Before I describe this family activity, let me call your attention to the previous blog post in which I posted my remaining lecture notes on Weber. Make sure to check that out and incorporate those notes into your class notes.
FAMILY ACTIVITY: One of the chapters in the text that I had planned to skip over was Chapter 11, Society and Gender: Gilman and Webb, in part because of my very limited knowledge of their contributions to sociological theory. So, for this family exercise, I, first of all, want everyone to read Chapter 11 carefully. Then, I want each of the families to identify and describe any THREE contributions to sociological theory that are brought out in the authors' discussion of Gilman and Webb, and note how each of these contributions compare and/or contrast with any ONE of the other theorists we've covered in class. I will give you some class time next week to confer with your family members.
We'll take some time out in class on Thursday, April 22nd to hear a representative from each family present what you found. I would also like someone from each family to post a summary of your findings as a comment on this blog post. The deadline for posting these summaries will be Monday, April 26th. I may draw on this material to make up a couple final exam questions.
This activity is worth 7 points for each participating family member.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Remaining Lecture Notes on Weber & Reminders
Since we did not finish Chapter 7 on Weber today (4/13), I am going to post the rest of what I planned to say about Weber on this blog. Of course, be sure to incorporate these notes in your class notes.
We left off talking about one of Weber's central methodological contributions, the concept of VERSTEHEN. This is well-described in a passage in the middle of p. 175.
(personally, I do not see the distinction between "direct observational" and "explanatory" understanding as being that significant.)
(In general, Weber's advocacy of the verstehen approach clearly provides support for QUALITATIVE research approaches such as PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION or FIELD WORK over and above quantitative, statistical, scientific approaches.)
3. In a previous text I used, Weber's position in this regard was referred to as "methodological individualism." Indeed, in this respect, Weber did not have much use for Durkheim's "social realism" -- society or social facts existing over and above individuals, as the basic reality. Rather, Weber focused on SOCIAL ACTION -- action to which subjective meaning is attached, subjective meaning which takes into account the behavior of others. (p. 177)
a.) The "Critique and Conclusions" section has a nice statement of the above point:
"Weber's work was, in many ways, a critique and correction of Marx's work, as we have noted in this chapter. It was also largely a repudiation of Durkheim's reification of collective concepts, such as the sui generis understanding of society, as well as his methodological position. For Weber, sociology was the interpretive exercise that took the individual and individual action as the basic unit of analysis. When examining concepts such as the state, association, or feudalism, the 'task of sociology is to reduce these concepts to understandable action, that is, without exception, to the action of participating individual men.'" (pp. 193-194)
4. Weber also introduced, and argued for, the use of the IDEAL TYPE. Ideal types are abstractions that emphasize the core or central elements of any phenomenon (such as bureaucracy). It is a tool for understanding any aspect of society.
H. In connection with ideal types, the authors briefly introduce an important aspect of Weber's work, which is his defense of the DOCTRINE OF VALUE NEUTRALITY.
1. It should be noted in this regard that ideal types are NOT ethical prescriptions which stipulate what we should do or what position we should take.
2. A nice statement of this doctrine (although it is not labeled as such) appears near the bottom of p. 176. "The key to objectivity is conducting research according to rational, objective methods. The research must be clearly conceptualized, the conventional rules of evidence must be followed, conclusions must be drawn only on the basis of the evidence, and no moral or political status should be attributed to the conclusions reached by the scientist as scientist."
"Weber was particularly opposed to sociologists' using their work to advance their own personal beliefs and values: the 'prophet and the demagogue do not belong on the academic platform.'" (p. 176)
a.) This has essentially been the position on this issue that has been embraced by mainstream sociology. However, there was some challenge to this in the 1960s and 70s, and what emerged was a compromise position (endorsed by critics such as C. Wright Mills) -- what I would call the "LET'S BE HONEST" position. (I believe this is where the authors of this text stand, as reflected in their early discussion of the difference between ideology and sociological theory.)
