Historical Context of Sociology's Emergence

Industrialization and Economic Transformation

Industrialization marked a period of significant economic growth. Political revolutions, notably the French Revolution in 1789, influenced the nineteenth century. During this era of growing economy, the individual often took a secondary role. There was a shift towards organizing farm work and implementing taxation.

Factors Triggering the Emergence of Sociology

The immediate factors theorizing the emergence of sociology were the profound changes brought about by industrialization, which included both positive and negative consequences. Disorder and chaos, especially in France, were prevalent.

Writers and thinkers sought to restore social order amidst these disruptions.

Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system in which private individuals and business firms carry out the production and exchange of goods and services.

This system often coexists with a democratic state structure, composed of a leader elected by the people, emphasizing democracy, equality, and the state's important role in the economy.

Key Developments Shaping the Modern World

1. These many developments generated a profound transformation of the world.
2. There was a fundamental shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial one.
3. Most people left farms and agricultural work to fill the jobs offered by the new factories.
4. Factories also underwent changes through the use of new technologies.

Immense economic bureaucracies were created to provide multiple services.

The Rise of Socialism

Socialism seeks equality among people. It influences current state structures, including known democracies, where people seek a leader imposed by force or elected by the people.

Socialism as a Response to Industrial Capitalism

1. A number of changes aimed at solving the excesses of the industrial capitalist system.
2. These proposed solutions were grouped under the term Socialism.
3. Most early sociologists supported socialism as a potential solution to industrial problems.
4. Karl Marx actively supported the overthrow of the capitalist system and its replacement with a socialist system.

Urbanization in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Urbanization involved massive population shifts:

• Many people moved from rural areas to urban centers.
• This migration was caused in part by the job opportunities created by the industrial system.
• This rapid expansion caused many urban problems.

Key Urban Problems Attracting Sociological Attention

Manifestations of these issues included:

• Pollution
• Noise
• Traffic

These problems attracted the attention of prominent sociologists, including Max Weber and George Simmel.

The Enlightenment: Intellectual Foundations

The Enlightenment (or Age of Enlightenment) was a remarkable period of intellectual development and philosophical change. Many prevailing ideas and beliefs, particularly those related to social life, were challenged and replaced. Interestingly, Sociology developed partly as a reaction to the Enlightenment's rationalist approach.

Defining the Age of Enlightenment

The Enlightenment is representative of the 17th-century movement that caused profound renewal in Europe, subjecting the existing worldview, philosophy, culture, and religious beliefs to rational criticism.

It was a stream of cultural influence that reached all corners of 17th-century Europe.

The Enlightenment fundamentally changed thinking and focus across all sciences.

The Role of Education

Thinkers believed that through proper education, humanity could be modified, changing its nature to improve society.