Portal:Sociology
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Sociology is the scientific study of human societies. It is a branch of social science (often synonymous) that uses systematic methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, often with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare. Its subject matter ranges from the micro level of face-to-face interaction to the macro level of societies at large.
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The sociology of religion concerns the practices, social structures, historical backgrounds, developments, universal themes and roles of religion in society. There is particular emphasis on the recurring role of religion in all societies and throughout recorded history. Crucially the sociology of religion does not involve an assessment of the truth-claims particular to a religion, though the process of comparing multiple conflicting dogmas may require what Peter Berger has described as inherent 'methodological atheism'. Sociologists of religion attempt to explain the effects of society on religion and the effects of religion on society; in other words, their dialectical relationship. It may be said that the discipline of sociology began with the analysis of religion in Durkheim's 1897 study of suicide rates amongst Catholic and Protestant populations.
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| Max Weber | |
|---|---|
 German political economist and sociologist |
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| Born | April 21, 1864 Erfurt, Germany |
| Died | June 14, 1920 Munich, Germany |
Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (IPA: [maks ˈveːbɐ]) (April 21, 1864 – June 14, 1920) was a German political economist and sociologist who is considered one of the founders of the modern study of sociology and public administration. He began his career at the University of Berlin, and later worked at Freiburg University, University of Heidelberg, University of Vienna and University of Munich. He was influential in contemporary German politics, being an advisor to Germany's negotiators at the Treaty of Versailles and to the commission charged with drafting the Weimar Constitution.
His major works[1] deal with rationalisation in sociology of religion and government, but he also contributed much in the field of economics. His most famous work is his essay The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which began his work in the sociology of religion. In this work, Weber argued that religion was one of the non-exclusive reasons for the different ways the cultures of the Occident and the Orient have developed, and stressed importance of particular characteristics of ascetic Protestantism which led to the development of capitalism, bureaucracy and the rational-legal state in the West. In another major work, Politics as a Vocation, Weber defined the state as an entity which claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force, a definition that became pivotal to the study of modern Western political science. His most known contributions are often referred to as the 'Weber Thesis'.
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Did you know?
- ...that British Labour Party MP Roland Boyes continued in office after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1995, but his condition had deteriorated so much that, upon his retirement in 1997, he was unaware that his party had gained control after 18 years in opposition?
- ...that Max Weber argued that the increasing rationalization of human life traps individuals in an "iron cage" of rule-based, rational control?
- ... that North 24th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, considered the heart of the city's African American community, has not fully recovered since several riots destroyed businesses along the strip in the 1960s?
- ...that anti-German and anti-Chinese sentiments have motivated two of the several riots in the history of Calgary?
- ...that Omaha, Nebraska's Little Italy neighborhood was largely the result of two brothers' efforts to help their countrymen?
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Here are some Pending tasks for WikiProject Sociology:
- Merge: Community of interest
- Unreferenced: Sociology of scientific knowledge, Sociology of the family
- Cleanup: Sociological positivism, Sociology of science
- Portal maintenance: Update News and suggest selected articles, images, and quotes.
- Other: Add Open Tasks for Sociology to your watchlist, and work on projects listed.
