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The Sociological Approach

Durkheim, Marx and Weber

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 2

Overview

The three classical sociologists in their time and place, Durkheim's social facts and anomie, Marx's bourgeoisie and proletariat, and Weber's verstehen.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What did Marx predict for capitalism, and what did he contribute to sociology?

Who and when

Who was Émile Durkheim?

Key term

How did Durkheim's time and place shape his work?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Who was Émile Durkheim?

    Model answer

    Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist writing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Durkheim is seen as a founder of functionalism.

  2. 2

    How did Durkheim's time and place shape his work?

    Model answer

    Durkheim wrote as France industrialised and traditional communities broke down. Durkheim wanted to understand how society could stay united during rapid change.

  3. 3

    What did Durkheim mean by social facts?

    Model answer

    Social facts are ways of acting and thinking that exist outside individuals and shape their behaviour. Laws, customs and religious beliefs are examples.

  4. 4

    What is anomie?

    Model answer

    Anomie is a state of normlessness in which people are unsure of society's rules. Durkheim thought anomie was more likely during rapid social change.

  5. 5

    How did Durkheim contribute to the development of sociology?

    Model answer

    Durkheim argued that society could be studied scientifically using facts such as official statistics. Durkheim helped establish sociology as a university subject in France.

  6. 6

    Who was Karl Marx?

    Model answer

    Karl Marx was a German thinker who wrote in the nineteenth century during the industrial revolution. Marx's ideas founded the Marxist conflict perspective.

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The Sociological Approach
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