THE SOCIOLOGICAL

PERSPECTIVE

THE SOCIOLOGICAL

PERSPECTIVE

DARWINDARWIN

SPENCERSPENCER DURKHEIMDURKHEIM WEBERWEBER

MARXMARX NIETZSCHENIETZSCHE

THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

1. DEFINITION OF SOCIOLOGY: THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF HUMAN SOCIETY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION

• WE LIVE IN GROUPS AND GROUPS AFFECT OUR LIVES

• THE FOCUS OF STUDY IS ON GROUPS RATHER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL

• USE SCIENTIFIC METHOD- BEYOND COMMONSENSE

2. SOCIOLOGY AS “DEBUNKING”

• LOOK BEHIND THE APPARENT - UNMASKING REALITY

• LOOKING FOR NEW INTERPRETATIONS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

3.STUDY OF “PATTERNED BEHAVIORS” THAT MEET OUR SOCIAL NEEDS:

• PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES- ECONOMIC SYSTEM• REGULATE SEX - THE FAMILY• PASS ON OUR WAY OF LIFE-EDUCATION• MAINTAIN ORDER- GOVERNMENT/LAW• GIVE MEANING TO LIVE - RELIGION

4. THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

• PERSONAL ISSUES SEEN IN SOCIAL CONTEXT

• SEE HOW SOCIAL STRUCTURES AFFECT OUR INDIVIDUAL LIVES

5. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY

• WE DEFINE WHAT IS REAL

• WHO HAS THE POWER TO DEFINE REALITY

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY

EMILE DURKHEIMEMILE DURKHEIM

KARL MARXKARL MARX MAX WEBERMAX WEBER

S lid e 4 o f 7

STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL THEORY

1. EXAMINES HOW SOCIAL STRUCTURES FUNCTION TO MEET SOCIAL NEEDS

2. ASKS THE QUESTION: “WHAT STRUCTURES EXIST, AND ARE THEY FUNCTIONING PROPERLY?”

ASSUMPTIONS

1. SOCIAL STRUCTURES COME BY CONSENSUS

2 SOCIETY LIKE ORGANISM WITH INTERACTING PARTS

3. STABILITY IS THE MAIN CRITERION

4. LATENT AND MANIFEST CONSEQUENCES

•SOCIAL STRUCTURES MAY BE DYSFUNCTIONAL

•SOCIAL STRUCTURES ADAPT TO CHANGING SOCIAL NEEDS

EVALUATION OF FUNCTIONALIST VIEW:• A STATIC AND CONSERVATIVE VIEW OF SOCIAL SYSTEMS• TENDS TO SUPPORT THE STATUS QUO

CONFLICT THEORY

1. GROUPS IN SOCIETY ARE IN CONSTANT STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL OF SCARCE RESOURCES

2. ASK THE QUESTION: “WHO BENEFITS?”

3. BASED ON MARX’S CLASS CONFLICT

4. INEQUALITIES ESTABLISHED BY THE DOMINATE CLASS

KARL MARXKARL MARX

5. SOCIAL CHANGE COMES THROUGH CONFLICT AND REVOLUTION

6. EVALUATION: TOO CRITICAL OF EXISTING SOCIAL STRUCTURES

DARWINDARWIN

SPENCERSPENCER DURKHEIMDURKHEIM WEBERWEBER

MARXMARX NIETZSCHENIETZSCHE

SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY

1. INTEREST IN THE SYMBOLIC MEANING PEOPLE GIVE TO INTERACTIONS

2. LOOK FOR THE SUBJECTIVE MEANING PEOPLE GIVE TO EVENTS

3. ASK THE QUESTION: “WHO IS DEFINING THE SITUATION?”

CHARLES H.COOLEYCHARLES H.COOLEY

HERBERT BLUMERHERBERT BLUMER

ERVING GOFFMANERVING GOFFMAN

GEORGE H. MEADGEORGE H. MEAD

4. ASSUMPTIONS

• BEHAVIOR, GESTURE AND WORDS CAN HAVE MULTIPLE INTERPRETATIONS

• MEANING IS CREATED THROUGH INTERACTION, DOES NOT EXIST IN THE ACT ITSELF

• MEANING RESULTS FROM THE “DEFINITION OF THE SITUATION”

THE END