I strongly suggest either right-clicking and selecting the

option for “open in new tab” or simply doing a “Ctrl + click.” If you’re like me, you probably prefer working between tabs. Try it now

by right-clicking or holding “Ctrl” while clicking here to check out this goofy meme. If it opened in new tab to the right,

CONGRATS—you’re definitely ‘in control’ and on your way to becoming an online learning pro!

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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III. Sociology: Positivist Foundations, Modern Controversies

a. While Western intellectuals and philosophers have pondered the nature of society and social

relations dating back to the classical Greeks (e.g., Aristotle, Socrates, Plato), Romans (e.g.,

Cicero, Lucretius, Seneca), these questions have also been central to the thought of the religions

and philosophical traditions of the East (Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Islam).

However, the formal discipline of sociology emerged in 18th -19th century Europe during the Age

of Enlightenment.

i. The Age of Enlightenment (appx. 1650-1800) was a period of rapid intellectual

development in which scholars began to study/explain the world using rational-

scientific—rather than supernatural—methods.

ii. Crucial to this period was the scientific principle of positivism which holds that sense

perceptions are the only admissible basis of human knowledge. In simple terms, the

positivist assumes that: 1) objective truth exists; and, 2) truths or knowledge can only be

arrived at if the phenomenon under study can be observed and measured.

1. Interestingly, in the realm of politics, the Enlightenment ethos questioned not only

supernatural explanations for natural and social phenomena, but also called into

question the “divine right of kings”—or, the notion that rulers derived their power

from god/s. Instead, scientific rationality came to rule the day; in most segments

of Western social and political life, that is…

a. The Enlightenment—and the works of writers like John Locke and

Thomas Paine (whom the American ‘founders’ were especially influenced

by)—spurred on democratic and humanist ideals, essentially spelling the

end of absolute monarchy in Europe (though this would come about

gradually).

b. “EXPANDING THOUGHTS: “Enlightenment – Words of the World”—a

short video clip from the good folks at the Words of the World project at

the University of Nottingham (U.K.).

Image at Left: Sebastien Le Clerc engraving of Louis XIV of

France visiting the Academy of Sciences in Paris (1671).

Little did the ‘Sun King’ know, political theory stemming

from Enlightenment ideals would spell the end of his ‘divine

right’ to rule.

Image source:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/386304

(public domain)

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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2. Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

a. Comte was a French thinker and committed positivist who is often

credited as being “the founder of sociology.” From what we know,

though, this is somewhat inaccurate because he just gave the discipline

its name (via his English translator, the accomplished feminist and

sociologist-in-her-own-right, Harriet Martineau). The lesson? If you

want to be famous and viewed as a trailblazer, be sure to come up with

a catchy name for what you are studying or inventing. And make sure

it’s catchy because Comte’s first stab at it (‘social physics’) just didn’t

stick. ‘Sociology’ has a better ring to it, don’t you think?

b. The Enlightenment’s focus on rationality and secularism—that is,

replacing religious dogma with scientifically-derived explanations—

left many worrying that without religion, social problems would be on

the rise due to a moral breakdown that some saw as inevitable in the

absence of religious strictures on behavior.3

i. Although this was a primary concern for Comte and some of

his contemporaries, it proved unwarranted. For example, note

that the most secular Western societies remain highly

organized with relatively low crime rates (Sweden, Denmark);

conversely, the U.S. and U.K. are, by comparison, much more

religious than their Scandinavian counterparts according to

survey data, but have relatively higher crime rates.4

3 This was a pervasive worry in Western thought during the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, in a classic scene from Fyodor

Dostoyevsky’s 1880 novel The Brothers Karamazov, brother Ivan remarks that “If God does not exist, all is permitted.” This famous

line from Dostoyevsky is reflective of broad concerns in 19th century Russia about atheism—or, more accurately, nihilism (i.e. no

beliefs or moral values)—as a threat to Russian society and the czarist state. A few years after Dostoyevsky penned this line, the

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, himself an atheist who was/is often (falsely) accused of nihilism, wrote the following

controversial lamentation: “God is dead…And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?” 4 See Gregory S. Paul, “Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religiosity and Secularism in the

Prosperous Democracies.” Journal of Religion and Society 7 (2005). Available at

https://dspace2.creighton.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10504/64409/2005-11.pdf

Image at Left: As an early proponent of positivism, Auguste

Comte (1798-1857) was an instrumental figure in the

foundation of sociology during the 19th century—though, his

work influenced both the social sciences writ-large and

philosophy. Although it was not a recognized subfield at the

time, today we would refer to Comte as a “philosopher of

science” rather than a “sociologist” because he wrote broadly

about epistemology (theories of knowledge) and methodology

(methods for generating knowledge).

