Durkheim: The Father Of Sociology

Social Conflict theory is a sociological theory that argues that society is made up of different groups in society that are all competing for power and scarce resources. The theory focuses on the inequalities of groups such as such as race, sex, class, and age. These inequalities may determine one's social status resulting in conflict. This theory was originally derived from Karl Marx who is considered the "father" of conflict theory. Karl Marx believed that society was made up two unequal groups of people: the people who have all of the power (haves) and the people who are striving to attain the power (have nots). Marx believed that power derived from money, and the more money one had the more control someone had. Karl Marx believed that if the lower class (have nots) would revolt against the upper class ( haves), we

Marx realized how mistreated the workers were and wanted to put a stop to the child labor. All of the acts helped ensure that the horrendous treatments were put to a stop. Marx believed that the only way to fix the negative effects caused by the industrial revolution was to get rid of capitalism all together. The U.S. then forbade people to be associated with a Marxist group by enabling the Communist Control Act of 1954. Marx understood that capitalism only benefitted the rich, he thought that with capitalism, the “rich continually got richer and the poor got poorer” SITE

Marx’s point of view was that the working men had no country to begin with because they are property of the bourgeoisie and therefore the ignorant ideology that the bourgeoisie tried to impose on the proletarians, that they should be loyal to their country and they and the bourgeoisie are one in the same because they are both striving to better their country, was utterly vacuous. Once the proletarian were to come in power and the “exploitation of individual by another is put an end to, the exploitation of one nation by another will also be put an end to” and the world will be as it should be (page

In this essay I will compare and contrast Marx and Weber’s theories on social change and the rise of modern capitalism. Firstly I will provide a brief outline of Marx’s theories relating to social change and capitalism. I will then briefly outline Weber’s theories on social change and the rise of modern capitalism. Finally I will give my own critique of the theories outlining which one I prefer and the reasons for my choice.

Today’s government is said to be more tolerant and opened minded. Freedom of marriage, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech are only some of the values American’s hold. Are Americans blinded by these small freedoms? And missing the bigger more important values necessary for day to day life? The author Bob Cohn states this fact about today’s values “At the same time, half believe the economic system is unfair to middle- and working-class Americans, and only 17 percent believe Wall Street executives share fundamental American values” (Cohn, 21 Charts That Explain American Values Today). With these facts being stated more questions arise. Could the government become

Socialism and communism are two political theories that both share a similar goal. These types of government have ruling based on the idea of sharing and “collective ownership” (Bentley G-9). The difference between the two is how things get done. Socialism is a slower process of change by the means

Great thinkers, including Plato and Aristotle opened the doors to studying society; they based their thoughts on creating an “ideal society”. The science of Sociology was later developed in the early 19th century by Auguste Comte, who coined the word “Sociology”. He began to study society, using “critical thinking”. Comte believed that only by really understanding society could we begin to change it. In this Essay I will compare and contrast two major theoretical perspectives in Sociology. The Functionalist theory of Emile Durkheim and the Marxist theory of Karl Marx (Giddens, 2009, p. 72)

Karl Marx talks about the role of communism and his conjecture of underlying this type of revolution. He speaks of two different class struggles, the "Bourgeoisie and Proletarians". Bourgeoisie are the people with authority, the ones who own production and are bosses of wage labor while the proletariat are the individuals with no authority, no ownership and are giving up their own power to the Bourgeoisie in order to survive. Societies began to separate and became hostile and aggressive classes. It all became about social ranking because of the increase and need of production. The bourgeoisie society has created new classes and ranks, new conditions of domination and new struggles. It was not about family relationships anymore but about money relations. Bourgeoisie cannot exist without it constantly

Social inequalities can be described as the differences in “income, resources, power and status” (Naidoo and Wills 2008, in Warwick-Booth 2013, 2) that advantage a social class, a group or an individual over another, and thereby establish social hierarchies. It also affects inequalities in regards to gender, race, access to health and education, and general living conditions. In sociology, the dichotomy between the conflict theory approach and the functionalist approach has led to a discordant opinion in regards to social inequalities. The conflict theory seems to admit that social inequalities needs to disappear in order to install a common and equal base for all individuals, whereas the functionalist approach believes that social inequalities

The development of a society from the old and from the new is the result of the conflict of classes in the society. Marx’s use of this method, the dialectical materialism, to analyze the general development of historical events and it is a large outline of the principal stages through which history has moved. The materialist view to history shows that humanity has the capability to survive, as

In the discussion of social inequality, one cannot leave out the sociological theories and models proposed by Karl Marx and Adam Smith. Generally, social inequality refers to the presence of unequal treatment, opportunities and rewards tied to people of various social standings within the hierarchy of a community group or society. Some common types of social inequality include wealth and income disparity as well as social class stratification. For Marx and Smith, both had explored the various types of social inequality in society.

There are various theories across the spectrum of the social sciences that address the birth of society. The focus of this essay will be on two French sociologists, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Émile Durkheim who share different ideas of how the creation of society came about. Durkheim was a functionalist who has very fundamental views on the formation of society. Durkheim theorizes that society is natural and happens through shared experiences. He believes that society makes the individual “whole” by providing them with knowledge. However, on the other side of the spectrum is Rousseau, who views society as more of a means to an end. Rousseau theorizes that modern society is unnatural,

The Communist Manifesto was written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. When it was published in 1848 it had little influence, but later became one of the most read documents in the world. It is within the Manifesto that we can see the ideas that shaped history. These ideas were new and different. The three main ideas from it that i will discuss are: The struggles of class, The abolishment of private property and Alienation.

The four famously known theorists are Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx. Each studied and viewed social behavior in a way they believed was the way it should be viewed; hence, they came up with different theories that categorizes society in many different aspects.

It would take volumes to describe how important Karl Marx’s work is in sociology. His work is important in the 21st century because his concepts and ideas are the only genuine seeds for a better society. I see Marx as a voice for the voiceless, the weak, and the vulnerable in all societies across the globe.