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What Does Theory Do?

What Does Theory Do?. Identifies Sociology as: 1. Activity 2. Field of Enquiry 3. Form of Explanation. Course Themes. Theory or Theories? Unity and Diversity Society &/or Person: Structure &/or Action Development of ‘classics’ Marx Durkheim Weber What is Sociology for?.

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What Does Theory Do?

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  1. What Does Theory Do? • Identifies Sociology as: • 1. Activity • 2. Field of Enquiry • 3. Form of Explanation

  2. Course Themes • Theory or Theories? Unity and Diversity • Society &/or Person: Structure &/or Action • Development of ‘classics’ • Marx • Durkheim • Weber • What is Sociology for?

  3. What Is Sociology For • ‘Classical’ view: 3 ‘E’s • 1.Enlightenment • 2.Emancipation • 3.Expertise

  4. Enlightenment Tradition • Names: • Voltaire, Rousseau, Condorcet, Diderot etc • Themes: • FromTo • Superstition Reason • Tradition Progress • Repression Emancipation

  5. Romantic Tradition • Names: • Burke, Chateaubriand • Defence ofAgainst • Tradition Modernity • Wisdom Rationality • Collectivity Individualism • Order Revolution • Source: Nisbet, R Tradition and Revolt

  6. What is Theory? • Relationship of theory to reality: • 1.Model: representation of reality • 2.Simplification: focussing of reality • 3.Rationalisation: ordering of reality

  7. Theory as ‘Model’ 1 • Simile: • …..reference to thing or person with explicit comparison to it of what is being discussed, as illustration or ornament e.g. “as dead as a doornail” • Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary

  8. Theory as Model 2 • Metaphor: • Application of name or descriptive term or phrase to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, e.g. “a glaring error”, “food for thought”, “tower of strength”. • Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary

  9. Metaphors in Sociology • Marx:Base/Superstructure (Architecture) • Durkheim:Organic solidarity (Biology) • Weber:Iron Cage (Imprisonment) • “Society is……” (realism) • “Think of society as if…….” (representation)

  10. Reality and Representation

  11. What Makes a Theory ‘Good’? • ‘Truth’: it fits reality • ‘Pragmatics’: it leads to interesting questions

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