Theories and Theorists

 Rationalization: Max Weber noticed the shift from traditional to industrialized and coined the term. Rationalization is when you apply economic logic to human activity. Using automated machines takes out the human interaction (dehumanized) and creates the efficiency of machines.

 Mechanic Solidarity: Emile Durkheim 1st study was of social bonds. Mechanic solidarity was the agrarian type where all parts worked together. This picture shows an old style clock with all the gears and movements working together to make the clock run just as all the people in the society collectively work together.

 Organic Solidarity: Emile Durkheim also studied the industrial groups that ran on organic solidarity. They are different but held together because they are dependent on each other, just like organs in the human body.

 Manifest/Latent functions: Robert Merton saw the difference between the obvious intended funtions in a whole societycalled manifest functions and the latent functions that were less obvious and unintended. A school is the best example for this because the manifest function is to learn, however the latent functions are to shape the student into a functioning member of society.

 Symbolic Interactionism: Is a paradigm in the sociology world that focuses on interaction. They believe that society is made up of interactions between people. People interact all of the time. Meaning is created through these interactions and is not inherently there.