SOC110:Introduction to

Sociological
Development Studies

Professor Idongesit Eshiet

ieshiet@[Link]
Development Thoughts of Sociology Founding Fathers – Auguste Comte
1. Auguste Comte
Auguste Comte (1798–1857) was a French philosopher, and often called the “father of sociology”.
He first used the term “sociology” in 1838 to refer to the scientific study of society. August Comte
conceptualized development from the perspective of how a society evolves from one stage to
another based on the transformation in human explanation of social causes. Auguste Comte
believed that all societies develop and progress through three (3) stages, namely –
1. Theological
2. Metaphysical
3. Scientific
1. Theological Stage

This stage of development of society is governed by superstition. All natural events are attributed
to the gods, causes of natural events are attributed to supernatural powers. At this stage, society is
very primitive and devoid of any measure of science.
Development Thoughts of Sociology Founding Fathers - Auguste Comte
Cont’d 2
2. Metaphysical Stage

At this stage, society explain causes of events through metaphysics, which is the belief in
abstract reality. Meta grandeur things like abstract god, soul, fire, light, etc. are used to explain
causes of natural events.
3. Scientific Stage
This scientific stage is also known as the positive stage. The dawn of 19th century marked the
beginning of this stage; hence, characterized by scientific knowledge. In this stage, the human
mind gave up the taken-for-granted approach. At this stage, the human mind tried to establish
cause and effect relationship through observable facts. Scientific knowledge is based on facts.
Facts are collected by observation and classification of phenomena. The scientific stage or
positivism is a purely intellectual way of looking at the world. Positivist thinking is best suited
to the need of industrial society. Comte argued that society needs scientific knowledge based on
facts and evidence to solve its problems; not speculation and superstition, which characterize
the religious and metaphysical stages of social development.
Development Thoughts of Sociology Founding Fathers – Emile Durkheim
1. Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim (1858 – 1917) was a French sociologist. Much of Durkheim's work was concerned
with how societies could maintain social stability in the face of constant change, as traditional and
religious ties could no longer bind people together due to the emergence of new institutions.
Durkheim’s development thoughts can be streamlined in his exposition on the following -
(a) The division of labour in the society and

(b) Social Anomie

The division of labour in the society

In this work, Durkheim discusses how the division of labour (the sharing of different tasks to societal
members to perform) benefits the society because it increases the productive capacity of people. He
also argues that besides this, the division of labour creates a feeling of solidarity among societal
members. Thus, for Durkheim, division of labour goes beyond performing just an economic function,
it also serves as a means of establishing social and moral order within the society, what he refers to as
social solidarity. Durkheim identifies two kinds of social solidarity - mechanical solidarity and
organic solidarity.
Development Thoughts of Sociology Founding Fathers – Emile
Durkheim Cont’d 2
Mechanical solidarity- This is the type of solidarity that prevails in societies where
the division of labour is simple and not complex. The society is organized collectively
and all members of the group share the same set of tasks and core beliefs. Thus, what
binds the individual together in the society is what Durkheim calls the ‘collective
consciousness’, or shared belief system. To Durkheim, the more primitive a society is,
the more it is characterized by mechanical solidarity. For example, the members of an
agrarian society are more likely to resemble each other and share the same beliefs and
morals.
Organic solidarity prevails in a society, where the division of labour is more
fragmented and complex. Individuals perform different jobs or tasks and so become
more distinguishable from one another. However, they must depend on each other to
meet their needs. Durkheim terms the kind of solidarity that emanates from this
interdependence, organic solidarity and says it occurs in societies that have become
more advanced and civilized.
Some Major Development Perspectives - Modernization
1. Modernization Theories/Perspective
Theories that are described as modernization theories of development are of various types with
their analyses anchored on different concepts. However, their analyses share a common thread
of arguments, causing them to be described as modernization theories and together commonly
referred to as the modernization perspective or approach or paradigm. Some of the theories
under the modernization perspective include, W. W. Rostow (1960), David McCleland;
Eisenstadt (1970); Smelser (1963); Hoselitz (1960), etc.
1. Western-style modernization and growth is presumed to be the desirable and superior model
of development that should be followed by all developing countries of the Global South.

2. All developing countries they presume will go through the same path of development similar
to those already experienced by the ‘advanced’ western nations.

3. Development goes through a linear progression from one stage to another, therefore involves
an evolutionary process.
Some Major Development Perspectives – Modernization Cont’d 2
4. Modernization is a homogenizing process. Over time, more and more societies
will come to resemble each other.
5. Modernization is an irreversible process. Thus, once developing countries
come into contact with developed countries, they will be on the drive to
modernization and unable to resist it.
6. The socio-economic structures of developing countries are impediments to the
drive towards modernization due to constraints such as ‘traditionalism’ low
savings; high population; lack of technology; etc., which hinder growth.
7. To overcome this problem, developing countries should be infused with
foreign aid, investment and technological assistance from the developed
countries. These will serve as catalysts to generate the needed growth in the
economy. The growth will then ‘trickle down’ to all segments of the society.
Some Major Development Perspectives - Dependency

2. Dependency Theories/Perspective
The dependency perspective also comprises of various theorists whose analyses
share a common trend of thoughts. The perspective has its origins in the scholastic
writings of Latin American scholars from the 1960s. The perspective dwells more
in explaining the underdevelopment of Global South countries (then referred to as
third world countries). Major theorists under this perspective include Andre Gunder
Frank; Enrique Cardozo; Walter Rodney; Theotonio Dos Santos; and Samir Amin.
The dependency perspective reacts to the modernization perspective, thus its
arguments are the complete opposite of that of the modernization perspective.
While the modernization perspective ascribes the obstacles to third world
underdevelopment to endogenous factors (i.e factors from within) and the solution
lying in exogenous factors (i.e factors from without or outside), dependency
scholars on the other hand situate the obstacles to third world underdevelopment on
exogenous factors, while the solution lies in endogenous factors.
Some Major Development Perspectives – Dependency Cont’d 2

Arguments of dependency theory are as follows –

1. The underdevelopment of Global South (third world) countries is not an

original state of these countries, but rather an artificial creation of historical
circumstances.

2. Third world underdevelopment cannot be properly understood without

situating it within the wider socio-historical context of the expansion of
western European mercantile and industrial capitalism.

3. Third world underdevelopment is a product of its dependent peripheral

location in the global capitalist system which spans various historical epochs
of slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism, imperialism and recently
globalization.