ACCTG 1 Lecture 24:
Thursday 8th October 2019
THE POLITICAL TRADITION IN SOCIOLOGY
Last week we looked at the conduct of sociological research should be value- free.
We will be looking at the opposite this week because we will be looking as to whether it should
extend to political actions? Sociologists research issues shaped by political actions and policy
decisions? Sociological research often commissioned by governments and policy makers.
Sociological research may influence political decisions and policies (this may not be as much
as the sociologists’ hope). Sociologists may have political views.
Today we will look at 3 types of sociologists. Political values and sociology are interconnected
and inseparable. Sociologists have a moral obligation to contribute to the improvement of
society. The VALUE-FREE ‘myth’ is supported the new discipline of sociology.
KARM MARX (1818 – 1883)
Marx was Writing 30+ years before Durkheim and Weber. He proceeded them. He was
something on the influence Durkheim. He wanted to change society wheras Durkheim wanted
to understand society. Weber disagreed with Marx on religion and many other aspects. Marx
developed Georg Hegel’s dialectic and Ludwig Feuerbach’s materialism. He looked at a
philosophical idea. Hagel – Thesis + antithesis = Synthesis. Came up with: humanity is shaped
by the material world we live in. people are shaped by their social class position. People are
shaped by ideas. With Engels he would fuse the two together into ‘dialectic materialism’ (also
called ‘historical materialism’).
This means we come the same way.
The Dominant class own the means of production. The Subordinate class don’t own anything
even though they do all the work.
The Critique of Historical materialism. Society moves from one class city to another. Max
Weber as an idealist rejects materialism. He also argues history fails to reveal any pattern.
Others accuse it as an over-deterministic view of history. If there are a lot of people, why is
nothing happening to promote Marx’s ideas and therefore make a better society. Such an
image of human history denies free will. Because what Marx is really saying is ‘Capitalism is
better than Communism’.
Marx, Social class has a Dichotomous view. – meaning either one thing or the other. You will
work for a wage. Labour theory of value – labour is a commodity. – this means that anything
Document Summary
Last week we looked at the conduct of sociological research should be value- free. Sociological research often commissioned by governments and policy makers. Sociological research may influence political decisions and policies (this may not be as much as the sociologists" hope). Today we will look at 3 types of sociologists. Political values and sociology are interconnected and inseparable. Sociologists have a moral obligation to contribute to the improvement of society. The value-free myth" is supported the new discipline of sociology. Marx was writing 30+ years before durkheim and weber. He wanted to change society wheras durkheim wanted to understand society. Weber disagreed with marx on religion and many other aspects. Marx developed georg hegel"s dialectic and ludwig feuerbach"s materialism. Came up with: humanity is shaped by the material world we live in. people are shaped by their social class position. With engels he would fuse the two together into dialectic materialism" (also called historical materialism").
