Transcript Ch1Sec3 Sociology

CH1SEC3 SOCIOLOGY
Theoretical Perspectives
The Role of Theoretical Perspectives

Perception – the way
you interpret the
meaning of an image or
event
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Depends on beliefs,
values, what you focus on
Sociolological
theoretical perspective
– set of assumptions
about the workings of
society
Major Sociological Perspectives

Each perspective has a
different slant on human social
behavior
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I. Functionalism
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II. Conflict Perspective
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Views society as an integrated
whole
Emphasizes competition,
change, & constraint
Class, race, and gender
struggles
III. Symbolic Interactionism

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Focus more on the way people
interact with each other
How individual use shared
symbols as they interact
TURN TO PG 27 AND COPY THE CHART
Auguste Comte
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Positivism – scientific
observation in study of
social behavior
Social statics –
stability & order
Social dynamicssocial change
Functionalism
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Contributions made by each part of society-how
they work together
 Ex)
family, economy, religion parts of society
 Family
–provides for reproduction & care for members of
society
 Economy- production of goods and services for society
 Religion – beliefs and practices related to sacred things of
society
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Change in one part affects another part of society
 Ex)
Industrial Revolution affected family life
Functionalism
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Function - contribution made by some part of society
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Manifest functions – intended and recognized
consequences of an aspect of society

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Latent functions- unintended and unrecognized
consequences of an aspect of society

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Ex)school-development of close friendships
Dysfunction- negative consequence of an aspect of
society

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Ex)school-teach math skills
Ex)being treated as a “number” by bureaucratic government
agency
Give an example of each of these terms.
Functionalism
Each component
of society
affects each
other
Sociologists:
Herbert Spencer
Emile Durkheim
Emile Durkheim
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Society exists because of
broad consensus
Mechanical solidarityPreindustrial society
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Widespread consensus of
values & beliefs,
conformity, tradition, family
Organic solidarityIndustrial society
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Social interdependency,
specialized roles,
dependent on one another
Conflict Perspective
Conflict Perspective
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Reverse of functionalism
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Disagreements among groups
in society and between
societies (competition)
Contest for power (ability to
control others)

Those with most power get the
largest share of what is
valuable in a society (wealth,
prestige, privilege)

Some groups have more
power, some have less
Functionalism
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Basic agreement on
values within society
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Cooperation, common
goals
Karl Marx
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Concern for poverty, inequality,
working class
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Not just study world but change it
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Planned revolution could speed
up change from capitalism to
communism
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2 main social classes
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Bourgeoisie (capitalists)-those
who own the means for producing
wealth
Proletariat – work for
bourgeoisie, paid just enough to
stay alive
Class conflict – clash between 2
classes
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Wage workers overtake
capitalists – classless
(communistic) society
Felt capitalism would selfdestruct anyway
Which Perspective is Better?
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Neither!– different focus
 Functionalism
– consensus, stability, cooperation of a
population
 Conflict – constraint, conflict, change in a society
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Each deals with large social units
 Ex)
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Economy, broad social processes, conflict
Last perspective focuses on ways people interact
Max Weber
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Most important influence
Humans act on the basis
of their own
understanding of a
situation
Sociologists must
discover personal
meanings, values, beliefs,
attitudes
 Verstehen – understand
behavior by putting self
mentally in someone
else’s place
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Rationalization- use of
knowledge, reason,
planning
Symbolic Interactionism
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Focus on interaction among people
Symbol- represents something else
 Object,

word, gesture, facial expression, sound
Ex) American flag – symbol of US
 Meaning
is determined by those who create/use
symbol- must be understood by whole group
3 Basic Assumptions
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I. We learn meaning of symbols by others’ reactions
 Ex)
Latin America, whistling at end of performance is
bad, in North America, booing at end is bad
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II. We base our behavior on those meanings
 Ex)
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Avoid encore if you hear whistling in LA, booing NA
III. We use meanings of symbols to imagine how
others will respond to our behavior before we act
Dramaturgy – human interaction like theatrical
presentation (dress, gestures, tone of voice)
Guess Which Perspective
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Societies are in relative balance.
Power is one of the most important elements in life.
Religion helps hold a society together morally.
Symbols are crucial to social life.
Many elements of a society exist to benefit the
powerful.
Social life should be understood from the viewpoint
of the individuals involved.
Social change is constantly occurring