Image: Portrait Engraving of Comte, Tony Touillon (1850)

(public domain)

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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c. In a nod to the natural sciences (e.g., chemistry, biology, astronomy,

and physics) and as mentioned above, Comte earlier called sociology

‘social physics.’ In fact, the theoretical and methodological framework

for the natural sciences had come to dominate what was seen as

“science” during the Enlightenment—therefore, Comte adhered to that

because he wanted sociology to be seen as a legitimate scientific

discipline. To point it bluntly, it was all about getting this new

discipline to be ‘taken seriously’. Positivist pretensions to the ‘value

neutrality’ or objectivity of modern science5 are arguably just that:

pretensions.

i. EXPANDING THOUGHTS: The American Sociological

Association (ASA), the largest and most powerful professional

association within the discipline, is oriented toward positivist

sociology. However, some alternative professional networks

like the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) or the

Association for Humanist Sociology, though less powerful and

prestigious, adhere to the paradigm of humanist sociology.

i. Positivist sociology is based on the

principle of empiricism and politically-

detached, objective inquiry while

humanist sociology is concerned with

affecting positive change and not merely

studying the world as it is—therefore,

humanist sociologists often identify as

‘scholar-activists’.

iii. Today, there are some dissenters within sociology who argue that the ‘positivist science’

model is not appropriate. Often, these scholars identify as humanist sociologists (or,

“public sociologists”) who incorporate systematic methods AND rhetorical/philosophical

arguments rooted in humanist values. While positivist sociologists ‘stick to the science’

and remain ‘value-neutral,’ humanist sociologists engage in scientific and philosophical

inquiry that is motivated by their political and moral commitments. This is the nature of

all humanist science: to use scientific knowledge to improve the human condition.

b. On Teaching and ‘Objectivity’: Why I “Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train”

i. Note that although my (Mike) academic training largely reflects the positivist framework,

I will also include a humanist perspective throughout this course. We will be discussing

a broad range of pertinent social issues in this class. As engaged citizens and learners,

issues like race, class, gender, sexuality, inequality, technology, politics, and health

5 What philosopher Thomas Nagel famously-termed the “view from nowhere.” Think of it this way: even the most ‘objective’ scientist

(whether she be a biologist or sociologist) is not an unemotional robot. And, certainly, she has taken to her field due to a deep and

abiding interest in life forms and processes (i.e. biology) or in social forms and processes (i.e. sociology). This interest generally stems

from personal—that is, subjective—experience.

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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should evoke strong opinions. Like other scientists (e.g. astronomy, biology, etc.),

sociologists have a deep interest in their topic/s they examine and, ultimately, care about

the outcomes of the phenomena, lives, and groups they study.

ii. I know that some college instructors, even in the social sciences, prefer to project an

objective or dispassionate image of themselves—an effort that, in and of itself, reflects a

rather vague liberalism (more on this misunderstood term later in the course). Without

fail, these efforts tend to set off a strange dance: the cagey instructor continuously fends

of students’ attempts to elicit information to help them identify him/her as liberal,

conservative, lefty, righty, Democrat, Republican, etc. As fun as this dance can be for

instructors, I think students find it tiresome and frustrating. I know that, as a student, I

certainly did…

iii. So let me be clear: I am neither a Democrat nor Republican and am critical of both major

parties, as well as the two-party system which confines our unique and varied political

preferences into two camps which, in my view, are similar in most respects.

iv. In a memoir detailing a life of scholarship, teaching and political activism, the historian

Howard Zinn (whose writings we’ll read in Week 4) argues that “you can’t be neutral on

a moving train.” Zinn meant that to be passive or objective in the face of oppressive

social and historical forces (which we will examine this semester) is akin to an act of

collaboration. In terms of my sociology and teaching, I refuse to take a neutral or

objective approach, for instance, regarding enduring inequalities that are rooted in social

structures of oppression (e.g. capitalist exploitation, white supremacy, xenophobia,

patriarchy/misogyny, homophobia, or ableism).

