Important Concepts of 19th Century Essay

Important Concepts of 19th Century Essay

Imagine you lived in the 19th century. What are some of the important concepts of this century as indicated in the writing below of Durkheim or Marx that may be impact your decision making in your personal life or workplace life? Think about your role as either a woman or man in the 19th century. Please share your feedback!!

Major Theories of Social/Cultural Anthropology

Social, economic, and political changes have a big impact on society. Some changes are gradual, while others are drastic. In either case, change is inevitable and with change comes cultural reform. Depending on how change is initiated, it can bring about anxiety and uncertainty and takes time to find balance (Kahn, 2015). We can certainly relate to this with the recent events occurring right now with the COVID-19 healthcare crisis.

Marx, Durkheim, and Weber offer classical approaches to social theories. All three are concerned with the way in which society is affected by the period of time they were living in.

Karl Marx was a German philosopher who was heavily involved in Communism. Marx based his theories on the struggle between the capitalists and the workers. He contended that the wealth of capitalists was based on the exploitation of workers that produced the goods (Ritzer & Goodman, 1996). Marx supported an economic system in which all of the productive resources were owned by the government. According to this school of thought, there would not be the separation of people who owned the resources to produce goods or products and those at the mercy of ownership. A disadvantage of this theory is that this approach does not encourage the continuous development of new products or introduce new technology. In addition, socialism accompanies violence in order to gain control of society.

Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist struggled with the thought that modern life was replacing older forms of social ties and community. As people became more individualistic, there was a weakening of family and religion. Fewer people in society relied upon religion and community and placed an emphasis on capitalistic hopes. Durkheim focused on the rise of suicide rates as a result of the burden of failure and disappointment. He observed the fact that capitalism made people richer but it also made them sadder (The School of Life, 2015).

Max Weber is a recognized founder of sociology. His theories further developed the thought that science replaced religion. Miracles were no longer believed as possible or plausible and turned to science as an explanation for the advancement of capitalism.

All three sociologists explained their theories of the advancement of capitalism in society and how it evolved in modern times. Marx believed wealth was the dominant focus, while Durkheim believed social status was most important and Weber believed that power was the core issue.

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