Introduction Karl Marx remains one of the most influential figures in the history of social thought. His critique of capitalism was not merely economic but deeply sociological, seeking to uncover how the structure of society affects human life and consciousness. Among his profound contributions, the concept of alienation (Entfremdung) occupies a central place. Alienation, according … Read more
Introduction Karl Marx remains one of the most influential figures in sociology, not only because of his comprehensive critique of capitalism but also for his conceptualization of class conflict as the driving force of historical development. His ideas transcend economics and political theory, deeply embedding themselves in the sociological imagination. Marx viewed society as an … Read more
Introduction Karl Marx (1818–1883), one of the most influential thinkers in sociology, philosophy, and political economy, developed the theory of Historical Materialism as the foundation of his analysis of society and social change. Historical Materialism refers to the view that material conditions—especially the mode of production and the relations of production—are the driving forces behind … Read more
Introduction Among the classics of sociology, Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) stands as a landmark in understanding the relationship between religion, culture, and economic life. While Karl Marx emphasized material conditions and economic structures in shaping society, Weber took a different route: he sought to understand how ideas, beliefs, … Read more
Introduction on Social Action and Authority Max Weber, one of the founding fathers of sociology, occupies a distinct place in social thought for his systematic analysis of modern society. Unlike Karl Marx, who emphasized economic structures, or Émile Durkheim, who highlighted social facts, Weber placed individual meaning and action at the center of sociological inquiry. … Read more
Sociology, as a scientific discipline, seeks to understand the complexity of social reality. Yet, social reality is too vast, diverse, and dynamic to be captured directly in its totality. To make sense of it, sociologists require conceptual tools that can reduce complexity without distorting meaning. One such profound methodological tool is the “Ideal Type” introduced … Read more
Introduction Suicide has long been a topic of moral, psychological, and religious concern. Traditionally, philosophers and theologians explained it as an act of individual weakness, sin, or psychological abnormality. However, in the late nineteenth century, French sociologist Émile Durkheim revolutionized the study of suicide by interpreting it through a sociological lens. His book “Le Suicide” … Read more
Introduction The concept of the division of labour has been a subject of discussion in economics, philosophy, and sociology for centuries. While thinkers like Adam Smith examined it from an economic perspective, focusing on efficiency and productivity, Émile Durkheim, one of the founding fathers of sociology, gave it a distinctly sociological interpretation. For Durkheim, the … Read more
Émile Durkheim, one of the founding fathers of sociology, introduced the concept of social fact as the foundation of his sociological theory. In his seminal work The Rules of Sociological Method (1895), Durkheim argued that sociology must study social facts as its subject matter, just as natural sciences study natural phenomena. By defining social facts, … Read more
Introduction Society and the individual are inseparably connected. No individual can exist in isolation, and no society can function without individuals who follow certain norms, values, and cultural practices. The link between the two is built through socialization, a fundamental sociological process that shapes human personality, integrates people into the social structure, and ensures cultural … Read more