Sociological Perspective & Theorists

1. Sociological Perspective & Theorists A Breakdown of Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interactionism

2. The Sociological Perspective • Sociology is a science guided by the basic understanding that “the social matters: our lives are affected, not only by our individual characteristics, but by our place in the social world.” Sociology studies human society and social behavior.

3. The Sociological Perspective • It assumes a pattern, rather than individual actions, perspective. • Sociologists look for the multiple patterns in group behavior. • Individuals can benefit by using their sociological imaginations to look at events in their personal lives.

4. Sociological Imagination • Sociological Imagination is the ability to look beyond the individual as the cause for success/failure and see how one’s society influences the outcome… As well as an examines the relationship between…..

5. The Nature of Sociology • Perspective is a particular point of view. • We all see what's happening around us through our own perspectives – our own point of view. • What is unique about sociology? • Sociology has its own perspective – the sociological view of people at a social level.

6. The importance of patterns • Pattern: • In society you will inevitably find patterned relationships. • Peoples behavior within a group cannot be predicted from their personal characteristics. • Something new is created when individuals come together.

7. Why do people conform?

8. Acquiring the Sociological Imagination • The sociological perspective enables us to develop a sociological imagination. • Knowing how social forces affect our lives can prevent us from being prisoners of those forces. • C. Wright Mills called this personal use of sociology the sociological imagination – the ability of individuals to see the relationship between events in their personal lives and events in their society

9. What is gained by using our sociological imagination? • 1. It allows us to escape our personal perspective and cultural identity and see that the problems that people face is larger than social forces. • 2. Allows us to appreciate cultural differences which will increase our decision making abilities…… decrease in conformity. • 3. Increase our understanding of the effects of events on our daily lives.

10. European Origins • Sociology is a relatively new science. • Began in late 19th century Europe. • The social and economic effects of the Industrial Revolution and French Revolution fascinated and troubled some big thinkers of the time. • French Revolution – resulted in a division of classes that pushed for equal rights and displayed radical and revolutionary ideas. • Industrial Revolution – people moving from farms to factory life in the urban areas, losing a sense of community.

11. Auguste Comte • Frenchman who is recognized as the father of sociology. • As an adult, his main concern was the improvement of society. • He coined the term sociology to describe this science. • Wanted to use scientific observation to study social behavior and called this positivism. - Meant that sociology should be a science based knowledge of which can be positive, or for sure. • Also distinguished between social statics, which is the study of social stability and order, and social dynamics, which is the study of social change. • Positive Philosophy was Comte’s major published theories. His belief that sociology could use scientific procedures and promote social progress.

12. What were Harriet Martineau’s contributions? • An Englishwoman who was also important to the founding of sociology. • She was a pioneering feminist. • Society of America: • She saw a link between slavery and the oppression of women. • She believed that women’s lack of economic power helped keep them dependent.

13. Why did Herbert Spencer oppose social reform? • Was an Englishman whose career became a mixture of engineering, drafting, inventing, journalism and writing. • To explain social stability, he compared society to the human body. • Society is composed of parts working together to promote wellbeing. • Also introduced a theory of social change called Social Darwinism. • Based on Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution • Believed that evolutionary change led to progress if people did not interfere. • If left alone, natural selection would ensure the survival of the fittest society. • On these grounds, he opposed social reform because it interfered with the selection process.

14. Individual Choice vs. Social Forces • Solidarity– the level of connectedness a person feels to others in the environment • Social control—the social mechanisms that regulate a person’s actions And is studied using one of the three theoretical paradigms…..

15. What is theoretical perspective? • Perception is the way the brain interprets an image or event. • A theoretical perspective is a set of assumptions about an area of study. • Sociology has three overarching theoretical perspectives: • Functionalism • Conflict Theory • Symbolic Interactionism

16. Comparing the Theoretical Perspectives

17. Comte’s Social Laws • Comte suggested in order to know social laws of a society one must study social statics and social dynamics • Social statics are the existing structural elements of society • Social dynamics are the change in those elements of society

18. What is Functionalism? • According to functionalists, society is relatively stable, which means that things occur in society for a specific function and those functions help maintain stability. • Functionalism suggests that a society’s values and norms provide the foundation for the rules and laws that it creates. • These norms regulate the relationships between social institutions.

19. Manifest & Latent • Merton identified two types of functions: • Manifest functions are factors that lead to an excepted consequence or outcome. • Example: a manifest function of schools is to teach math. • Latent functions are factors that lead to an unforeseen or unexpected consequence. • Example: A latent function of schools is the development of close friendships.

20. Dysfunctions • Not all elements have positive consequences. • Elements that have negative consequences are called, Dysfunctions. • Example: Dysfunctions of bureaucracies include rigidity, inefficiency, and impersonality.

21. Functionalists, however, have differing views about how these structures cooperate with one another. • Some compare society to a living, breathing organism; others analyze the expected and unexpected outcomes of a social event; while still others wonder what exactly it is that holds a society together.

22. Conflict Theorist’s Worldview • Conflict theory is a theoretical framework that views society in a struggle for scarce resources. • Studies issues such as race, gender, social class, criminal justice, and international relations. • Two main concerns for conflict theorists are economic wealth and power.

23. Conflict Perspective • Conflict & Constraint: • Groups and societies compete as they attempt to preserve and promote their own special values and interests. • Power: • The ability to control the behavior of others.

25. Symbolic Interactionism • Symbolic Interactionism focuses on how communication influences the way people’s interactions with each other create the social world in which we live. • Symbolic Interactionists believe that the root of society comes from its symbols. • They suggest that the symbols we use are arbitrary, meaning that they vary from culture to culture.

26. Herbert Blumer • Established three basic premises that define the symbolic interactionist perspective: • Human beings behave toward things on the basis of the meanings they ascribe to those things. • The meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of the social interaction that one has with others and society. • These meanings are handled in and modified through an interpretive process used by the person in dealing with the things he or she encounters.

27. Erving Goffman • Goffman developed a theory called dramaturgy, a theory of interaction in which all life is like acting. • Goffman uses this theory to compare daily social interactions to the gestures of actors on a stage.

28. People are constantly “acting” in order to convince people of the character they wish to portray to the outside world. • Not to say that people are faking it, but rather that people are concerned about what the rest of the world will think of them and they adjust their social interactions accordingly.