Germany Jahrgangsstufe 13 Politics and Society

Chapters: 5

1. Sociological theories of modern society

Sociological theories of modern society

Introducing Western Sociologists: Marx, Durkheim and Weber – Sociology was born in Europe out of three big changes: the Enlightenment (trust in reason), the French Revolution (ideas of freedom and equality) and the Industrial Revolution (factories, cities, wage work). Karl Marx said society is shaped by how people produce goods, and history moves through conflict between classes, such as capitalists and workers. Emile Durkheim said society is held together by solidarity: mechanical in simple societies where people are alike, and organic in modern societies where people do different jobs and depend on one another. Max Weber said sociology must understand the meaning people give to their actions (interpretive sociology), used ideal types as measuring tools, and described bureaucracy as the rule-bound modern way of organising.

Modernisation and family life in Germany

The Family in Sociology – A household is everyone who lives in one home; a family is people linked by blood, marriage, partnership or adoption. Families do four main jobs: having and raising children, socialisation, economic support and emotional care. Families take many forms: nuclear, extended, lone-parent, reconstituted (step-families), same-sex and beanpole families, and the mix differs between societies and over time. Conjugal roles, the jobs of partners at home, have moved from segregated to more joint, though women still often do more housework and care. Relationships between parents, children and grandparents have changed too. Functionalists see the family as good for society, while Marxists, feminists and others point to its dark side. Divorce rose in many countries after 1950 because of new laws, women's financial independence, less stigma and higher expectations of marriage.

Social inequality and mobility

Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion – Social inequality means some groups get more money, respect and links than others, not because of talent but because of the group they are born into. Social exclusion means people are kept out of the full life of society. This lesson walks through caste and untouchability, tribes and Adivasi struggles, Other Backward Classes, women's fight for equality and the rights of people with disabilities, and what the state and people's movements did about each.

The welfare state and its challenges

The Welfare State and Social Security – A welfare state is a state that protects people against the big risks of life: illness, job loss, old age, disability and poverty. It does this with a safety net made of three parts. Social insurance is paid from contributions taken from wages. Social assistance is paid from taxes to people in need. Public services such as schools and hospitals are open to everyone. Countries mix these parts in different ways: liberal (low tax, small help), conservative (help linked to your job) and social-democratic (high tax, help for all). Today welfare states face ageing populations, rising costs, global competition and many informal workers.

International conflicts and international law

International Law: How States Make and Keep Rules – International law is the set of rules that states (and international organisations) accept as binding in their dealings with each other. There is no world parliament or world police, so states make the rules themselves, mainly through treaties and custom, plus general principles of law; court decisions and expert writings help to find the rules. It grew from the idea of equal sovereign states (1648) to the United Nations (1945) and human-rights law (1948 onwards). The UN and its International Court of Justice help keep peace and settle disputes. States settle disputes by negotiation, mediation, arbitration or courts. Each country decides how treaties enter its own (municipal) law: monist states apply them directly; dualist states, like India and the UK, need an act of parliament.