Select one of the following sociologists: Ibn Khaldūn, Auguste Comte, Harriet Martineau, Alex de Tocqueville, Karl Marx, Herbert Spencer, Georg Simmel, Émile Durkheim, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Max Weber, George Herbert Mead, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, Alfred Schutz, Talcott Parsons.

Choose any but if you need additional information

Write an essay which addresses the following:
1. Describe the emergence of sociology and its relationship to the industrialization of European society, and comment on the importance and influence of the dominant early theorists.
2. Provide an outline of your chosen theorist, and briefly discuss their background and influences. Assess the importance of their sociological theory and its ability to appraise society.

Rationale

This assessment task will assess the following learning outcome/s:
• apply these theories to analyse both themselves and their teaching environments.
• understand the development of the modern industrial/post-industrial society and its impact on them as teachers.
• understand the nature of individualism and difference and their construction by social institutions.

“A key aspect of the sociological imagination according to Wright Mills is the interconnectedness between individual problems and public issues.” (Boronski & Hassan, 2015, p. 3).
Study in this subject should enable you to see the relationship between the individual and society – the interconnectedness, according to Mills. This assignment encourages you to review early sociological theory and the societal factors that shaped these theories. The theorists were products of their time and their influences, much the same as you are the product of your time and experiences to date. Reviewing early sociological theory allows you to see the development of the discipline prior to contemporary theory, and comparison of your life experiences with that of the chosen theorist allows you to consider how life has shaped your social lens. How do you intuitively assess society? How does your ‘lens’ differ, or compare, with one of the major theories, and do you find different answers if you apply a different lens? In working through this process, you will have the understanding that how we view issues shapes what we see, and if we routinely view issues from multiple perspectives (use different lens), we can gain greater insight into these issues. Such analysis better prepares us to understand the society we live in, and professionally it allows us to appreciate the complexities of the sector we work within, and its role in Australian society – an issue we will discuss in greater depth in the second assignment.
Boronski, T., & Hassan, N. (2015). Sociology of education. London, Sage Publications Ltd.

It is meant to be a standard essay format. It’s acceptable to use subheadings for major sections.
Structure:

Introduction
emergence of sociology – paragraph 1, para 2, para 3
theorist – para 3, para 4
conclusion

Within each section, and particularly the development of sociology, you obviously won’t have room for a really comprehensive answer, but should aim to touch on at least a couple of key milestones/topics.