(Y2) Activities

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Dillon (2020) Reading - 12/09/2021

Access the Dillon (2020) reading, pages 3-14, answer question 1 at the end of the chapter. Post this to your sociology journal (remember to include your reference).

What is sociological (social theory), and what does it do?

Sociological theory is an abstract theory that attempts to analyse society and day-to-day life using a range of concepts and perspectives in order to make sense of society and explain why certain things happen. Sociological theory can be applied to a wide range of macro (over-arching) social institutions, including capitalism, sexism, racism, and the work life. Applying sociology to these topics can help us to understand and question why certain things happen, and therefore, what can be done to change and/or improve them.

Dillon, M. (2020). Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century. 3rd ed. [online] Hoboken, Nj: Wiley-Blackwell. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=2323871&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s2173719 [Accessed: 12 September 2021].

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Karl Marx Presentation - 16/09/2021

Create a presentation for delivery to your class in 2 weeks on your allocated theorist

Include the central concerns and theoretical assumptions of each theorist

Add context

Make reference to their ontological and epistemological positions

Include key points of each theoretical approach

Include some evaluation about their relevance to contemporary society

Information:

key concepts (Dillon, 2020)

capitalism, economic base

inequality

communism

division of labour

alienation

personal history

born 1818 germany (Prussia), studied law, history, languages, and philosophy (Dillon, 2020)

journalism - business and economics (labour conditions during industrialisation) (Dillon, 2020)

participated in the german revolution as a worker against the rulers - same year that he and Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto (Dillon, 2020)

Marxism

"believed that societies grew and changed as a result of the struggles of different social classes over the means of production."

"Capitalism, an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of goods and the means to produce them"

"predicted that the inequalities of capitalism would be so extreme that workers would eventually revolt"

"Marx's idea that social conflict leads to change in society is still one of the major theories used in modern society"

Marx’s ontological position was objectivism, that meant that he believed there was only one reality, and it could be understood through science and rationality.

Marx was influenced by the Enlightenment, especially the Industrial Revolution. In fact, he participated in an industrial revolution in Germany, in the same year that he wrote ‘The Communist Manifesto’ (1848) with Friedrich Engels (Dillon, 2020). Many worried about the disappearance of traditions and values due to the Industrial Revolution, but Marx did not. Instead, he was focused on the concentration of industrial machinery, how unfair it was that only a minority made money from them, while the majority were trapped in poverty (Macionis and Plummer, 2012).

Sources:

Dillon, M. (2020). Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the twenty-first Century. 3rd ed. [online] Hoboken, Nj: Wiley-Blackwell. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=2323871&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s2173719 [Accessed 12 Sep. 2021].

Macionis, J.J. and Plummer, K. (2012). Sociology : a global introduction. [online] Harlow, England: Prentice Hall. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat02278a&AN=adc.202596&site=eds-live&authtype=sso&custid=s2173719 [Accessed 16 Sep. 2021].

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Structure/Agency (Action) - 04/11/2021

an invitation to social theory - ingles and thorpe

structural (top down, macro) - consenseus (functionalism) and conflict (marxism), society shapes us through socialisation

action (bottom up, micro) - action, we shape society through actions

1. Write a paragraph for each theoretical perspective (structure/action) – make sure you include the following information: micro or macro?, key focus in society, relationship between structures/individuals, evaluation, type of data collected/explored, examples of research methods used.

Structure - macro, society shapes individuals through socialisation, quantitative (closed questionnaires, structured interviews, surveys)

Action - micro, individuals shape society through actions, qualitative (open questionnaires, unstructured interviews, case studies, observations)

2. Write a third paragraph outlining the similarities and differences between the two theoretical perspectives

Both are sociological perspectives that aim to explore individuals and society and the impact everything has on social life

3. Upload you work to journal – this will be a useful revision source.