SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Bourgeoisie, Anthony Giddens, Materialism
Document Summary
Archeologists and anthropologists generally pay a lot more attention to this transition than sociologists. Sociologists: focus on transition to modern societies. Famous british sociologist anthony giddens refers to sociology as the study of modernity . Modernity: suggests there was a fundamental transformation in societies that occurred beginning around 1700 and lasting to today. Material change: industrialization, rise of states, mass education, rise of science, division of labour. Ideal change: national identities, belief in progress, individualism, rationalism. Founding figures of sociology: marx, durkheim, and weber: all tried to make sense of modernity. Understand what it was, consider what caused it: all were in awe of modernity but saw it as causing a variety of problems. Awe: new technologies, more powerful states, productive economies. I"ll spend the rest of this lecture discussing their views on modernity. Marx: modernity as economic transformation conflict theorist: materialism: marx saw societal change as driven by the economy.
