SOC 885 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Herbert Blumer, John Dewey, Georg Simmel

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 885
• Professor: Leo Michelis

Document Summary

Auguste comte, a french philosopher, used the term sociology in 1838. Tries to make sense of the world that we live in. Offers a new way of looking at familiar matters. It forces us to re-examine ourselves, our strongly held beliefs and values, and the social institutions we belong to. It critically examines our taken for granted assumptions about the world that we live in. It systematically studies and analyses the various elements that constitute a society"s structure and the relationships among these elements. Sociology studies past patterns, to: detect the current strains and, within limits, predict the future direction of social change. Disentangle their complex relationships between individuals and their social world. They are interested in collecting data and explaining their findings. They examine relations of power particularly in the distal sphere and link them to the life experiences of individuals. Analyze a social world that changes over time.