Rise of the Social Sciences and Utilitarianism

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Rise of the Social Sciences and Utilitarianism
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What is Sociology?

• Sociology science of social relations. provides
  generalizations and statements about the way
  social relations work.

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Other sources of such generalizations?

• Elders parents, grandparents, community leaders.
• Media figures
• Peers
• Church
• Why study sociology?
• Systematic study of social relations through
  empirical science.

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Stages in development of sociology as a discipline

• Agrarian empires social thought is not done
  systematically.
• Disenchanted practical necessities begin to
  develop with commerce.
• Communities of thinkers develop.
• Universities.
• Secularization of universities, humanism.

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Social sciences

• First?
• Economics.
• Sociology begins with social reformers.

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Dating markets

• P.140 Willard Waller
• Male / Female differences
• Generalizable capital skills, capacities and
  networks relevant in any or many contexts.
• Non-generalizable capital skills, capacities and
  networks relevant only to particular settings.

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Rational/utilitarian explanation

• Methodological individualism
• Propensities of individual actors (rational
  interests).
• Study how these propensities aggregate
• Markets
• Contracts
• Hierarchies