Evolution of Sociology

EVOLUTION OF SOCIOLOGY

Soculita

Classical Period
- Classical Political Thinkers: Plato, Niccolo Machiavelli, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Polybius, Thomas Hobbes and Giambattista Vico * according to them, political issues are only parts of the specific concerns of the society
- attempts were made to find the connections of political issues with social and other physical factors

* Baron de Montesquieu postulated that climate, geographic, economic and psychological factors of a state affect its own design of a political system

* Adam Smith and other 18th century Scottish thinkers attempted to incorporate economic theories and issues to explain the nature of society

19th Century Sociology
- Auguste Comte coined the term “sociology”; considered as the “father of sociology”

- at this point in time, social thinkers successfully separated social issues (sociology) and issues of the state (political science)

- other well known social thinkers during this period: Herbert Spencer and Karl Marx

Modern Study Sociology
- Prominent social thinkers: Emile Durkheim and Max Weber; both of them used empirical research and methods to explain social phenomena
- Sociology in the United States: Lester Frank Ward & William Graham Sumner

20th Century Sociology
- emergence of three sociological perspectives: conflict theory; symbolic interaction theory; and structural functional theory

Evolution of Sociology in the Philippines
- it was introduced in 1896 when the sociology course was offered by Fr. Valentine Marin at UST
- UP offered the course in 1911, taught by Professor A.E.W. Salt and Murray Bartlett
- Dean Conrado Benitez was the first Filipino to teach sociology, followed by Serafin Macaraig at UP
- PWU offered the course in 1938 which was taught by Felipe Gamboa

How is sociology related to the other social sciences?
- History: the historical accounts/data serve as research tools for understanding sociological issues

- Political Science: the sociological factors of the citizens dictate how the state (government) should relate/interact with its subjects (people)

- Economics: the society’s behaviour is examined to see how it would affect the production and consumption of goods and services

- Anthropology: it consists of three kinds: cultural; physical; and social. Physical anthropology deals with artifacts and ancient remains. Cultural and Social Anthropology involve social units (tribes, communities) and the society as a whole

Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

Exchange Theory
- this theory involves rewards and costs which can be mutually exchanged by both parties; reward and punishment system

- George Homans relates life into the concept of a marketplace or palengke”(bargaining an negotiations)

- has psychological, social, economic and anthropological foundations

Symbolic Interaction Theory
- by George Herbert Mead, who believes that communication can lead to socialization (interaction)

- people tend to look at the subjective aspects of life

- every person should be a “pragmatic actor”

Evolutionary Theory
- spearheaded by Herbert Spencer, also known as the father of “social Darwinism”; survival of the fittest

- society constantly changes, and only those people who are “strong” enough will survive while the rest will perish

Conflict Theory
- conceptualized by German theorist, Karl Marx, who believed that the society is composed of two opposing social classes: the bourgeoisie (rich) and proletariat (poor) classes

- believed that this social setting is unfair because the rich people have the power, which made him propose for a social and massive revolution of the proletariat that would result into a classless society (communism)

Structural-functional Theory
- opposite of conflict theory; more optimistic view of the Society

- social institutions should perform their functions and work harmoniously for the betterment of the society

- if these elements are not in the state of equilibrium,dysfunction may occur