Durkheim as father of sociology
First department
First international journal
Sociology as its own distinct academic discipline
Concept of Emergence
Physics -> Chemistry -> Biology -> Psychology -> Sociology
Things happen in groups that aren’t reducible to psychology
Sociology as Unique Social Science
Sociology is broader than other social sciences like polisci, econ, or geo
Identity crisis–sociologists don’t study just one thing
What themes hold Sociology together?
Snow (1999)–What would we lose if we lost sociology departments?
(Window on Social World)
4 Parts of Sociological Eye
4 Pieces of Sociological Eye:
- Relational Connections
- Contextual Embeddedness (ppl are in broader social contexts)
- Focus on Social Problems (how activist should sociologists be, Chicago School dealt w problems of immigrants)
- Ironic Perspective (common is often untrue/culturally unique)
Added Value of Sociology for a Christian?
American evangelicalism is individualistic–what about collective sin/social structure sin?
Unintended consequences of our actions
Added Value of Christian Belief to Sociology?
Avoid gaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge
Christian presuppositions–human nature, eschatology and “good society”
Fundamental Debates Within Sociology
- Methodological (positivism vs interpretation, analysis vs narration)
- Ontological (structure vs culture, individualism vs emergentism)
- Problematics (choice vs restraint, conflict vs consensus)
- Knowledge (transcendent vs situated knowledge)