I. On issues of gender and race, it appears Weber was more enlightened than many of his fellow sociological theorists.
1. Regarding gender, and probably because of the influence of his wife who was a feminist, he did embrace a more egalitarian view of the marriage relationship. He viewed women "primarily as human beings and only secondarily as members of the opposite sex." (p. 189) Nonetheless, he did not get away entirely from a "naturalistic" view of women, and in his personal life he strayed from his monogamous relationship.
2. On race, I applaud his clear recognition of race as a SOCIAL, not a biological distinction (a view which was not widely accepted at the time). And he made a very telling point about race relations in the U.S. and why prejudice was deeper among poor whites. See p. 188.
___________________________
That brings us to Chapter 8 and Simmel, which is where I will pick up on Thursday (4/15).
REMINDERS:
1. ESSAY II IS DUE THURSDAY (4/15)
2. READ CHAPTERS 8, 9 & 10 (ONLY VEBLEN IN 10).
3. I WILL BE POSTING A BLOG DESCRIPTION OF OUR NEXT FAMILY EXERCISE SOMETIME THIS WEEK. IT WILL INVOLVE MATERIAL BEYOND CHAPTER 10 IN THE TEXT.
4. THE FIRST "SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION" QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION WILL BE NEXT MONDAY (4/19) BETWEEN 1-3PM IN A LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED. (THE PORTICO OUTSIDE MAIN BLDG. IF NICE WEATHER PREVAILS)
We left off talking about one of Weber's central methodological contributions, the concept of VERSTEHEN. This is well-described in a passage in the middle of p. 175.
(personally, I do not see the distinction between "direct observational" and "explanatory" understanding as being that significant.)
(In general, Weber's advocacy of the verstehen approach clearly provides support for QUALITATIVE research approaches such as PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION or FIELD WORK over and above quantitative, statistical, scientific approaches.)
3. In a previous text I used, Weber's position in this regard was referred to as "methodological individualism." Indeed, in this respect, Weber did not have much use for Durkheim's "social realism" -- society or social facts existing over and above individuals, as the basic reality. Rather, Weber focused on SOCIAL ACTION -- action to which subjective meaning is attached, subjective meaning which takes into account the behavior of others. (p. 177)
a.) The "Critique and Conclusions" section has a nice statement of the above point:
"Weber's work was, in many ways, a critique and correction of Marx's work, as we have noted in this chapter. It was also largely a repudiation of Durkheim's reification of collective concepts, such as the sui generis understanding of society, as well as his methodological position. For Weber, sociology was the interpretive exercise that took the individual and individual action as the basic unit of analysis. When examining concepts such as the state, association, or feudalism, the 'task of sociology is to reduce these concepts to understandable action, that is, without exception, to the action of participating individual men.'" (pp. 193-194)
4. Weber also introduced, and argued for, the use of the IDEAL TYPE. Ideal types are abstractions that emphasize the core or central elements of any phenomenon (such as bureaucracy). It is a tool for understanding any aspect of society.
H. In connection with ideal types, the authors briefly introduce an important aspect of Weber's work, which is his defense of the DOCTRINE OF VALUE NEUTRALITY.
1. It should be noted in this regard that ideal types are NOT ethical prescriptions which stipulate what we should do or what position we should take.
2. A nice statement of this doctrine (although it is not labeled as such) appears near the bottom of p. 176. "The key to objectivity is conducting research according to rational, objective methods. The research must be clearly conceptualized, the conventional rules of evidence must be followed, conclusions must be drawn only on the basis of the evidence, and no moral or political status should be attributed to the conclusions reached by the scientist as scientist."
"Weber was particularly opposed to sociologists' using their work to advance their own personal beliefs and values: the 'prophet and the demagogue do not belong on the academic platform.'" (p. 176)
a.) This has essentially been the position on this issue that has been embraced by mainstream sociology. However, there was some challenge to this in the 1960s and 70s, and what emerged was a compromise position (endorsed by critics such as C. Wright Mills) -- what I would call the "LET'S BE HONEST" position. (I believe this is where the authors of this text stand, as reflected in their early discussion of the difference between ideology and sociological theory.)
