A Brief Review of Major Theorists in the Field of Sociology

9 Pages 2273 Words

Discuss the theories of Marx, Weber, Spencer, Durkheim, and Cooley and show how they relate to the Sociological Perspective. Be sure to identify each as a functional, conflict, or interactionist thinker as it relates to the discipline of sociology.

In order to obtain a fundamentally structural understanding of Sociology, one

must first acquire a brief look into a number of notable theorists in the field. This essay

will attempt to help the reader identify, examine, and relate the theories and perspectives

of Marx, Spencer, Durkheim, Weber, and Cooley. In addition, this essay will identify key

terms and concepts essential to the understanding of sociological perspectives and how

they are used.


Arguably one of the most profound and influential theorists of the 19th century,

Karl Marx began his work as a humanist and therefore concentrated his efforts towards

the struggles of humanity. Through a macro-sociological viewpoint, a perspective that

allows an individual to examine society as a whole by means of observing broad social

patterns, Marx was able to identify a common thread within all societies. This common

thread became the foundation for his most popular theories. Marx observed that through

out time societies have basically been a collection of class struggles between those who

own the means of producing goods and those who do not. This premise can be found in a

number of societies. Marx then applied an economical deterministic view to the construct

of societies and coined the term Social Superstructure. According to Marx’s theory, it is

the complex reciprocal relationship between a society’s institutions and ideologies and

the economic base of that society that make up the Social Superstructure. The economic

base is defined by its class structure and means of producing wealth. The relationship is

reciprocal because once the economic base has reach...