George Simmel Essay

Sociology is the study the different aspects of humanity and society. It encompasses a very broad and varying range of topics. It can be studied on a large world-wide scale spanning across several countries, which is called Macrosociology. It can also be studied on a small scale looking at only individual families or neighborhoods, which is called Microsociology. Not only does it peer into humans’ interactions with each other but examines why they act the way they do. It considers the environment, as well as how access to different luxuries can contribute to the people that we become. In this fascinating field there are three primary views on exactly what the fundamental driving force behind society is. Symbolic Interactionalism, the belief that symbols and the meaning that they are given, define how we will perceive life, in this philosophy these meanings are influenced by society and the events of individual lives. Functional Analysis, views society as any other organism, in this theory all parts of the whole must work together cohesively to function. Conflict theory takes a somewhat opposite view than Functionalism, this perspective suggests that rather than wanting to work in unison, society’s underlying motive is a power struggle for resources. Over the course of this paper the reader will explore these different perspectives.

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He attended school for approximately eight years. Washington lived with his mother until the age of 16. At the age of 15, Washington took a job as an assistant land surveyor. In 1748, he began working in the Shanandoah Valley to help survey the land holdings of Lord Fairfax. By 1749, he established a good reputation as a land surveyor and was appointed Culpeper counties official land surveyor.

Both Simmel and Goffman have greatly contributed to the development of the sociological investigation of human interaction and experiences, they have taken a science that was not easily understood and brought it to the center of attention. While using different methods to ultimately obtain an understanding of how society functions, whether it be on the individual level or the as a group interplay.

Abraham Maslow was born on April 1, 1908 to two Jewish parents who lived in New York but had emigrated from Russia. (Cherry, page 1) He was born in Brooklyn New York and he was the first of seven children. (Cherry, Page 1) He grew up with parents pushing him along in his education so he would be a very smart person and could accomplish many large tasks. (Boeree, page 1) When Abraham Maslow was a child he was very lonely and unhappy due to always being pushed along in his education instead of being friendlier with people his age. (Cherry, Page 1)Beings as he was lonely he took a liking to reading at the library. (Cherry, Page 1) Abraham ended up being smart but shy. As he got older he went to a city college in New York to study law and

Georg Simmel along with scholars of his generation were instrumental in providing theories of reasoning to explain human behavior within specified social environments. Georg was a man who was extremely interested in the spiritual aspects of human beings while they experienced life from various positions to include progression of higher levels of spirituality emerging from lower levels. Georg was also fascinated with the natural inevitable experiences of humanity. (Wikipedia. n.d).

Georg Simmel and George Herbert Mead are famously influential sociologists who made significant contributions to the exploration of society, the construction and established theories of society and the way individual people act within a society. Both of the sociologists were interested in the way that people create the society and the laws used to govern from within. Despite the similarity of the subject studied, the scientist took very different approaches in their research and beliefs. I’ve even heard of them referenced as the “ying and yang of sociology”. Mead is considered the paradigm of symbolic interaction using a pragmatic approach in his research, Simmel focuses on duality and is often referred to as one of the founders of

Georg Simmel and Max Weber will first be addressed individually to outline their lives and their works. Even though Simmel and Weber both were born in the same country, they led different lives. The obvious differences among Simmel and Weber are seen in their younger years of their lives. While their works are different, they may have been working for a similar result. Simmel and Weber are now considered to have made an historic impact in the sociological world. Their individual contribution to the sociological work has been significant and will be discussed in sociology classes forever. This paper will outline the differences and similarities of Georg Simmel and Max Weber.

Ms. Wauneka was born on April 10 1910. Her father was policitian and her mother was a house wife. Her father had three wives, he was a very stronger leader on the Navajo Reservation, he was the first elected council men in the council business. Ms. Wauneka did not grow up like any other Native rez kid on the reservation. Once she was eight years old, she went to boarding school and four years later she went to a Governing Boarding School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As she was in school she became more fluent with English like her father. During her time there were illnesses and flus going around so she decided to learn about health and nursing, so she could help people. She met her husband in school, his name was George Wauneka. They had eight

Wilhelm Reich was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on March 24th, 1897. His parents were farmers, and at a young age Reich developed a fascination with the life processes of plants and animals. His formal education at this time was provided by a private tutor.

Examine the view that Erving Goffman’s work focuses on forms of social interaction but ignores social structure.

     Erwin Rommel Jr. was born on November 15, 1891 in Swabian. His father Erwin Rommel Sr., was a schoolmaster in Heidenheim in Wurttemberg , and Rommel's mother was Helene von Luz was a daughter of the local Regierungs-President.

Social conflict also focuses on macro-sociology. Symbolic interaction paradigm says society functions well through interactions. Communication is spreaded through symbols created by society. Social interaction is important, because it causes social change. Many variables such as behavior events are explained through social contact with others. The people are the ones who determine what is reality, and what is not reality. Life works in a dramatization point of view. Symbolic interaction paradigm focuses on the small issues that affect communities in society, therefore making it a micro-level orientation. Functionalist paradigm sees society as a well integrated, self-regulating system that meets people’s needs. While Social conflict views society having many groups that are self reliant, with their own goals and needs. Symbolic interaction explains society is shaped, and constructed through interaction, and communication with others.

The theoretical works of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber still influence sociological theory. Though their works are decades old they still are a major part of what sociology is today. Though their theories can seem very different, there are some similarities. To become a great sociologist one most learn and understands how to use all sociological perspectives. To do this one must understand and use the different theoretical perspectives created by Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.

Georg Simmel, “How is Society Possible”, “The Problem of Sociology”, “Conflict”, “Sociability (Contents vs. Forms of Soc

For this paper, I will be examining Peter Hedstrom and Richard Swedberg’s contribution to the literature on Social Mechanisms, and review the more salient