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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
In the form of a letter home, this 3 page essay briefly touches on the early theorists such as Durkheim, Parson, Merton, Weber, Mead, Marx, Bourdieu, Freud and Blumer, as well as an opinion on social interaction theory. Scientific method is also touched on. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: JV57_JVsocioletter.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Id write and let you know what I found interesting about sociology so you can make a decision for yourself. First of all, a little background. There are many different
theories, beginning with Durkheim who believed that that society stood as an entity within itself, whether individuals existed or not. As Pope, Cohen & Hazelrigg (1975) state, his reasoning was
that if an individual dies, society remains. Durkheims objective theory sought to legitimize sociology, which has considered a soft science. For this reason, he also emphasized scientific method and statistical
techniques as the means for research in order to provide evidence for sociological theories. His biggest opponent was Parsons, who had been largely
discredited for relying so heavily on subjective opinions as a means of proving theory. Parsons thought putting society before the individual was like putting the horse before the cart. He
felt that individuals related to society and had the power to change it. Therefore, he supported the concept of qualitative research over quantitative research. While he was discredited for his
theories, it is an irony that both his subjective qualitative and Durkheims quantitative research methods are used in sociological research today. It is also interesting in light of todays social
interaction theories. Both of the above are functionalist theories and from them emerged structionalist theories, which you are more likely to recognize. Suffice
it to say the idea was introduced by Merton, a functionalist, but he came up with the theory of differing levels of social interaction. They were more academic than practical.
Structuralists, as Aguilar & Sen (2009) show, focus tightly on layered differentiations between anthropological details within societies and how they affect individuals within them. The structuralists mostly focus on such
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