5. Its all how you look at it
Sociologists can approach the study of human
society in different ways
– Macro view- “big picture”- large social phenomena
• Social institutions and inequalities
– Micro view- zeroing in on immediate social
situations in which people interact with one another
From these 2 views, Sociologists have
developed various theoretical perspectives- a
set of general assumptions about the nature
of society
6. Functionalist Perspective-
Focus on social order
Each part of society- the family, the school,
the economy, the state-performs certain
functions for the society as a whole
All parts are interdependent
– Family depends on school to educate children
– School depends on the family and state to provide
financial support
– State depends on family and school to help
children grow to be good citizens, pay taxes, etc.
If something disrupts this social order, its
parts will adjust to produce new stability
7. social order
What holds the society together? Social
consensus- most members of a society agree
on what would be good for everybody and
cooperate to achieve it
Mechanical solidarity-type of social cohesion
that develops when people do similar work
and have similar beliefs and values
Organic solidarity- social cohesion that arises
when the people perform specialized jobs and
therefore depend on one another
8. Conflict Perspective- Focus of
Social Conflict
Portrays society as always changing and
always marked by conflict
Society is made up of conflicting groups
– Women and men
– Blacks and whites
– Religious groups
The more powerful groups gain more than the
less powerful, but the former continues to
seek more wealth and power
9. Feminist Theory
A form of conflict theory that explain human
life in terms of the experience of women
Difference in interests-caring, nurturing,
gentle
Unequal social situations-less power,
freedom, respect
Women are oppressed-restrained, controlled
by male dominant society
– PATRIARCHY
10. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective:
Focus on Social Interactions
Directs our attention to the details of a
specific situation and the interaction between
individuals and situations
Society is composed of individuals whose
actions depend on interpreting each other’s
behavior
Social order is maintained through constant
negotiations between individuals