I. On issues of gender and race, it appears Weber was more enlightened than many of his fellow sociological theorists.
1. Regarding gender, and probably because of the influence of his wife who was a feminist, he did embrace a more egalitarian view of the marriage relationship. He viewed women "primarily as human beings and only secondarily as members of the opposite sex." (p. 189) Nonetheless, he did not get away entirely from a "naturalistic" view of women, and in his personal life he strayed from his monogamous relationship.
2. On race, I applaud his clear recognition of race as a SOCIAL, not a biological distinction (a view which was not widely accepted at the time). And he made a very telling point about race relations in the U.S. and why prejudice was deeper among poor whites. See p. 188.
___________________________
That brings us to Chapter 8 and Simmel, which is where I will pick up on Thursday (4/15).
REMINDERS:
1. ESSAY II IS DUE THURSDAY (4/15)
2. READ CHAPTERS 8, 9 & 10 (ONLY VEBLEN IN 10).
3. I WILL BE POSTING A BLOG DESCRIPTION OF OUR NEXT FAMILY EXERCISE SOMETIME THIS WEEK. IT WILL INVOLVE MATERIAL BEYOND CHAPTER 10 IN THE TEXT.
4. THE FIRST "SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION" QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION WILL BE NEXT MONDAY (4/19) BETWEEN 1-3PM IN A LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED. (THE PORTICO OUTSIDE MAIN BLDG. IF NICE WEATHER PREVAILS)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Midterm Question Re-Writes & Some Lecture Notes
Sorry about the confusion in class yesterday regarding question #4 on the midterm (which everyone missed). The description of the re-write I put on the board was based on question #9, not #4. So, let me make amends in this blog. Below are the two questions that you may re-write to earn a total of 7 points. This is voluntary and is open to everyone:
#4 STATE ALL FOUR THEMES AND ALSO INCLUDE WHAT TWO DIFFERENT THEORISTS SAID ABOUT ANY TWO OF THESE THEMES. THIS, OF COURSE, IS MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL QUESTION ASKED.
(5PTS)
#31 RE-WRITE THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE. I WOULD SUGGEST YOU TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE HANDOUT THAT IS REFERENCED IN THIS QUESTION. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. FOR THOSE WHO GOT THIS QUESTION, YOU MAY ALSO RE-WRITE THIS ONE BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPROVE ON YOUR ORIGINAL ANSWER. (2PTS)
***YOU MAY EMAIL ME YOUR ANSWERS OR TURN THEM IN ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER. THE DEADLINE IS NEXT MONDAY, APRIL 12TH, BY NOON. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RE-WRITES AFTER THAT TIME.
Also, tomorrow in class I'll finish going over the midterm exam. We left off on question #27.
__________________________
Lecture Notes: Since I did not get to Chapter 6 yesterday, I am going to post my notes on that chapter below. Be sure to incorporate these in your class notes.
Chapter 6: Marxism Extended: Lenin and Luxemburg
In this chapter we encounter two important thinkers and activists who not only were involved in carrying out Marx's ideas, but also added to Marx's analysis and critique of capitalism.
A. Lenin, of course, led the successful Russian Revolution in 1917 and was the first leader of socialist Russia.
1. One thing that stands out about his leadership in the first several years was his PRAGMATISM. Lenin was not a rigid ideologue who tried to institute socialism regardless of the circumstances. See bottom two paragraphs p. 148.
B. Lenin also extended Marx's analysis of capitalism to include IMPERIALISM, which extended capitalism's control to underdeveloped parts of the world in Asia, Africa, and Latin America: "Such colonialism (or imperialism), accompanied by uneven economic development, is the essence of modern monopoly capitalism, the international version of the class struggle within nation states." (p. 150) -- that is, the ultimate clash would be between capitalist nations and poor nations. (This aspect of Lenin's thought impressed Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese leader who was seeking support to oust the French who were the colonial oppressors of the Vietnamese at the time.)