1. EXPANDING THOUGHTS: Howard Zinn sits with Amy Goodman (Democracy

Now!) in 2005 to talk about his remarkable life and social activism—both of

which intersected with many of the most important moments in 20th century

American history.

v. Finally, and to be more politically-transparent, I’ve listed the social and political

commitments that are central to my biography, worldview, and my professional work

(e.g. teaching and research). Please note that these are rather broadly-conceived and in

the order in which they came to mind at the time I wrote these Lecture Notes…

 Labor rights; worker protections

 Promoting social equality

 Combatting ways in which existing inequalities are

socially-constructed via the domains of race, class,

gender, sexuality, dis/ablement, religion, and age

 Universal human rights

 Democratic processes; civic participation

 Non-violence

 Universal enfranchisement (including women and

ex-offenders)

 Anti-imperialism; national self-determination

 Academic freedom

 Equal access to knowledge/science

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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vi. If you share any of these commitments, that’s great; if not, that’s great, too! Among the

most important and robust findings within sociological research on knowledge and

information-sharing is that folks whose social networks (i.e. groups, like this class) are

diverse actually experience unique informational and even economic advantages over

peers with less diverse social networks.6 So, diversity of experiences and opinions truly

equals strength. And, I always welcome and encourage students to share their experiences

and opinions, as well as engage in civil debate that is reflective of academic decorum and

mutual respect.

vii. Now, back to other matters of sociological substance…

IV. A Concise Intro to Sociology

a. I guess that any “Introduction to Sociology” course should begin with a definition of sociology.

Put simply, sociology is a social science discipline concerned with the systematic study of

society. Whereas psychology is a social science that focuses on the study of the brain and

consciousness, sociology is much broader in its foci and methods of analysis. Sociologists study

the entire social world at the micro, macro, and meso levels of analysis.

i. Micro-level of analysis: includes small scale interactions between individuals and

groups.

1. College football example: Player, fan, referee, vendor behavior/interactions.

ii. Macro-level of analysis: includes large scale social processes that are often more

abstract.

1. College football example: The political economy of the game (e.g., NCAA

Division I college football as major generator of corporate profit); cultural,

national, political significance of large spectator sports (e.g. Symbolic/ceremonial

displays of nationalism during national anthem; recognition of military personnel;

competitive norms, sanctioned violence).

iii. Meso-level of analysis: focuses on the institutional level that mediates micro and macro

levels.

1. College football example: The role of the NCAA (institution) which promotes—

and profits from—the competition/game.

2. VISUAL SOCIOLOGY: Power and Money in NCAA sports by cartoonist Rob

Tornoe. Major collegiate sports in the U.S. have grown into a multi-billion dollar

industry. Aside from highly-sought after coaches who have garnered multi-

million dollar contracts, the labor that makes this industry possible—i.e. the

players—remains unpaid. Given the industry’s profitability, players, fans, and

even some coaches have begun asking tough questions about the structure of the

NCAA and its designation of players as ‘student-athletes’ rather than employees.

6 We will return to this phenomenon, called the ‘strength of weak ties, during Week 9 when we cover the topic of “Social Networks.”

If you are really interested in this idea that those most different from us tend to be more beneficial than similar others, see the original

elaboration published in Mark Grannovetter’s 1973 paper: Mark S. Grannovetter, "The Strength of Weak Ties," American Journal of

Sociology, 78(6) (1973): 1360-1380.

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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b. As pointed out in the Syllabus, sociology is an extremely powerful discipline because it allows

us to look deeper into phenomena we might consider as commonplace. Whatever your interests,

it is likely that there is a subfield within sociology that is concerned with those topics

specifically. The study of these topics is often approached by modern sociologists using broad

sociological perspectives. It’s best to think of these perspectives as ‘lenses for viewing the

social world.’

i. Symbolic interactionism (SI): a perspective that views social meaning as arising

through the process of social interaction. Sociologists using this perspective are

fundamentally concerned with interaction on a personal (or, better yet, interpersonal)

level; therefore, SI falls squarely in the realm of what can be called microsociology.

