Social settings of the different forms of social structure described by Durkheim, Tonnies, and Lenski is quite interesting. Please tell me the likes and differences of these sociologists. I cannot understand the extrememly complicated jargon while researching. Please help!

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=social+structure+durkheim+tonnies+and+lenski&aq=f&aqi=g1g-m2g-o1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=a9ec0a8ac5f5a7a2

Read widely and take good notes.

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You may have to search and research, but once you learn some good sources and methods, you should have success. In addition to searching on the Internet, you also need to make best friends with the reference librarian(s) in your local or college library. Libraries these days subscribe to enormous research databases, and they are often more useful than Internet searches. Ask your librarian if you have access to EBSCOHost -- it has several databases within it, including a huge one for academic research.

For Internet searching:
http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/
At this webpage, you can go immediately to the search sites (first three columns across the top) -- or even better you can scroll down until you see the section called HOW TO SEARCH THE INTERNET. Those are the links to start with. You'll not only learn how to come up with good search terms, but also how to evaluate the webpages you get as results. Some will be good and others will be garbage. You need to know how to tell the difference.

My favorite way to search is to go to Google's advanced search page http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en and put my search words or phrases into the first or second search box (either "all the words" or "exact phrase"). Another is to start out at http://scholar.google.com. However, there many other strategies for searching you can use, and the HOW TO SEARCH THE INTERNET section will help you best.

Learning to use Google or other search engines can save you time and help you learn to find information efficiently. Here are some websites that can teach you how:

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/searchtips.html

http://www.pandia.com/goalgetter/index.html

http://websearch.about.com/mbody.htm?once=true&COB=home&PM=112_100_T

... and one to help you judge whether a particular website's information is worth your time:

http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/evaluate.html

Certainly! I'd be happy to explain the key ideas regarding social structure from Émile Durkheim, Ferdinand Tönnies, and Gerhard Lenski in simpler terms.

1. Émile Durkheim:
Durkheim believed that societies have different levels of social solidarity, which refers to the extent to which individuals feel connected to and dependent on their fellow human beings. He identified two types of social solidarity:

- Mechanical solidarity: This type of solidarity is characteristic of traditional, pre-industrial societies. In these societies, social cohesion is based on strong collective consciousness and similarity in beliefs, values, and social roles. People in such societies tend to have few individual freedoms and are bound by strict norms and traditions.
- Organic solidarity: In contrast, organic solidarity is more prevalent in modern, industrialized societies. In these societies, individuals are interdependent as they each have specialized roles and perform different functions. Social cohesion is based on the division of labor and the necessary cooperation among people performing diverse roles.

2. Ferdinand Tönnies:
Tönnies examined the concepts of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft to describe different types of social relationships:

- Gemeinschaft (community): This social structure refers to close-knit groups with strong personal ties and a sense of communal spirit. Relationships in Gemeinschaft are primarily based on kinship, shared values, traditions, and a sense of belonging. Examples include small, rural communities and tight-knit families.
- Gesellschaft (society): This form of social structure revolves around individuals' rational self-interests and contractual relationships. Gesellschaft societies are characterized by impersonal, instrumental relationships based on economic exchange and individual goals. Examples include large urban areas and societies driven by individualism and economic pursuits.

3. Gerhard Lenski:
Lenski focused on the relationship between technology and social structure. He developed the concept of sociocultural evolution to explain how advancements in technology influence social organization:

- Hunting and gathering societies: These societies rely on simple technology and have a relatively egalitarian social structure.
- Horticultural and pastoral societies: With the development of agriculture, social structures become more complex. Social inequality emerges, and there is a division of labor.
- Agrarian societies: These societies rely on large-scale farming, resulting in further social stratification and specialization.
- Industrial societies: The advent of industrialization leads to even more complex social structures, with the emergence of factories, urbanization, and the division of labor based on skills and professions.
- Postindustrial societies: In these societies, technology and information play a central role, resulting in a more service-oriented economy, knowledge-based work, and greater individualism.

Despite their differences, these sociologists all sought to understand the structures and dynamics of different types of societies. Durkheim examined social solidarity, Tönnies focused on types of social relationships, and Lenski explored the impact of technology on social organization.

I hope this explanation helps you better grasp their ideas without getting caught up in complicated terminology.