1. Today, of course, colonialism has largely been replaced by multinational corporations operating independently, with little national allegiance.
2. Also interesting is how Lenin saw the connection between Western capitalism, colonialism, and racial oppression such as was evident in the U.S.. He influenced the American Communist Party in the 1920s to take a strong stand against racism and segregation in this country.
C. Lenin defended the need for a VANGUARD and a DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT to lead the new, fledgling socialist state in the direction of a truly classless, communist state.
D. Unfortunately, toward the end of his life, Lenin saw this proletarian dictatorship becoming increasingly bureaucratized; the Communist party was "displaying 'a passion for bossing.'" Of course, with Stalin's rise to power, the bossing becomes institutionalized.
E. Rosa Luxemburg was a formidable Marxist intellectual and activist who concentrated her efforts on Germany. Among her more perceptive contributions were:
1. Her criticism of REFORMISM -- that is, tinkering with capitalism, allowing some "bourgeois-granted goals" -- that this would only forestall the revolution, which was the working class's only real salvation.
(Could say, today, that the working class has largely been "bought off" by such concessions, and the capitalists are still essentially in control.)
2. Luxemburg also recognized imperialism (is "globalization" today masquerading as imperialism?) as a new phase of capitalist control. As such, imperialism was the mortal enemy of the proletariat of all countries.
3. She saw MILITARISM as a necessary development in capitalist society to relieve some of the economic pressures created by overproduction. (not all that different from President Eisenhower's warning about the growing power of the "military-industrial complex.") See mid., p. 159. "Thus, Luxemburg explained imperialism, militarism, and war as a single phenomenon of capital expansion and profit-making." (p. 159)
4. Finally, Luxemburg perceptively criticized Lenin's "dictatorship of the proletariat" as being nothing more than a plain old dictatorship, and not a true workers' revolution. (one of the themes of Warren Beatty's film "Reds" which came out in 1980)
F. Rosa Luxemburg (and perhaps to a lesser extent, Lenin) signals the later development of a variety of different Marxisms in the 20th century, some of which were highly critical of the Soviet Union and China, among other so-called Marxist states. (for example, the Frankfurt School covered in Chapter 16)
That brings us to Section IV: Sociological Theories of Complexity and Form and Chapter 7, which is were we will pick up tomorrow (4/8).
#4 STATE ALL FOUR THEMES AND ALSO INCLUDE WHAT TWO DIFFERENT THEORISTS SAID ABOUT ANY TWO OF THESE THEMES. THIS, OF COURSE, IS MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL QUESTION ASKED.
(5PTS)
#31 RE-WRITE THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE. I WOULD SUGGEST YOU TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE HANDOUT THAT IS REFERENCED IN THIS QUESTION. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. FOR THOSE WHO GOT THIS QUESTION, YOU MAY ALSO RE-WRITE THIS ONE BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPROVE ON YOUR ORIGINAL ANSWER. (2PTS)
***YOU MAY EMAIL ME YOUR ANSWERS OR TURN THEM IN ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER. THE DEADLINE IS NEXT MONDAY, APRIL 12TH, BY NOON. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RE-WRITES AFTER THAT TIME.
Also, tomorrow in class I'll finish going over the midterm exam. We left off on question #27.
__________________________
Lecture Notes: Since I did not get to Chapter 6 yesterday, I am going to post my notes on that chapter below. Be sure to incorporate these in your class notes.
Chapter 6: Marxism Extended: Lenin and Luxemburg
In this chapter we encounter two important thinkers and activists who not only were involved in carrying out Marx's ideas, but also added to Marx's analysis and critique of capitalism.
A. Lenin, of course, led the successful Russian Revolution in 1917 and was the first leader of socialist Russia.
1. One thing that stands out about his leadership in the first several years was his PRAGMATISM. Lenin was not a rigid ideologue who tried to institute socialism regardless of the circumstances. See bottom two paragraphs p. 148.