Some prominent theorists within this school of thought include George Herbert Mead,

Charles Horton Cooley, W.I. Thomas, and many more contemporary sociologists.

ii. Functionalism: a perspective that examines broad social structures and society as a

whole which is composed of interdependent and interrelated parts. Functionalists are very

keen on biological metaphors—i.e., if society is the body, each institution in society like

the police (‘liver for funneling out social toxins’) and the academy (‘brain of society’)

help to serve the functioning of the whole. Prominent names within this school include

Emile Durkheim (“father of functionalism”), Herbert Spencer (“father of social

Darwinism”), and Robert K. Merton.

1. While we still teach this as a ‘dominant sociological perspective’ to SOC 101

students like yourself, functionalism really doesn’t have much purchase among

modern sociologists. The whole ‘biological metaphor’ approach seems pretty trite

given the complexity of modern society. So why is it still taught in most SOC 101

classes (including, ahem, this one)? My somewhat facetious and arguably

unwarranted hypothesis is that textbook publishers and reviewers still want entire

sections on functionalism because ‘it’s the way we’ve always taught sociology.’

More likely, however, is the prominence and genius of the great French

functionalist theorist Emile Durkheim who remains a giant in our field. We ignore

him and his unique contributions to the perspective of functionalism at our own

peril. I mean, look at the guy (below)—doesn’t he just seem like a dude that

commands respect and awe?

Pictured at Left: Along with Karl Marx and Max Weber,

Emile Durkheim is one of the three great pillars of classical

sociology. And, as alluded to above, the wireless glasses,

scholarly beard, and bald head cuts quite a visage.

Durkheim… what a boss.

Image source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Durkheim#/medi

a/File:Emile_Durkheim.jpg (public domain)

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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iii. Conflict: a perspective that views society as composed of diverse groups with conflicting

values and interests. The two most important theorists we’ll read as part of this class are

Karl Marx and C. Wright Mills. Unlike SI, the functionalist and conflict perspectives are

generally regarded as macrosociology because they are concerned with broader social

phenomena.

1. Throughout this course you will no doubt notice that I often draw from the

conflict—and, more specifically, “Marxist”—perspective. The reason that my

own sociological analysis fits within this perspective is based on unique personal

factors (upbringing, race, gender, class background, education, etc.) that can

fittingly be termed “Mike’s socialization.” Socialization is a process in which we

learn and internalize the attitudes, values, beliefs, and norms of our culture and

develop a sense of self. It is an essential factor in why we are who we are. You

will learn more about my socialization process—i.e. my background and

worldview—as this course rolls along.

Above: Note how the functionalist pyramid above fits together smoothly (i.e. interdependent parts); the conflict perspective is

represented by opposing forces; and symbolic interactionism is a jigsaw puzzle of diverse meanings and orientations.

Image courtesy: Kathleen French (used with approval),

https://laulima.hawaii.edu/access/content/user/kfrench/sociology/three_views_of_society.jpg

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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c. Sociology—and “thinking sociologically”—is challenging for many students, particularly

students who have grown up within the American social and political milieu. Actually “doing

sociology” requires us to step outside ourselves and see broader connections. In essence, we

must put aside the “ideology of individualism” (IoI) if we are to develop the ability the think

sociologically. The IoI is a fundamental tenet of American life: for example, most of us have

some concept of “individual freedom” and think it’s a great thing. Further, many of us believe in

these freedoms in spite of the fact that some levels of individuality actually do social harm (e.g.

cutting in line, playing loud music at 3am in your dorm, cheating on your significant other,

selling drugs to children, etc.). In modern times, our belief as a society in individual freedom has

extended to freedom of travel via the personal automobile, which is causing significant

ecological damage (smog and global warming).

d. Here is a thought experiment I often give to sociology students to help them understand what the

sociological imagination—American sociologist C. Wright Mills’ term for a state of mind that

gives us an understanding of ourselves within the context of broader society—is all about. For

some students, this may be the beginning of developing their own ‘sociological imaginations’.

Next week, we will really hammer away at the sociological imagination because, beyond the

classical sociology content you are getting this week (e.g. Comte, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, etc.),

Mills’ concept is absolutely central to modern sociology and is, in my view, what ‘thinking

sociologically’ requires. Now, a rather simplified scenario that will hopefully demonstrate what

I mean when I refer to the sociological imagination…

Scenario #1

(John, a Harvard Business School student from a wealthy family, is walking through

Cambridge, MA with his friend Caitlin when the two spot a disheveled and depressed

homeless man asking for change in Harvard Square.)

