Durkheim:  theological, metaphysical positivism
     1. legitimating authority
 

Spencer - progress from simpler to complex forms
     1.  the division of labor
 

Karl Marx: - society evolves through conflict to ideal
     1. defined by economic systems
 

Joseph Schumpeter - social change equals the power change of different "classes" (organized distinctive social groups)
     1.  innovation and creativity

 A.  Marx - Classless Society
     1.  dialectical change
     2.  communist society abolish property and classes and alienation replaced by self-realization
     3.  Lenin - imperialism - colonialism
     4. dependency theory - core/periphery

B.  World Systems Theory (Immanuel Wallerstein)
     1.  a global system based on economic not military or political ties
     2.  core = strong state, periphery = weak state
    3.  economic integration
    4.  globalization
     5.  Lenski - equality - based on poverty not wealth.

C.  Parson’s Evolutionary Model
     1.  stages: 1.  primitive or prehistory- kinship and religious orientation  2.  Intermediate ? written language, 3.  Modern formal relationships and procedures (law and adult literacy)
     2.  increasing differentiation
     3.  permits greater control of the environment

D.   Evolutionary Universals (Parsons)
     1.  language, kinship, religion and rudimentary technology (needed to move out of primitive sage)
     2.  6 major universals: social stratification, cultural legitimation, bureaucratic organization, money economy and markets, generalized universal norms, democratic associations
     3.  structures:  (patterned and stable relationships)
     4.  processes (evolutionary changes taking place in the system)  differentiation, adaptive upgrading, inclusion, and value generalization.
     5.  rejects inevitable and uniform course of development
     6. a trend toward an increase in adaptive capacity.

 E.  Habermas: Rationalization and Communicative Action
     1.  relevance of sociology and social thought to political affairs
     2.  social forms:

                               Primitive

                               Traditional civilizations

Class societies            Modern civilizations
                                        Capitalist
                                             Liberal Capitalist
                                             Organized Capitalist
                                        Postcapitalist

                                Postmodern

     3.  social evolution as a result of crises or contradictions
    4.  legitimacy - political order’s worthiness to be recognized
    5.  lifeworld - how evolutionary change is experienced by individuals - shared meanings
    6.  intersubjective projection (seeing the world through the eyes of others)
    7.  communicative action - society operates and evolves through the action of communicating.
    8.  rationalization

F.  Anthony Giddens - Modernity

     1.  Structural Theory - human actors re-create through their actions the social practices that can in turn constrain their actions.  No "free agents".
         a.  Human action is transformational.  Emphasis on time and space.
         b.  social practices are modified as well as reproduced.

     2.  Social Structure - physical context of interaction.
         a.  communication - face - to-face, media
 Oral societies (pre-literate) tradition and kinship predominant structural principles. Class societies, decrease in the importance of both.  Role of writing and the city.

Return to Soc 421 schedule