Sociological Theories
Understanding society also requires an understanding of the different facets that influence its nature and dynamics. This is the reason why sociological theories are developed and considered part of extant literature on the study of societies: they help provide different dimensions from which society is understood and hopefully, social problems are improved. Three dominant theories in the field of sociology are functional, conflict, and symbolic interaction theories. Functionalist theory, or functionalism, posits that society is "made up of interrelated parts," wherein each part has a "function or role to play in keeping society running smoothly" (Renzetti & Curran, 2000:14). Conflict theory, meanwhile, looks at the dysfunction of each interrelated part in the society, determining how each contributes to the dysfunction of the society as a whole. Symbolic interactionism, meanwhile, focuses more on the "patterns" and "rules" that govern sociological phenomenon or action in the society (16). These theories help provide different perspectives to a phenomenon or reality in society, such as colleges in the United States, for example. From a functionalist perspective, colleges are crucial parts or systems in the society because it promotes and makes possible education for the society. However, from a conflict theory standpoint, colleges can be considered structures or systems through which only those with access to education continue to perpetuate the 'oppression' of the "have-nots" -- people who cannot afford a college education. Symbolic interactionism, meanwhile, looks at colleges as an important tradition and process in the American society, wherein people are expected to be educated and go through the process of entering and having a college education, towards the goal of becoming a productive and/or learned member of the society. Primarily, symbolic interactionism focuses on the tradition of continuing education, and education as a critical part of every person's being and identity in his/her society.
Reference
Renzetti, C. And D. Curran. (2000). Living Sociology. MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Sociological Theory: What Makes Democracy Work? When it comes to "Classical Sociological Theory" and "Contemporary Sociological Theory" there are numerous sociological theories that try to inspect and interpret why and how society purposes; looking at the influences such as mass media, education, the family and the church. All of these theories have their own ideas as to how these numerous establishments distress how should be and is -- some facets of
Sociological theories have helped widen people's scope on social behaviors and societies. In fact, the study of sociological theories makes one develop a comprehensive understanding of sociology's past, present and future. There are a number of sociological theories namely: symbolic interaction theory, conflict theory, functionalist theory, feminist theory, critical theory, labeling theory, social learning theory, and structural strain theory among others (Giddens, 1997). Government, religion, education, economics and family are some
Sociological Theory Sociology as a field of study entails examining and understanding the behavior of human groups and associated social behavior. In understanding these aspects, the sociologists have, their focus primarily concentrated on the human interactions. These human interactions revolve around how the different social relations influence the behavior and attitudes of the people and how the societies originate, form and change. Human interactions are vast, and so is the field
Sociological Theories Functionalism is usually defined as viewing society from the aspect of its different parts, and how those parts relate to each other and society as a whole. Many functionalists liken society to a biological form, such as the human body, with its different organs all working in conjunction to keep the body as a whole functioning. Each of the elements of the body has a "function- to maintain the
Sociological Theory The sociology of Max Weber (Question No. 1) Max Weber's sociology involved two important concepts: Protestant ethic and capitalism. Establishing a causal connection between this two concepts, Weber presented in his discourse, "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," how the Protestant ethic was the catalyst that propelled Western societies towards social progress through capitalism. This causal connection was developed through a string of observations and ideas that helped Weber
In addition, the views presented by sociologists concerning idealistic tradition is based on the significance of the concerned group that is sort to motivate, influence to belief and the subject of interest. In this regard, sociologists will not disassociate from the scientific data but will involve the subject of interest to attempt to understand the environment in its own context, showing how sociologists have subjective explanations and not objective
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now