John (disgusted): Can you believe somebody could sink so low? What a lazy bum! I

wouldn’t give him a dime because he’ll just spend it on booze.

Sylvia (slightly amused, directs her comments at the panhandler): Yeah…why don’t you

just go out and get a job!? What are you doing here in the ‘People’s Republic’ anyway?

This is a place for people like us.

In the wake of the 2008 Great Recession, a study conducted by the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that

approximately 1.56 million Americans (0.5% of total U.S.

population) used an emergency shelter or transitional housing

program between October 2008 and October 2009. This figure did

not capture the homeless who did not draw on these resources and

underestimated the total U.S. homeless population. The sociological

imagination helps students and sociologists understandthe causes and

consequences of endemic structural issues like homelessness.

Image source:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Homeless_-

_American_Flag.jpg (public domain)

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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Scenario #2

(Brian, a first-year sociology major at UMass Lowell from a low-income, working-class

family, walks through Harvard Square when he spots the panhandler.)

Brian (cautiously): Hey, man, I’m Brian. How are you and why are you down here

asking strangers for money?

Joe (slightly confused; uneasy): Name’s Joe. I do pretty good here in this spot. ‘Lotta

young folks with money and some take pity on a bum like me.

Brian: So why do you beg for money?

Joe: Well I never thought I’d be one of these guys. Lost my job a few years back. Used to

work construction—home buildin’, actually.

Brian: You have construction or carpentry skills? Aren’t those skills in high demand?

Joe: Usually, yes. I’m a different case, though. The contractor I worked for went under

because the housing market went to hell. Not that people didn’t wanna buy houses no more.

I just heard some bankers made bad deals with other folks’ money and nobody was able to

get a loan to build a new house. Then I had some trouble with drinkin’ and things sorta

spiraled out of control. I’m not sure myself how things went so wrong. Long story short,

I lost my house and family and here I am.

i. While John (Scenario #1) made the assumption that the Joe was just lazy and didn’t want

to work, Brian (Scenario #2) learned after talking to Joe that he was in his current state

largely due to broader social forces beyond his immediate control. This exercise is not

meant to discredit the role played by individual choices (e.g. turning to alcohol); instead,

it is intended to demonstrate that things do not wholly occur as a result individuals making

poor decisions. The social world is extremely more complex than people like John can, or

want to, imagine. Perhaps John’s derisive view has something to do with his own affluence:

he refuses to accept the complex, structural system of social rewards/punishments because

he needs to believe that his—or, better yet, his parents’—wealth was earned through

individual hard work. It may be a values mechanism that gives him self-worth. Conversely,

perhaps Brian asked Joe about how his current situation came about and left with a deeper

appreciation for the complexity of the matter. Maybe Brian was interested in learning more

because he grew up in a family with little money and sincerely wanted to know why Joe

ended up on the streets and his family didn’t. Each character has had different lived

experiences which, in turn, have a fundamental impact on their values and worldview. One

of my favorite quotes that is often (erroneously) attributed to the 5th century (BCE)

philosopher-sage Siddhārtha Gautama (AKA the Buddha) demonstrates this connection

between material experiences and immaterial perspective as follows: “Have compassion

for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. One suffers too much, others

too little.”

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Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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1. What I am doing here, albeit based on a hypothetical situation, is attempting to

delve deeper into John’s behavior by thinking about class, status, and privilege in

the U.S. But there is probably much more to consider here (i.e., the role of gender?).

In short, I am trying to see the broader connections between John and Brian’s

behavior and the complex social forces we encounter daily. When I do this, I am

using my sociological imagination.

2. We will explore the sociological imagination in more detail next week by reading

Ch. 1 of C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination. Mills will explain to us

that “the promise” of the sociological imagination allows us to clearly understand

the connections between biography (i.e., the individual) and broader historical and

social forces (i.e., society). And, should you choose to complete the Week #2

Reflection Essay,7 you will have the opportunity to make connections between your

biography and the historical and social forces that bear upon your life’s trajectory

so far.

e. Classical Sociology: The ‘Big Three’

i. Three figures—Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim—are predominate within the

discipline of sociology and most modern sociologists carry on these intellectual lineages

in their contemporary research. Many even explicitly self-identify as “Marxist,”

“Weberian,” or “Durkheimian” scholars. Therefore, it is important for students in an

“Introduction to Sociology” course to have a cursory understanding of these scholars and

their work. If you continue to take higher level courses in Sociology (e.g., “Classical

Sociological Theory”), you will have an opportunity to explore their works in greater depth.

