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Gerog Simmel
- 1. Philosopher/Sociologist Georg Simmel wasa German sociologist, philosopher, and critic. Simmel was one of the first generation of German sociologists: his neo-Kantian approach laid the foundations for sociological antipositivism. GEORG SIMMEL (1858-1918)
- 2. GEORG SIMMEL 1858 –1918 The Person Introduction The Academic Outsider A Virtuoso on the Platform Simmel's Writing Career A Summary of Ideas Introduction Formal Sociology Social Types The Dialectical Method in Simmel's Sociology The Significance of Numbers for Social Life Simmel's Ambivalent View of Modern Culture A Note on the Philosophy of Money The Original Work The Stranger Conflict as Sociation
- 3. GEORG SIMMEL 1858-1918 • Bornin Berlin, Germany (an area similar to New York City’s Times Square) • His family was business-oriented, prosperous, and Jewish • His father converted to Christianity--died in Simmel’s youth • Earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy, 1881 • Denied a regular academic position he taught as an adjunct, 1885-1914 • During this period he was a popular public lecturer • Appointed Assistant Professor in 1914 at age 56 • Career interrupted by WWI, during which he served as a hospital administrator A modern urban man--without roots in traditional folk culture
- 4. How is SocietyPossible? (American Journal of Sociology, vol. 16, 1910-11) A Chapter in the Philosophy of Value (American Journal of Sociology vol. 5, 1900) Superiority and Subordination as Subject-matter of Sociology (American Journal of Sociology 2 1896: 167-189). The Persistence of Social Groups (American Journal of Sociology 3 1897: 662-698). The Number of Members as Determining the Sociological Form of the Group. (American Journal of Sociology 8 1902: 1-46). The Sociology of Conflict: (American Journal of Sociology 9 1903) 490-525). A Contribution to the Sociology of Religion" (American Journal of Sociology : 10 1904 359-376.) The Metropolis and Mental Life (adapted by D. Weinstein from Kurt Wolff (Trans.) The Sociology of Georg Simmel. New York: Free Press, 1950, pp.409-424) The Stranger (From Kurt Wolff (Trans.) The Sociology of Georg Simmel. New York: Free Press, 1950, pp. 402 - 408) The Sociology of Secrecy and Secret Societies (American Journal of Sociology 11, 1906: 441-498.) Simmel Texts in English Translation
- 5. GEORG SIMMEL SOCIAL RELATIONS: •super-ordinate/sub-ordinate • conflict/cooperation • distance/intimacy • social/individual SOCIAL TYPES: • competitor • miser • adventurer • coquette • stranger
- 6. GEORG SIMMEL SOCIETY= THE INTRICATEWEB OF PATTERNED, MULTIPLE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS IN CONSTANT INTERACTION. THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE GROUP ARE MUTUALLY CONSTITUTIVE VIA SOCIAL FORMS, I.E., CRYSTALLIZED PATTERNED INTERACTIONS. SOCIATION ASSOCIATION DISSOCIATION (cooperation) (conflict) (both functional)
- 7. Dialectical & ParadoxicalDynamic Tension between Individual and Group/Society • Incorporated Within – Standing Against • Product of Society – Self-Determined • Dependent – Autonomous • Acted Upon – Self-Activating • Incorporated into Social Membership – Reacting out of Unique Individuality
- 8. In each socialrelation there are two forces at work: one pushing us to bind ourselves to others through imitation, and another pushing us to unbind ourselves from others, to undo the social network, through distinction. But social life changes in so far as the balance between the socialising force and the de-socialising force is always unstable and provisional. Fashion is an example of the way in which actual social life always includes in some way its own opposite, an asocial life. For Simmel “... fashion represents nothing more than one of the many forms of life by the aid of which we seek to combine in uniform spheres of activity the tendency towards social equalization with the desire for individual differentiation and change.”
- 9. from Georg Simmel,in On Women, Sexuality, and Love: Consider the charms of the simultaneous For and Against, the Perhaps, the protracted reservation of the decision which permits a foretaste of the enjoyment of both its aspects which in their realization are mutually exclusive. (the original does not appear structured thus, but as a straightforward sentence) And famously: Flirtation also does no more than play with reality, yet it is still reality with which it plays.
