How does Enlightenment shapes the meaning and characteristics of Sociological Theories and its broader categorisation into micro and macro theories?
Society After Enlightenment
Society Before Enlightenment
"God was considered Important"
The physical and social world was dominated by natural laws.
Dominance of religious thinking
Traditional values were found to be irrational. Zeitlen Pg 3
Men were not able to reach their full potential due to unreasonable institutions. Zeitlin Pg4
"ENLIGHTENMENT"
The Two Intellectual Currents were
Philosophy
Science
During this period The traditional beliefs and ideas were overthrown and replaced by science and philosophy.
It was characterised by the belief that people could comprehend and control the universe by means of reason.
Enlightenment was a phase where human beings began questioning their beliefs and traditional ideas using logic, science and philosophy. newtonian physics was the model for the scientific rationality.
The main aim of Enlightenment thinkers is to overcome irrational systems.
Enlightenment was a period of
remarkable developments and changes in philosophical thought**
The idea of society was seen as an object which came out of "Enlightenment" and progress and empiricism came into being
Research were based on observation and reason during the intellectual movement.
"Idea Of Empiricism"- According to science, it believes in only those things which are describable through at least one senses (SMELL, SIGHT, SOUND, TOUCH & TASTE).
Origin Of Sociology
The roots of sociology are grounded in the "Enlightenment" Period.
Enlightenment" and "Sociology" go hand in hand i.e without enlightenment there would be no such thing as sociology.
August Comte 
Why is he considered the founder of sociology?
This is because he has named the disciple as "sociology"
Before calling it sociology it was called "social physics"
He deisred to understand society using scientfic method.
He stressed that this new science not only would discover social principles but also would apply them to social reform.
Socialogy as a Science
It deals with facts
Facts include Theorires
Empirically- by senses(taste, touch, smell, sight & sound).
Verifiable- it can be verified
Is Society a Web Of Significance?
Is Society an Object?
There are 2 types of Theories
Macro Theory
Micro Theory
It examines "small" scale patterns of social interaction.
Symbolic Interaction
Face to face interaction, how people use symbols to create some life.
"Society is nothing more than the reality people construct for themselves as they interact with one another.
It examines "large" scale patterns of social interaction.
Functionalism/Structural Functionalism
This approach looks for any structure’s social function, the consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society as a whole”.
It views society as a complex interconnected system of parts that work together in harmony
Latent Function(unrecognized consequence of social structure)
Manifest Function(recognized consequence of social structure)
Conflict Theory
The struggle for scare resource. This unequal distribution of desired resources causes conflict within the society
Race(It focuses on the conflict b/w people on their racial and ethnic background.
Gender( It focuses on the inequality and conflict b/w men and women).