1. Karl Marx (1818-1883): The Relevant Rebel

a. Marx was a German-born historian, philosopher, economist, theorist, and

revolutionary—quite the polymath!

i. Although we continue to think of Marx in the popular discourse as

a political (i.e. revolutionary) figure, his primary importance to

sociologists, economists, and political scientists rests in his vast

scholarship.

b. Notable works: The Communist Manifesto (with Friedrich Engels), The

German Ideology, and Das Kapital.

c. Marx’s ideas are foundational to the academic school known as Marxism.

i. For Marx (and subsequent ‘Marxists’), class conflict is key to all

social conditions and actions.

ii. In sociology, this is often synonymous with ‘conflict theory.’

d. During the 20th century, Marx’s ideas were adapted—and perverted—by

authoritarian regimes in the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, and Cuba.

7 Recall from the Syllabus that you are only required to complete FOUR Reflection Essays in the course.

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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e. Foreshadowing the ‘spectre’ of Marx: We will be reading Ch. 1 of Marx

and Engels’ (in)famous Communist Manifesto in Week 5 when we cover

“Class: Stratification and Inequality in Capitalist Society.”

LAME JOKE ALERT: “Is the place where Karl

Marx is buried (London’s Highgate Cemetery) just

another Communist plot?”

Image:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karl_Mar

x_Grave_(2).jpg (public domain)

2. Max Weber (1864-1920): The Deep and Despondent Thinker

a. Like Marx, Weber was born in Germany; however, he was critical of

Marx’s sociological and historical views, seeing them as overly-

deterministic.

i. Weber disagreed with Marx’s materialist view that all social

phenomena spur from economic (i.e. ‘materialist’) conditions;

instead, Weber believed that ideology could be separate from

material conditions. In essence, not all social actions were

determined by the economy.

Image at left: Max Weber with colleagues, 1917.

Image:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber#/media/File

:Max_Weber_1917.jpg (public domain)

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

14

b. Major works: Economy and Society and “The Protestant Ethic and the

Spirit of Capitalism.”

c. Weber’s view of sociology was predicated on the German notion of

verstehen (roughly translated as “empathetic understanding”) where

interpretation is key and sociologists must study how social actors

understand their actions and the social world through experience.

i. Example: While we might be quick to dismiss and condemn a

suicide bomber as ‘evil’ or ‘crazed,’ a Weberian sociologist would

seek out future bombers in order to understand what factors

motivated their actions—usually, the best method for ‘doing

sociology’ in this way would be through ethnography (interviews,

observation, and spending time in the company of research

subjects).

1. This is why Weber, like Durkheim (discussed below), was

a positivist sociologist—although he saw interpretation as

central to ‘doing sociology’ (i.e. qualitative rather than

quantitative methods), he believed that inquiry and

interpretation should be “value free.” Again, this is a

difficult proposition for most of us, as we have our own

strong opinions, political perspectives, and values which

are difficult to suspend in the interest of science.

3. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917): The Sociologist Par Excellence

a. French sociologist who is generally regarded as the father of the

functionalist school. I include the superlative “par excellence” for

Durkheim not simply because he was French but because, in contrast to

Marx and Weber whose work spans sociology and economics, the topics

he examined and methods he used were especially ‘sociological’.

i. To wit: The principal focus of Durkheim’s work was explaining

what holds society together. For example, why don’t the vast

majority of us cheat, harm, or even kill one another to get ahead

(even if we were given the guarantee that we would not be

caught)? Clearly, there is a normative structure at work that is

highly effective in terms of ‘keeping us in line.’

b. Key works: The Division of Labor in Society and Suicide

i. In Suicide, he found that, to a great extent, suicide was associated

with whether or not an individual was integrated into group life

and lived according to routine.

ii. Durkheim used the French term anomie (roughly translated as

‘normlessness) to refer to the drastic changes to a person’s life

when norms—i.e., expectations of behavior—breakdown.

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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c. Durkheim’s methodology went as far as arguing that certain statistics or

patterned, observable phenomena in society (e.g., suicide, murder, teenage

pregnancy) were social facts—essentially, actual ‘things’ in themselves

that could be derived through careful study (usually with the use of

statistics).

i. Furthermore, this is indicative of Comte’s influence on Durkheim

and his support of positivist sociology which holds that the social

world can be described and predicted based on certain

empirically-established relationships.

