Sociology workbook



Auguste ComteComteThe Development of SociologyThe term Sociology was first coined by The French essayist Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (1748-1836). Auguste Comte in 1838, re-conceptualized and introduced the term Sociology in the way that we now know and appreciate it. Hence Auguste Comte is considered the “Father of Sociology.” He was convinced that a science of society was possible and would be capable of reconstructing French society which was undergoing much change.Crossman believes that the development of Sociology was part of a more general trend toward the development of discrete scientific disciplines. Thinkers of the Enlightenment period in the eighteenth century helped set the stage for the sociologists who would follow. This period was the first time in history that thinkers tried to provide general explanations of the social world. They were able to detach themselves, at least in principle, from expounding some existing ideology and to attempt to lay down general principles that explained social life. The Modernists contend that Sociology emerged out of two major revolutions of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; starting with the French revolution of 1789 and then the Industrial Revolution of Europe. They believe Sociology emerged as a response to the challenges of modernity. Increasing mobility and technological advances resulted in the increasing exposure of people to cultures and societies different from their own. The impact of this exposure was varied, but for some people it included the breakdown of traditional norms and customs and warranted a revised understanding of how the world works. Sociologists responded to these changes by trying to understand what holds social groups together and also to explore possible solutions to the breakdown of social solidarity.Whatever the argument for the development of Sociology in Europe; it was birthed in a time of social turmoil and was used to develop principles that would guide the reconstruction of European society.Auguste Comte was motivated by the need to understand the changes in his society and to make a contribution its development..Comte felt that science could be used to study the social world. Just as there are testable facts regarding gravity and other natural laws, Comte thought that scientific analysis could also discover the laws governing our social lives. It was in this context that Comte introduced the concept of positivism to sociology—a way to understand the social world based on scientific facts. He believed that, with this new understanding, people could build a better future. He envisioned a process of social change in which sociologists played crucial roles in guiding society. CITATION Cro13 \l 1033 (Crossman, 2013)Supplemental ReadingThe nineteenth Century Context by O’ Donnell.NOTESDevelopment of Sociology in the CaribbeanAn OverviewCaribbean Sociology was initiated and nourished from outside the Caribbean region, particularly Europe. When European and foreign trained Social Scientists introduced Social Sciences to the Caribbean there was no resistance because there were no trained intellectuals in Social thought in the Caribbean. As a consequence Sociology at that time was a process of ‘indigenization’, ‘adaption’ and ‘contextualization’ of what was developed elsewhere.After emancipation, Caribbean people created new ideologies which played a significant role in the indigenizationof Sociology in our region. Social thought could not remain divorced form the social reality in the Caribbean. It had to be adapted to deal with Caribbean issues and problems. According to Sankatsing (2001 )The drastic change from colonial to independent nations in two decades saw an equally drastic development of the Social Sciences and Sociology in the region. Such theoretical developments are as follows Plural,Creole, and Plantation society Models. These focused on the outer-structural features of Caribbean reality. Sankatsing further stated that a first generation of Caribbean Social Scientists, “made unceasing efforts to adapt, modify, contextualize and acclimatize fashionable models, paradigms, theories and methods from traditional social sciences and … great efforts were made to develop new approaches and perspectives to the region’s own reality.Caribbean Sociology is said to have entered its first and golden age during the period of the 1950's - 1970's, where a group of Caribbean intellectuals such as M.G. Smith, Edith Clarke, George Roberts, Leo Depres, R.T. Smith, Lloyd Brathwaithe and Orlando Patterson all conducted extensive and intensive research on various aspects of Caribbean life, culture, practices and territories with the aim of understanding the indigenous Caribbean cultures as well developing an indigenized sociological discourse for and by Caribbean people.Today, Caribbean Sociology has become more robust and there has been a burgeoning of works from the likes of contemporary minds such as Christine Barrow, Rhoda Reddok, Nasser Mustapha, Susan Craig, Rex Nettleford, Bill Riviere, Henry Paget, Elsa Goveia, Derek Gordon, Geroge Beckford, Angel Quintero Rivera et al... (Origins of Caribbean Sociology)Activity 1.4In your own words, describe the development of Sociology in Europe and the Caribbean. Compare the development of Sociology in Europe to the development of Sociology in the Caribbean.What factors led to the development of Sociology in the Caribbean?Review questionsHow did the Sociology develop in the Caribbean?When did Sociology change in the Caribbean and in what way?When did the golden age of Sociology occur in the Caribbean?Name two main sociologist of the golden era.What did the first generation of Social Scientist do according to Sankatsing?Identify two female contemporary Caribbean Sociologists, and two male contemporaryCaribbean Sociologist. ................
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