B. Lenin also extended Marx's analysis of capitalism to include IMPERIALISM, which extended capitalism's control to underdeveloped parts of the world in Asia, Africa, and Latin America: "Such colonialism (or imperialism), accompanied by uneven economic development, is the essence of modern monopoly capitalism, the international version of the class struggle within nation states." (p. 150) -- that is, the ultimate clash would be between capitalist nations and poor nations. (This aspect of Lenin's thought impressed Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese leader who was seeking support to oust the French who were the colonial oppressors of the Vietnamese at the time.)
1. Today, of course, colonialism has largely been replaced by multinational corporations operating independently, with little national allegiance.
2. Also interesting is how Lenin saw the connection between Western capitalism, colonialism, and racial oppression such as was evident in the U.S.. He influenced the American Communist Party in the 1920s to take a strong stand against racism and segregation in this country.
C. Lenin defended the need for a VANGUARD and a DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT to lead the new, fledgling socialist state in the direction of a truly classless, communist state.
D. Unfortunately, toward the end of his life, Lenin saw this proletarian dictatorship becoming increasingly bureaucratized; the Communist party was "displaying 'a passion for bossing.'" Of course, with Stalin's rise to power, the bossing becomes institutionalized.
E. Rosa Luxemburg was a formidable Marxist intellectual and activist who concentrated her efforts on Germany. Among her more perceptive contributions were:
1. Her criticism of REFORMISM -- that is, tinkering with capitalism, allowing some "bourgeois-granted goals" -- that this would only forestall the revolution, which was the working class's only real salvation.
(Could say, today, that the working class has largely been "bought off" by such concessions, and the capitalists are still essentially in control.)
2. Luxemburg also recognized imperialism (is "globalization" today masquerading as imperialism?) as a new phase of capitalist control. As such, imperialism was the mortal enemy of the proletariat of all countries.
3. She saw MILITARISM as a necessary development in capitalist society to relieve some of the economic pressures created by overproduction. (not all that different from President Eisenhower's warning about the growing power of the "military-industrial complex.") See mid., p. 159. "Thus, Luxemburg explained imperialism, militarism, and war as a single phenomenon of capital expansion and profit-making." (p. 159)
4. Finally, Luxemburg perceptively criticized Lenin's "dictatorship of the proletariat" as being nothing more than a plain old dictatorship, and not a true workers' revolution. (one of the themes of Warren Beatty's film "Reds" which came out in 1980)
F. Rosa Luxemburg (and perhaps to a lesser extent, Lenin) signals the later development of a variety of different Marxisms in the 20th century, some of which were highly critical of the Soviet Union and China, among other so-called Marxist states. (for example, the Frankfurt School covered in Chapter 16)
That brings us to Section IV: Sociological Theories of Complexity and Form and Chapter 7, which is were we will pick up tomorrow (4/8).
Monday, March 22, 2010
Family Questions for the Midterm Exam
Below are the questions (and answers) I accepted from the families which will appear on our midterm exam this Thursday, March 25th. You'll note that I did a fair amount of editing of both the questions and answers you submitted.
RED FAMILY: (Frances, John, Sami, Natalie) 7pts (plus 1 bonus point for the quality of your questions and answers, even though I was only able to accept three of them because there was some overlap with questions submitted by other families.)
1. Harriet Matineau argued that the "heart of any inquiry" involved what particular type of research methodology and why? (2)
ANSWER: Participant Observation, because she argued that you cannot get a full picture of society or social behavior as an outside scientific observer. You needed to be sympathetic to those you studied, or see their lives from their point of view.
2. Which ONE of Durkheim's four types of suicide did I suggest best illustrates the power of "social facts" or social pressure? (1)
ANSWER: ATRUISTIC, which is the result of the over-attachment to society or excessive integration of the individual into the group.
