Introducing Western Sociologists
Karl Marx analysed class conflict and ownership; Émile Durkheim studied social solidarity and division of labour; Max Weber developed interpretive sociology and concepts such as ideal type and bureaucracy. Their approaches differ in what they foreground, so apply each to a question rather than memorising names in isolation.
Revision check: Compare how Marx and Durkheim might explain a workplace dispute. What does Weber mean by an ideal type?
Apply and revise
Connect the key term to the unit context. Explain the relationship between the concept and an example, and use evidence or a stated condition in your answer.
Check your understanding: Define the central idea, explain it using a relevant example, and identify one limitation or condition that changes its application.
Practice
- Summarise the main concept in your own words.
- Apply it to a short real-life or classroom example and justify your reasoning.
- Write one question that would help you check the accuracy of your explanation.