SOC 10000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Ideal Type, The Communist Manifesto, Double Consciousness
27 Jun 2018
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Chapter 1
1. What is Sociology?
a. It’s a social science that studies societies, like how societies form groups,
organizations, etc.
2. What is Sociological Imagination?
a. C. Wright Mills invented it and it’s the ability for people to bring a connection
between themselves and society
b. What’s key? View yourself as an OUTSIDER!
c. Sociological Imagination helps us understand the world by having us deviate from
our own personal experiences and observations to observe public issues or things
3. Is Sociology a Science?
a. Yes! It’s a social science.
b. Sociology is not common sense!
i. Example: Sociologists (like Emile Durkheim) are interested in the
sociological forces that influence things like suicide
4. What is a Sociological Theory?
a. It is a series of statements used to explain an existing belief.
5. Who were the real innovators of Sociology?
a. August Comte:
i. Coined the term “sociology”
b. Harriet Martineau:
i. Made the first Sociology book.
c. Herbert Spencer:
i. Amalgamated Darwinian Evolution with Sociology
d. Emile Durkheim
i. Was able to really get Sociology off the ground by evaluating societal
impacts on suicide
ii. Also studied things like leadership and a sense of direction. One of the
main things he coined was “Anomie”, or the sense of a direction in a
group.
Document Summary
View yourself as an outsider: sociological imagination helps us understand the world by having us deviate from our own personal experiences and observations to observe public issues or things. It"s a social science: sociology is not common sense! i. Example: sociologists (like emile durkheim) are interested in the sociological forces that influence things like suicide: what is a sociological theory? a. It is a series of statements used to explain an existing belief: who were the real innovators of sociology, august comte: i. Coined the term sociology : harriet martineau, made the first sociology book, herbert spencer: i. Amalgamated darwinian evolution with sociology: emile durkheim, was able to really get sociology off the ground by evaluating societal ii. impacts on suicide. Also studied things like leadership and a sense of direction. One of the main things he coined was anomie , or the sense of a direction in a group: max weber i. ii.