3.According to Comte, why should sociology take its place at the top of the "hierarchy of the sciences?" (2)
ANSWER: Sociology, or the "queen of the sciences," was the culmination of all the other scientific disciplines. It would be the most comprehensive of all the sciences, for as one moves up this hierarchy the different scientific disciplines become more complex and concrete, sociology being the most complex and concrete.
GREEN FAMILY: (Kelsey, Emily, Tomas, Cam) 7pts
1. What is "Social Darwinism," which is a concept identified with Spencer and Sumner? (1)
ANSWER: Social Darwinism -- applying Darwinian ideas of natural selection or "survival of the fittest" (which is actually from Spencer) to the social realm, which implies that government not intervene to save or support the weaker elements or members of society.
2. Identify and briefly describe the TWO types of norms William Graham Sumner is credited with discovering. (2)
ANSWER: FOLKWAYS: informal rules that deal with day-to-day things such as dress, speech, etiquette which are taken for granted or assumed.
MORES: rules dealing with more serious matters that are usually written into law and are considered essential to the social order.
3. What is "social realism?" (1)
ANSWER: Idea that society is a reality greater than the individuals who comprise it. Or society has an existence over and above individuals.
BLUE FAMILY: (Alan, Jeremy, Melanie, Marshall, Jenny) 7pts
1. What is the central question about modern society that Durkheim provides an answer for in The Division of Labor in Society? (1)
ANSWER: How does the individual, while becoming more autonomous, also depend more on society?
2. At the end of The Division of Labor in Society, how does Durkheim propose to deal with the condition of "anomie," which he believed was undermining "organic solidarity?" What did Durkheim see as the ultimate solution to this problem? (2)
ANSWER: (a) the OCCUPATIONAL GROUP would help instill the sense of solidarity with one's fellow man. (b) a MORAL EDUCATION, which would nurture, develop, sustain the individual's socially oriented part, would be the ultimate solution.
3. What is the "reductionist" approach to society, which is the opposite of Durkheim's approach? (1)
ANSWER: The reductionist approach involves breaking society or social life down into its individual parts and analyze those parts to try to get an understanding of the whole.
_______________________
That's it. Again, look for the above questions on Thursday's midterm exam. Tomorrow we will wrap up Chapter 5 on Marx and Engels and get into Chapter 6. Also, remember to read those handouts on Marxism. I will also set aside some time for review for the midterm exam.
RED FAMILY: (Frances, John, Sami, Natalie) 7pts (plus 1 bonus point for the quality of your questions and answers, even though I was only able to accept three of them because there was some overlap with questions submitted by other families.)
1. Harriet Matineau argued that the "heart of any inquiry" involved what particular type of research methodology and why? (2)
ANSWER: Participant Observation, because she argued that you cannot get a full picture of society or social behavior as an outside scientific observer. You needed to be sympathetic to those you studied, or see their lives from their point of view.
2. Which ONE of Durkheim's four types of suicide did I suggest best illustrates the power of "social facts" or social pressure? (1)
ANSWER: ATRUISTIC, which is the result of the over-attachment to society or excessive integration of the individual into the group.
3.According to Comte, why should sociology take its place at the top of the "hierarchy of the sciences?" (2)
ANSWER: Sociology, or the "queen of the sciences," was the culmination of all the other scientific disciplines. It would be the most comprehensive of all the sciences, for as one moves up this hierarchy the different scientific disciplines become more complex and concrete, sociology being the most complex and concrete.
GREEN FAMILY: (Kelsey, Emily, Tomas, Cam) 7pts
1. What is "Social Darwinism," which is a concept identified with Spencer and Sumner? (1)
ANSWER: Social Darwinism -- applying Darwinian ideas of natural selection or "survival of the fittest" (which is actually from Spencer) to the social realm, which implies that government not intervene to save or support the weaker elements or members of society.
2. Identify and briefly describe the TWO types of norms William Graham Sumner is credited with discovering. (2)
ANSWER: FOLKWAYS: informal rules that deal with day-to-day things such as dress, speech, etiquette which are taken for granted or assumed.
