Comparing Webers and Durkheims Methodological...

Comparing Webers and Durkheims Methodological Contributions to Sociology This essay will be examining the methodological contributions both Durkheim and Weber have provided to sociology. It will briefly observe what Positivists are and how their methodologies influence and affect their research. It will also consider what interpretative sociology is, and why their type of methodology is used when carrying out research. It will analyse both Durkheims study of Suicide and also Webers study of The Protestant work ethic, and hopefully establish how each methodology was used for each particular piece of research, and why. Emile Durkhiem, in sociology terminology is considered to be a†¦show more content†¦Classical Social Theory. 1997:26) Max Weber, born in 1868 in Germany, was the son of a Lawyer and was brought up in a household where Religon played a major role in his life. After attending Heidelberg University, he completed his first Sociological work on The Situation of Farm Workers in Germany. From around 1903, he completed most of his Sociological writings, this included the famous Protestant work ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Weber even taught himself Russian, in order for him to observe and study the Russian Revolution. This was, in itself putting Verstehen into practice. Something which many Sociologists, especially Positivists such as Comte, disagreed about. Verstehen is when you imagine yourself to be in the position of the person or people whos behaviour you are wishing to explain. Weber famously defined the term Sociology as a science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action in order thereby to arrive at a causal explanation of its course and effects. In action is included all human behaviour when and insofar as the acting individual attaches a subjective meaning to it. Action in this sense may be either obvious or purely hidden orShow MoreRelatedSociology and Emile Durkheim2640 Words   |  11 PagesCompare and contrast the theories and methods of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber regarding social behavior. 1.Introduction Emile Durkheim and Max Weber are founding fathers of sociology and outstanding sociologists who made great contributions to the development of sociology and progress of human beings. Previous studies have been done about the theories and methods of Durkheim and Weber, and their works have also been studied for many times from different viewpoints, such as the nature of humanRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagessupported by specified learning outcomes and guides to further reading. Dr Paul Tosey, University of Surrey, UK The field of organization theory is extremely fragmented and there is no agreement concerning the underlying theoretical dimensions nor methodological approach to be employed. With the recognition of different approaches to organization theory, there is a widely perceived need to bring some order to the field. This textbook offers a well-integrated synthesis of approaches to organization theory