TSS - The Story of Sociology Overview

 

The Story of Sociology Overview

Story of Sociology Word CloudOf the many academic disciplines students can study, Sociology is one of the youngest. In fact, the term "sociology" didn't even exist two hundred years ago. Yet, it is a subject as old as humanity, a discipline that affects all others, and a testament to people's ability to reason and grow as a species. In this module, you will be learning about the origins of the field known as Sociology. You will learn about the historical factors that led to a French man coining the term "sociology" in 1838 and why he thought this field would become the academic discipline that replaced all others. While his prediction did not come to fruition, it has become an area of interest studied on all of the continents and was the collegiate majors of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Ronald Reagan, Actor Dan Akroyd and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Essential Questions

  • What events or issues led up to the creation of Sociology?
  • Why is August Comte considered to be the "father of Sociology?"
  • How did the nature of Sociology evolve?
  • What was the United States' role in the expansion of Sociology?
  • What differentiates Sociology from other scientific fields or the humanities?
  • What role does Sociology play in the modern world?

Key Words

  1. Sociology  - the systematic study of human society and behavior; identified as a science discipline by the U.S. National Science Foundation
  2. Industrial Revolution  - a period ranging from 1760 to 1840 when agricultural societies shifted to industrial ones; this transition affected every aspect of life
  3. Population Growth Rate  - measures the change in population over a unit time period
  4. "Pursuit of Self"  - new ideas regarding political rights that emerged during the Age of Enlightenment (late 17th  and early 18th  centuries)
  5. Auguste Comte  - (1798-1857) a French philosopher who coined the term "sociology" in 1838 and created the doctrine of positivism which argued that understanding should be based on science; often referred to as "THE father of Sociology"
  6. "The Law of Three Stages" -  theory created by Auguste Comte that paved the way for the creation of Sociology that claimed the history of mankind could be broken down into three stages- theological stage, metaphysical stage, and the scientific stage
  7. Theological Stage  - the period of history that extends from the beginning of civilization to the end of the Middle Ages (mid-1300s) when society expressed God's will; one element of Auguste Comte's "Law of Three Stages"
  8. Metaphysical Stage  - the period of history that extends from the Renaissance of the 1400s through the mid-1500s when society was seen as a natural system rather than just a reflection of God's will; one element of Auguste Comte's "Law of Three Stages"
  9. Scientific or Positivist Stage  - the period of history that began with scientists applying scientific laws to the physical world (beginning with Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton) and that continued through Auguste Comte's lifetime when scientific laws were then applied to society; one element of Auguste Comte's "Law of Three Stages"
  10. American Journal of Sociology -  established in 1895 by Albion Small; the oldest academic journal of sociology in the United States
  11. American Sociological Association  - a non-profit organization founded in 1905 as the American Sociological Society, currently the world's largest association of professional sociologists
  12. Social Sciences  - a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society; includes the fields of psychology, sociology, political science, communication studies, social work, anthropology, and economics
  13. Psychology  - the science of the mind or of mental states and processes
  14. Political Science  - the science of politics, or of the principles and conduct of government
  15. Communication Studies  - an academic field that deals with processes of human exchange of information
  16. Social Work  - work designed to improve the social conditions in a community often through relief of poverty or the promotion of child welfare
  17. Anthropology  - the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, and social customs and beliefs of mankind
  18. Economics  - the scientific study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
  19. Humanities  - academic fields like literature, philosophy, art, etc. as distinguished from the sciences
  20. Scientific Method  - a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data gathered, a hypothesis formulated, and the hypothesis empirically tested
  21. Society  - a body of individuals living as members of a community; an organized interaction of people who typically live in a nation or some other specific territory
  22. Positivism  - a way of understanding based on science; the world operates according to laws and intuition is rejected
  23. Culture  - knowledge, values, customs, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society
  24. Sociological Perspective  - the special point of view of Sociology that sees general patterns of society in the lives of particular people
  25. Common Sense  - a sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge or training
  26. Sociological Imagination  - the way sociologists look at the world; American sociologist C. Wright Mills coined the term in 1959 to mean " the vivid awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society"
  27. C. Wright Mills  - (1916-1962) an American sociologist heavily influenced by Max Weber's and Karl Marx's interpretations of Sociology and personally stressed that the sociologist be able to connect individual experiences and societal relationships

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