MORES: rules dealing with more serious matters that are usually written into law and are considered essential to the social order.
3. What is "social realism?" (1)
ANSWER: Idea that society is a reality greater than the individuals who comprise it. Or society has an existence over and above individuals.
BLUE FAMILY: (Alan, Jeremy, Melanie, Marshall, Jenny) 7pts
1. What is the central question about modern society that Durkheim provides an answer for in The Division of Labor in Society? (1)
ANSWER: How does the individual, while becoming more autonomous, also depend more on society?
2. At the end of The Division of Labor in Society, how does Durkheim propose to deal with the condition of "anomie," which he believed was undermining "organic solidarity?" What did Durkheim see as the ultimate solution to this problem? (2)
ANSWER: (a) the OCCUPATIONAL GROUP would help instill the sense of solidarity with one's fellow man. (b) a MORAL EDUCATION, which would nurture, develop, sustain the individual's socially oriented part, would be the ultimate solution.
3. What is the "reductionist" approach to society, which is the opposite of Durkheim's approach? (1)
ANSWER: The reductionist approach involves breaking society or social life down into its individual parts and analyze those parts to try to get an understanding of the whole.
_______________________
That's it. Again, look for the above questions on Thursday's midterm exam. Tomorrow we will wrap up Chapter 5 on Marx and Engels and get into Chapter 6. Also, remember to read those handouts on Marxism. I will also set aside some time for review for the midterm exam.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Reminders & Passage on "Alienation"
REMINDERS: First, don't forget that each family needs to submit 5 midterm exam questions and answers via email or hard copy to me by NOON FRIDAY, 19TH, THAT'S TOMORROW. I will post the questions I accept on this blog by next Monday at the latest. Also, please read over those handouts I gave you in class today. I should get to them in class next Tuesday. And read Chapter 6, although I am not sure at this point how far we may get in Chapter 6 next Tuesday. Finally, next Tuesday I will set aside some time for review for the midterm exam on Thursday, the 25th.
____________________
Passage on "Alienation": the following passage is from Jonathan Safran-Foer's new book, "Eating Animals," (p. 256). I believe it provides a good contemporary illustration of the relevance of Marx's concept of alienation.
"Farmers have lost -- have had taken from them -- a direct, human relationship with their work. Increasingly, they don't own the animals, can't determine their methods, aren't allowed to apply their wisdom, and have no alternative to high-speed industrial slaughter. The factory model has estranged them not only from how they labor (hack, chop, saw, stick, lop, cut), but how the product is sold (anonymously and cheaply). Human beings cannot be human (much less humane) under the conditions of a factory farm or slaughterhouse. It's the most perfect workplace alienation in the world right now. Unless you consider what the animals experience."
____________________
Passage on "Alienation": the following passage is from Jonathan Safran-Foer's new book, "Eating Animals," (p. 256). I believe it provides a good contemporary illustration of the relevance of Marx's concept of alienation.
"Farmers have lost -- have had taken from them -- a direct, human relationship with their work. Increasingly, they don't own the animals, can't determine their methods, aren't allowed to apply their wisdom, and have no alternative to high-speed industrial slaughter. The factory model has estranged them not only from how they labor (hack, chop, saw, stick, lop, cut), but how the product is sold (anonymously and cheaply). Human beings cannot be human (much less humane) under the conditions of a factory farm or slaughterhouse. It's the most perfect workplace alienation in the world right now. Unless you consider what the animals experience."
Monday, March 15, 2010
Reminders & Passage on "Anomie"
REMINDERS: BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS BLOG POST WHICH DESCRIBES OUR FIRST FAMILY ACTIVITY -- MAKING UP MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING JUST THAT THIS WEEK IN PREPARATION FOR OUR MIDTERM EXAM NEXT WEEK THURSDAY, MARCH 25TH.
Also, we'll begin to talk about Chapter 5 on Marx and Engels, after I make some final comments about Durkheim.
