The Founders of Sociology (AQA GCSE Sociology)

Key thinker: Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Contribution to the development of sociology

• Marx's ideas inspired the theoretical perspective Marxism or the Marxist approach, which has led to an abundance of research on social class

• Marx wrote during the early stages of capitalism as he wanted to understand the changes taking place in society at the time

• He was born in Germany but moved to England in 1849 and focused on capitalism in Britain

• Many of Marx's ideas have been adapted to fit modern society

The key ideas of Karl Marx

• Marx argued that in order to understand the evolution of societies, one must look at how individuals create the items needed for survival

• The way people create the resources required to survive is referred to as the mode of production, of which there are two aspects:

  • The means of production are the raw materials or machinery that people use in production, such as big businesses, factories and land

  • The social relations of production are the relationships between people as they engage in production. Under capitalism, there are two social classes:

    • the bourgeoisie

    • the proletariat

Social classes under capitalism

• The bourgeoisie are the minority ruling class who own the means of production and private property

• The proletariat is the majority working class who own nothing but their ability to work as wage labourers

• Other classes under capitalism include:

  • the petty bourgeoisie who own small businesses

  • the lumpenproletariat who are the criminals, vagrants, and the unemployed who sometimes sell their services to the bourgeoisie

• Exploitation is the foundation of the relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat because the former maximise their profits while paying the latter low wages

• While the bourgeoisie is interested in turning a profit, the proletariat is interested in putting an end to their exploitation, and so class conflict results

Social change

• Marx argued that the class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie was the key to social change

• Proletariat members would eventually perceive themselves as a social class with shared interests and act to overthrow the capitalist class

• A social revolution and a shift to communism would result from this, where the means of production would be owned collectively under communism

• As a result, a society without classes would exist, free from exploitation and private ownership

Criticisms of Marx

• Although Marx believed that economic division was the foundation of social class, critics like Weber argue that status differences between groups also play a role

• Marx ignored the divisions in society based on gender and ethnicity

• According to critics, Marx's theories are out of date because capitalist societies like Britain have not undergone a revolution

Key thinker: Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)

Contribution to the development of sociology

• Durkheim played a significant role in the development of the functionalist perspective in sociology

• This approach was popular among North American sociologists in the mid-20th century

• Durkheim made a significant contribution to sociologists' understanding of the functions of crime, education and religion

The key ideas of Emile Durkheim

• Functionalism focuses on the positive rather than negative functions that the different structures perform in society

• The approach explains social institutions (such as families, the education system, and the criminal justice system) in terms of the functions or jobs they perform to help society run smoothly

• The various institutions meet society's needs by carrying out functions that guarantee its survival

  • In the same way, different organs in the human body carry out specific functions to ensure the whole body survives

• Durkheim studied crime, religion and education by focusing on the functions they fulfil in meeting the needs of society

  • For instance, he claimed that punishing offenders is a crucial function in fostering unity among people since it upholds the values and beliefs that the majority of society holds

  • Crime can promote social cohesion by bringing people together in this way

Criticisms of the functionalist approach

• Critics argue that functionalism overlooks the dysfunctional aspects of things such as crime, religion and the family, as they don't always perform positive functions for society

  • For example, domestic abuse in families can have devastating effects on individual victims, their friends and families

• Some sociologists argue that functionalist theories are outdated

  • For example, it fails to consider individual differences within society

• Interactionist theorists argue that individuals shape society rather than the other way around

Key thinker: Max Weber (1864-1920)

Contribution to the development of sociology

• Weber made a major contribution to a range of sociological topics such as social class, status and power - these are aspects of social stratification

• Like Marx, Weber was interested in issues such as the development of capitalism and social class

• Weber recognised that small-scale interactions and social structures influenced human behaviour, which informed the development of social action theory

• Although Weber is considered the founder of interactionism, he never identified as an interactionist

The key ideas of Max Weber

Social class

• Weber, like Marx, saw social class as the key division in society and defined it in terms of economic factors

• Weber agreed with Marx that ownership and non-ownership of property are the most important basis of class divisions

• However, class divisions aren't just based on economic factors but also skills and qualifications, which affect the jobs that people get

  • For example, people with high-level qualifications and specialised skills are in a stronger position in the labour market than those without

Status

• Status refers to how much prestige or social standing a group has

  • For example, judges and surgeons are considered to have high status

• According to Weber, status and income are not always related because some groups have low status but high incomes, and vice versa

  • For example, people who sell used cars may have high incomes but low status

Power

• Weber argued that an individual or group exercises power when they can get what they want, despite opposition from other individuals or groups

• People have power when they can influence others to act in a certain way

  • People considered to have power in society include politicians, police officers, judges and religious leaders

Criticisms of Weber

• Like Marx, Weber ignored the divisions in society based on gender and ethnicity, as he only focused on class divisions