Introduction Ethnomethodology, a sociological perspective developed by Harold Garfinkel in the 1960s, is the study of how people create and maintain social order in everyday life through their actions and interactions. This approach focuses on the methods (hence “methodology”) that individuals employ to make sense of their social world and to make their actions understandable […]
Biographical Sketch of Alfred Schutz Alfred Schutz (1899-1959) was a renowned social philosopher. Born and raised in Austria, he found himself compelled to leave Germany in 1939 to escape the oppressive Nazi regime. Schutz pursued his studies in law and social sciences at the University of Vienna. His education was influenced by several renowned scholars.
Emile Durkheim, one of the founding figures of sociology, made significant contributions to the study of religion through his seminal work, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912). His approach to religion was fundamentally sociological, seeking to understand how religion functioned as a social institution. Durkheim’s focus was on how religious beliefs, symbols, and practices
Scales of measurement One of the most important concepts in statistics is the scale of measurement, which determines how data can be classified, analyzed, and interpreted. Different scales of measurement have different properties and levels of precision, and they also affect the choice of statistical methods and techniques. In this answer, we will explain the
Scales in sociology are tools that measure or order entities with respect to quantitative attributes or traits. They are often used to assess people’s attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or personality characteristics. There are different types of scales that vary in their level of measurement, construction method, and statistical analysis. Here are some examples of scales in
Introduction Giddens’ concept of modernity is based on the idea that modern society is undergoing a radical transformation that affects all aspects of social life. He argues that modernity is not a fixed or stable condition, but a dynamic and reflexive process that constantly reshapes itself in response to new challenges and opportunities. He also
Introduction The phenomenon of suicide is among the most disconcerting aspects of human existence, often leaving those left behind with more uncertainties than solutions. The motivations behind individuals taking their own lives and the origins of the pressures they confront remain elusive. Emile Durkheim’s study of suicide rates, as discussed in “Suicide: A Study in
Sociology Courses or broadly the field of Sociology is becoming more and more important in various fields as it offers critical insights into social behavior and societal issues. It helps us understand the complexities of our social environment and equips us with the tools to make a positive impact. Now a days is the age
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Meaning: Real and Nominal GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the total value of all goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a given period of time, typically a year. It serves as a crucial indicator of a country’s economic health and is widely used to track the performance and
Learn about Karl Marx’s monumental work, Das Kapital, which explores the exploitation of the working class by the capitalist system. Find out more here.
Money is a universal commodity that is essential for almost every aspect of human life. The use of money is so ingrained in society that it is difficult to imagine a world without it. Money is not only a medium of exchange, but it also serves as a unit of account and a store of
Introduction Sociology is a fascinating field that explores human society in a holistic way. It seeks to understand the social relationships, patterns, and structures that shape our lives, our communities, and the world around us. At its core, sociology is the scientific study of society, its institutions, and its functioning. One of the key insights
Freedom is a concept that has been central to human thought and discourse for centuries. It is an idea that has inspired countless political and social movements, and has played a central role in shaping the world we live in today. However, despite its importance, the concept of freedom is often difficult to define, and
Karl Marx is one of the most influential thinkers in the history of sociology, and his concept of dialectic materialism is a central aspect of his political and economic philosophy. Dialectical materialism refers to the theory that human history is shaped by the interaction between the material conditions of society and the ideas, values, and
Understanding Social Structure Social structure refers to the enduring patterns of social relationships, institutions, and practices that exist within a society. It includes the organized and recurrent arrangements of power, status, and resources within a society. Social structure refers to the way that social institutions, such as the family, education, religion, and government, are organized
Contribution of Marx to Economic Sociology: Karl Marx (1818–83) was one of the pioneers in Economic Sociology. Marx had been trained in law (and in philosophy), but was self-taught in economics.
Karl Marx and Max Weber are two of the most influential social theorists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Both Marx and Weber were concerned with the nature of society, and both sought to understand the ways in which social institutions, values, and norms shape human behavior and experience. Despite their many similarities, however, Marx
The concept of a system is at the core of any discussion of Parsonian theory (Parsonian Social System). Parsons stated, “The concept of system in the action field as in others, has been central to my thinking from a very early stage.” His general theory of action, in which he gives his overall picture of
Durkheim and Functionalism Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) is certainly the most important sociological forerunner of modern functionalism. Comte’s influence on Durkheim and, in turn, Durkheim’s impact on Radcliffe-Brown and Malinowski were of crucial importance to its development. Parsons said that Durkheim was one of his most important intellectual role models. Similarly, Robert Merton states that Durkheim
What is Functionalism? According to “A Modern Dictionary of Sociology”, functionalism is defined as, The analysis of social and cultural phenomena in terms of the functions they perform in a sociocultural system. In functionalism, society is conceived of as a system of interrelated parts in which no part can be understood in isolation from the
Introduction Society is found even at the level of sub-humans, the primates such as monkeys and chimpanzees. Sociologists submit that what distinguishes human beings from other animals is the presence of culture among human communities; thus, human beings came to be characterized as ‘beings with culture’. For understanding human beings, therefore, we have to look
Perspectives in Sociology There is no clearly identifiable date when sociological theory began. However, the mid-to-late 1800s marks the period when social thought turned to what we today call sociology. There are currently three major theoretical paradigms in sociology: the structural-functionalist paradigm, the social conflict paradigm, and the symbolic-interactionist paradigm (Babbie 1994). No one of
Sociologists and other social theorists use the concept of social stratification to describe inequalities that exist between individuals and groups within human societies. Often, we think of stratification in terms of assets or property, but it can also occur because of other attributes, such as gender, age, religious affiliation or military rank. Individuals and groups
Among American sociologists, C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) is the best known (for Sociological Imagination) recent theorist whose work combines a conflict perspective with a strong critique of the social order. Mills was born and raised in Texas; he never left the state until he was in his twenties, when he won a research fellowship to