_______________
Passage on "Anomie": Last Thursday (3/11) I quoted the following passage from a different theory text than the one we are using. It is a good overview of the condition of "anomie," which Durkheim first talked about in The Division of Labor in Society:
"In general, the anomic state of modern society has led to a relatively unrestrained citizenry, wherein people primarily look out for their own interests and have disregard for those of others....The individual's social part, Durkheim insisted, is just as natural to humans as their individual (self-interest) part. The problems of modern society are due NOT to a basically anti-social human nature but to the structure of contemporary society, which does not adequately nurture, develop, and sustain the individual's socially oriented part."
Of course, as I also noted in class, "anomie" is often simply defined as "a condition of normlessness or a breakdown of moral guidelines." In the context of the above passage, such a breakdown Durkheim felt unleashed the forces of individual egoism which undermine the development of "organic solidarity."
PLEASE INCORPORATE THE ABOVE PASSAGE AND COMMENT IN YOUR NOTES.
See you tomorrow, and, again, be sure to check out the description of the family exercise on making up midterm exam questions.
Also, we'll begin to talk about Chapter 5 on Marx and Engels, after I make some final comments about Durkheim.
_______________
Passage on "Anomie": Last Thursday (3/11) I quoted the following passage from a different theory text than the one we are using. It is a good overview of the condition of "anomie," which Durkheim first talked about in The Division of Labor in Society:
"In general, the anomic state of modern society has led to a relatively unrestrained citizenry, wherein people primarily look out for their own interests and have disregard for those of others....The individual's social part, Durkheim insisted, is just as natural to humans as their individual (self-interest) part. The problems of modern society are due NOT to a basically anti-social human nature but to the structure of contemporary society, which does not adequately nurture, develop, and sustain the individual's socially oriented part."
Of course, as I also noted in class, "anomie" is often simply defined as "a condition of normlessness or a breakdown of moral guidelines." In the context of the above passage, such a breakdown Durkheim felt unleashed the forces of individual egoism which undermine the development of "organic solidarity."
PLEASE INCORPORATE THE ABOVE PASSAGE AND COMMENT IN YOUR NOTES.
See you tomorrow, and, again, be sure to check out the description of the family exercise on making up midterm exam questions.
Friday, March 12, 2010
FAMILY ACTIVITY: MAKING UP QUESTIONS FOR THE MIDTERM EXAM
For this family exercise I want each of the families (which I put on the board yesterday and also list at the bottom of this post) to come up with FIVE short-answer questions from anything we've covered in class and the text since the beginning of the term (xerox handouts included). Think of this as if you were teaching this class and had covered this material -- what would you consider important points to ask about. Use your class notes as a guide. Remember, by short-answer I do NOT mean true-false or multiple choice, although fill-in-the-blank is ok. I will give the families some time to confer on this next week, both Tuesday (3/16) and Thursday (3/18). I, then, want a family member to submit your five questions and answers NO LATER THAN NOON ON FRIDAY, MARCH 19TH. You may simply submit them to me via email or drop off a hard copy. I will then sort through these and try to select at least THREE questions from each family. For each additional question I accept, that family will earn a bonus point, so you may earn up to two bonus points for this exercise. I will then post the questions and answers I accepted on this blog by MONDAY, MARCH 22, so you will have them in plenty of time to study for the midterm on Thursday, March 25th. This exercise is worth 7 points, which all PARTICIPATING family members will earn, plus whatever bonus points.
FAMILIES:
Red Family: John R., Frances C., Sami N., Natalie D.
Green Family: Emily J., Kelsey L., Tomas M., Cameron R.
Blue Family: Jenny A., Jeremy M., Alan D., Melanie R., Marshall H.
FAMILIES:
Red Family: John R., Frances C., Sami N., Natalie D.
Green Family: Emily J., Kelsey L., Tomas M., Cameron R.
Blue Family: Jenny A., Jeremy M., Alan D., Melanie R., Marshall H.
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