Theories and Perspectives - Towards Sociology
3 important questions on Theories and Perspectives - Towards Sociology
A distinct sociological perspective emerged out of two revolutionary transformations in Europe.
Which 2 transformations are pointed towards and how did they attribute to a distinct sociological perspective?
- The Industrial revolution (late 18th - 19th century).
- Radically changed life and work (urbanisation).
- Brought new social problems (urban overcrowding, poor sanitation, disease and industrial pollution).
- Reformers carried out "sociological" research to find solutions to these probleems.
- French Revolution (1789).
- Often seen as the outcome of the ideas of the Enlightenment and the start of revolutionary devolpments that led to modernity.
- Emergence of Positivist philosophy in the science.
- Scientific advancements in the natural sciences, especially the establisment of Natural Laws, gave scholars the idea that it should also be possible to establish similar laws for the social sciences.
What can you tell about Herbet Spencer?
- Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was an English sociologist and Positivist.
- Among the first to argue societies were subject to social evolution, just like Darwin's theory in biology.
- Social evolution in to forms:
- Structural differentiation.
- Functional adaptation.
- Argued (19th century) industrial societies exhibted social evolution and thought 'survival of the fittest' applied in social evolution as well.
- I.e., he was against state intervention to support the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
According to Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) social evolution took two forms.
Which forms are that?
- Structural differentiation.
- Simple societies become more complex with an increasingly diverse array of social institutions.
- Functional adaptation.
- Societes adapt and accommodate themselves to the external environment.
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