4. VISUAL SOCIOLOGY: A caricature of the ‘Big Three.’ Note the dourness of

Marx (front), the seriousness of Weber (back left), and the thoughtful puzzlement

of Durkheim (back right).

f. Structure vs. Agency

i. Like the positivist vs. humanist split described above, structure vs. agency is a prominent

debate within sociology (and between social science disciplines). While agency refers to

an individual’s ability to act according to their wishes, structures are broader forces that

constrain or shape individual choice.

1. Social structures: Enduring and regular social arrangements that emerge from

persistent patterns of human interactions and relationships.

a. Examples: Family, the state, law, markets/capitalism, etc.

2. Agency: Individual social power and the capacity for action.

Above: Malcolm Browne’s Pulitzer prize-winning photograph of the self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức on a busy intersection of

Saigon, Vietnam in 1963. Quảng Đức sits in meditative repose while burning to death as a protest to the policies of the U.S.-backed

South Vietnamese regime led by Ngô Đình Diệm. Quảng Đức’s individual action further galvanized protests against the regime in the

days after his death when the First Lady of South Vietnam remarked on television that she would welcome seeing “another monk

barbeque show.”

Critical thinking: How do we see the interplay of structure and agency in individual actions like the self-immolation of Quảng Đức?

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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ii. Let’s again return to the topic of homelessness, an enduring and growing problem in

American society (appx. 500,000 homeless ‘living on the streets’ of the U.S. right now)

within the context of the structure versus agency debate…

iii. Folks who argue that the homeless end up that way through poor individual choices tend

to highlight agency while disregarding structure. To the chagrin of American sociology

instructors, this view—see the ideology of individualism (IoI) on p. 10 above—

predominates political discourse and popular thinking in the U.S.

iv. Conversely, individuals who examine the role played by structural factors—e.g.

macroeconomic change (e.g. deindustrialization; automation of manufacturing), limited

social spending on drug treatment and mental illness, the recent Great Recession, etc.—

argue that pure agency is a myopic explanation for many social problems.

1. As you might have guessed at this point, most sociologists focus their inquiries on

structural forces over individual actions. As you will see again next week, social

structure is a key concept in this class, so allow me to briefly introduce the

concept here (though more on this in the weeks to come)…

a. Social structures: Enduring and regular social arrangements that emerge

from persistent patterns of human interactions and relationships.

i. Examples: Government, economy, religion, etc.

V. Conclusion/Summary

a. I realize this has been a decent amount of content to present in the first week (which is why there

is no assigned reading or media during Week 1), but the broad takeaways from this week’s

Lecture Notes are:

i. Administrative details about the course

ii. The historical development of sociology

iii. Positivist versus humanist orientations of sociology

iv. The three sociological perspectives

v. The sociological imagination versus the ideology of individualism

vi. The ‘Big Three’

vii. Structure vs. agency

b. EXPANDING THOUGHTS: In this short video, sociologist Dan Krier (Iowa State) discusses the

multi-paradigmatic (i.e. no ‘grand unifying theory’) nature of sociology while highlighting the

importance of Max Weber’s idea and thought construct called the ‘ideal type.’ The ideal type

solves the common error of categorical thinking.

c. This course is designed for the beginning Sociology major and non-major alike. Sociology is a

broad discipline and it is likely that whatever academic and/or personal interests you have, there

is a subfield of sociology which focuses exclusively on that topic. The ASA, our main

professional organization, offers the following sections (each linked if you’d like to explore)—

though, please note that this is only a partial list and the full sections list can be found here:

Introduction to Sociology Lecture Notes Week #1

Instructor/Author: Michael R. Slone

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Aging and the Life Course

Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco

Animals and Society

Body and Embodiment

Children and Youth

Collective Behavior and Social

Movements

Crime, Law, and Deviance

Education

Environment and Technology

Family

Human Rights

Inequality, Poverty and Mobility

Latino/a Sociology

Law

Marxist Sociology

Medical Sociology

Mental Health

Peace, War, and Social Conflict

Political Sociology

Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Religion

Sex and Gender

Sexualities

d. Thanks all and welcome aboard! I’m really looking forward to our 10 weeks together in this course 