- 10. CONFLICT as aSOCIAL FORM
- 11. CONFLICT as aSOCIAL FORM GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CONFLICT •Conflict instinctual for humans •Unique feature of conflict for humans: it is goal oriented •Opens up opportunities for negotiation and different types and levels of conflict VARIABILITY OF VIOLENCE •Clearly expressed with rational goals less violence •Higher emotional involvement increased violence •Transcendent goals greatly increased violence
- 12. Reciprocal Nature – theFunctions of Social Conflict • Hostility as Helpful • Group Binding • Group Preserving • Internal Cohesion • Achieves Internal Unity • Generates Energy, Effort, & Purpose • Creates Satisfaction • Binds Individuals to the Whole • Establishes Group Identity
- 13. Reciprocal Nature – theFunctions of Social Conflict • Hostility as Helpful • Group Binding • Group Preserving • Defines Structure • Achieves Stability • Provides Baselines • Establishes Knowledge of Power
- 14. Reciprocal Nature – theFunctions of Social Conflict • Hostility as Helpful • Group Binding • Group Preserving • Creates Associations & Coalitions • Combines Antagonists against an Other “An enemy of my enemy is my friend.” “If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.” • Produces Enemies • Produces Unity in the Other
- 15. • Degree: Smallor Great • Degree: Peripheral or Central • Degree: Rational or Emotional • Real or Perceived Difference (Absolute or Relative) • Procedure or Purpose (Process or Goal) What’s at Issue in the Conflict…? • Differences in: • Material Goods • Social Services • Cultural Values • Social Esteem • Political Power
- 16. Historical Typology –Types of Society GEMEINSCHAFT Ferdinand Tonnies GESELLSCHAFT Theological Metaphysical August Comte Positivist - Scientific Militaristic Herbert Spencer Industrial Feudalism Karl Marx Capitalism Mechanical Solidarity Emile Durkheim Organic Solidarity Traditional Max Weber Rational-Legal Subjective Culture (more life) Georg Simmel Objective Culture (more-than life) Primary Group Chicago School Secondary Group R E C A P I T U L A T I O N S W E E P O F H I S T O R Y
- 17. SOCIALLYCREATED STRUCTURES: from fewnested concentric circles TRIBE CLAN individual EXTENDED FAMILY FAMILY 23.5% many partially intersecting CIRCLES Individual to DRIFT OF HISTORY SUBJECTIVE CULTURE OBJECTIVE CULTURE (more-life/species being) (more-than-life/alienating)
- 18. SOCIAL FORMS/ emergentweb of group affiliations • monad • dyad • triad • quadrad • etc. • small group • large group Emergence of “society” formula: X = y2 – y/ 2 where y = # of group members & X = # of relationships/ emergent web
- 19. IF TWO’S COMPANY, ANDTHREE’S A CROWD, THEN FOUR’S THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIETY FORMULA: (where R is the number of relationships and M is the number of group members) M2 – M 2 R =
- 20. EFFECTS OF GROUP SIZE ONTHE NUMBER OF RELATIONSHIPS
- 21. Members Relationships* (dyad, extremelyfragile) 2 = 1 (triad, still fragile) 3 = 3 (first emergence of society) 4 = 6 (upper limit of span of control) 8 = 28 (max size of small group) 12 = 66 25 = 300 (approx size of this class) 50 = 1,225 (considered ideal community size) 200 = 19,900 (approx size of PSU) 30,000 = 449,985,000 *not including any coalition or sub-group relationships
- 22. • Dyad –fragile, no supra-personal level • Triad – first suggestions of social structure, the supra- personal possibility of coalitions, combinations • Quadrad – first real emergence of social structure • Small Group – • total involvement of the individual • personal valuation • intense, frequent interaction • highly personal • emotional, subjective Significance of Numbers for Social Structure
- 23. Significance of Numbersfor Social Structure • Large Group – • greater social distance • reduced intimacy • greater freedom • increase in delegation, formality, formal offices • increase in inequality • segmental involvement • greater resilience to internal conflict • power alien and/or distant
- 24. SIMMEL’S DYNAMIC OFSOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT the Drift of History urbanization-money markets-commodification SUBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE CULTURE CULTURE Personalistic Impersonal Organic Rational Subjective Objective Involved Blasé GREAT TRANSFORMATIONS RELIGIOUS REFORMATIONS – POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS – INDUSTRIALIZATION – SCIENTIFIC PROCESS – DIGITAL REVOLUTION EVER INCREASING SIZE DENSITY DIVERSITY COMPLEXITY SPECIALIZATION SOPHISTICATION TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
- 28.
- 29. $ MONEY $: •UNIVERSAL AND ABSTRACT NATURE EFFECTS: - INCREASES INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM - FOSTERS TENUOUS AND OBJECTIVE CONNECTIONS - DISCOURAGES INTIMATE TIES WITH PEOPLE - DECREASES MORAL CONSTRAINT, INCREASES ANOMIE • SOCIAL EFFECTS: - CREATES EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIPS OVER DISTANCE AND TIME - INCREASES SIMILARITY/CONTINUITY AMONG GROUPS - STRENGTHENS LEVEL OF SOCIAL TRUST - INCREASES CENTRALIZED AUTHORITY
- 30. • CREATES DISTANCEFROM OBJECTS WHICH THEN • BECOMES THE MEANS TO OVERCOME THAT DISTANCE • CREATES THE FINANCIAL MARKET WHICH THEN • ACQUIRES A LIVE OF ITS OWN • ENCOURAGES ABSTRACT OF RATIONALIZATION WHICH THEN • EXPANDS THE CAPACITY FOR INTELLECTUAL PROCESS • ACTS AS A TOOL OR A MEANS WHICH THEN • BECOMES AN END ITSELF • ACTS AS AN EXTERNAL IMPOSITION WHICH THEN • IMMEASURABLY INCREASES FREEDOM • CREATES A REIFIED WORLD BUT THEN • PROVIDES THE MEANS TO NEGOTIATE THAT WORLD • INTRODUCES A VALUELESS DIMENSION WHICH THEN • BECOMES THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS
- 31. Administered by SpecialMaster of the U.S. government's September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Kenneth Feinberg (subsequently Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation) who had sole authority in applying the calculus. To participate in this process and receive compensation, each survivor had to agree to waive any rights to pursue further compensation for their loss through legal procedures. THE 9/11 VICTIM COMPENSATION CALCULUS • First, the government will estimate how much a victim would have earned over his or her lifetime had the planes never crashed. (That means a broker’s wife will qualify for a vastly higher award than a window washer’s wife.) • To estimate this amount, each family was handed an easy-to-read chart: find your loved one’s age and income and follow your finger to the magic number. • Each estimate of lifetime earnings was boosted by a flat $250,000 for “pain and suffering” (non-economic loss). • Add an extra $50,000 in pain and suffering for a spouse and each child. •Then subtract all the money survivors received from other sources except charities: deduct life insurance, pensions, Social Security death benefits, and worker’s compensation. The result – the total award the government offers for the loss of a life.