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The 5 Major Sociological Theoretical Perspectives page 22-30 1.2 You will demonstrate an understanding of major sociological perspectives Introduction * Do not copy* Given the many ideas that influenced the development of sociology, how do contemporary sociologists view society? Some see society as a stable and ongoing entity Others view it as many groups in conflict for scarce resources Others describe it as based on everyday routine interactions among individuals Each view represents: A method of examining the same phenomenon/social issue Ex. suicide General ideas as to how social life is organized and Represents an effort to link specific observations in meaningful ways Ex. Why suicide occurs ? Introduction con’t Each view utilizes a theory – a set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain and occasionally predict social events Sociologists refer to this theoretical framework as a perspective – an overall approach/ viewpoint on some subject We will have a look at 5 theoretical perspectives that have emerged in sociology These will be referred to throughout the course Introduction con’t When sociologists analyze human behaviour or society, they use one of the theoretical perspectives as the basis for their analysis. They usually will not directly state what perspective they are using, but we can identify it by looking for clues in their description and analysis. Each perspective involves specific ideas and assumptions about society. As well, the words a sociologist uses and the topics he/she researches help us to identify the sociologist’s perspective. Functionalist influenced by Comte, Spencer, Durkheim Based on the assumption: that society is a stable and orderly system Majority of members of society share a common set of values, beliefs and behavioral expectations Society is composed of interrelated parts, each serve a function and contribute to the overall stability of society Every part of society exists and works because it serves a purpose of some kind in meeting some aspect of our basic needs. Ex. Family, education, government, religion, economy That purpose may not always be obvious at first glance, but if we look beneath the surface, we will find a very good reason why a society has adopted a particular pattern of behaviour or adopted a particular form of a social institution. Manifest Functions Intended /overtly recognized functions Ex. Education The intended purpose is to transmit knowledge and skills from one generation to the next Latent Functions Are hidden/unintended functions Ex. Education matchmaking – we learn to court - to meet your future spouse As previously stated - the purpose may not always be obvious at first glance, but if we look beneath the surface, we will find a very good reason why a society has adopted a particular pattern of behaviour or adopted a particular form of a social institution. Functionalist cont’d Society is like a well-oiled machine – each part performs its role and as a result the entire society “works” – it is by nature harmonious and productive. If anything adverse happens to one of the parts, all other parts are affected, the system no longer functions properly and creates strain Durkheim noted, rapid social change and more specialized division of labour = strain = breakdown in traditional institutions and may result in social problems such as increased rates of crime and suicide Any parts that may cause disorder or disrupt the smooth operation of a society will either be changed or eliminated over time. Applying Functionalist Perspective to Suicide Functionalists focus on importance of shared moral values and social bonds to society Disruptive social conditions may erode moral values, people may become uncertain how to act and suicide rates increase Example: Lithuania (social upheaval) and Japan (prolonged economic slump) Read page 23 to 24 Conflict Influenced by Simmel, Marx and Weber Groups in society are engaged in a continuous power struggle/clashes for control of scarce resources Tension and clashes amongst social groups and individuals are inevitable in every society. People who control the resources act to maintain this power; people who do not have access to these resources attempt to obtain it by taking it away from those who do. Conflict cont’d Inequality is a fundamental characteristic of society. Every society consists of individuals/groups who “have” and individuals/groups who “have not”. Major inequalities in power lie beneath the surface of the everyday events in our lives. Those in authority strive to maintain their power by creating social institutions that preserve their power and influence and prevent others from obtaining it. Applying Conflict Perspective to Suicide Social Class Canadian youth are confronted with a capitalist economy based on consumption and waste and the need to achieve high levels of success Some youth may feel that they do not have a future due to lack of education or employment opportunities Low family income, low education, unemployment and financial uncertainty are risk factors for youth suicide Applying Conflict Perspective to Suicide con’t Race Read page 26 Feminist Focuses on gender inequalities in modern society. We have traditionally lived in a male dominated (patriarchal) society. Men possess a greater share of economic and social privilege and power. The exploitation and subordination of women is widespread in our society. Focuses on women’s issues and perspectives on current social problems. Feminist cont’d Gender roles and the inequalities they create are a product of the society in which we live. They are not caused by nature (biology). Society teaches and reinforces established gender inequalities through the way in which we are raised and educated. Applying Feminist Perspective to Suicide North American females are more likely to attempt suicide Males are more likely to take their own lives Analyst using a feminist perspective would look at why women, more than men, are likely to attempt suicide – is it due to their sense of powerlessness in a male-dominated society? Read page 27 Side note … Conflict and Functionalist are criticized for focusing on macrolevel analysis – examining whole societies, large scale social structures Versus Symbolic Interactionist focus on day-to-day interactions and their behaviour in small groups/microlevel analysis Symbolic Interactionist According to this perspective, society is the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups Theorists using this perspective focus on the process of interactions and the part that symbols play in communication Key Terms: Interactions – communication between two or more people Symbols – anything meaningful that represents something else ex. Signs, gestures, written language, shared values Symbolic Interactionist cont’d Symbolic Interaction occurs when people communicate through the use of symbols Example Gift of food – cake or a casserole Facial expression – smile or a frown Gesture – hand sake or a clenched fist Tone of voice – stern, high pitched or whinny Symbolic Interactionist cont’d Symbols are instrumental in helping people derive meaning from social situations In social encounters, each person’s interpretation of a situation becomes a subjective reality from that persons viewpoint We often consider what we see to be reality is shared by everyone; but this is often incorrect (in the larger context of the world) EXAMPLE The horn fingers In Canada, “the horn fingers” is adopted by rockers and it is a sign of approval, rock on! Hook ’em Horns is the slogan and hand signal of the University of Texas at Austin. But in many Mediterranean and Latin countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Italy and Portugal, to make this sign at someone is to tell them that their spouse is cheating on them. How people interpret symbols, messages and situations becomes their subjective reality and may strongly influence their behaviour Simply put… Focus on daily face-to-face interactions with others and the roles they play in society we define particular situations according to our subjective reality Social learning shapes our thoughts and behaviours; it is important in how we define ourselves and our relationships to others! Applying Symbolic Interactionist Perspective to Suicide Focuses on various meanings that are attributed to the act of suicide There is a great variation across cultures Ex. Japan – suicide traditionally accepted, death is something to be welcomed Aboriginal communities – see page 29 Postmodern Reject previous theories - unsuccessful in explaining social life in contemporary societies (post industrial, consumerism and global communications) Post modern societies are characterized by: Information explosion- Many people work in occupations that either create information or provide it for others. Daily consumption of a wide variety of goods and services plays a significant role in our lives. We live in a “consumer society”. Global village - electronic technologies allow us to communicate with others in our society and around the world almost instantly. Post modern con’t These changes in postmodern technology and consumerism has significant influence in shaping our daily behaviour and society This theory is still emerging and it remains to be seen what influence it will have on sociology Applying Post Modern Perspective to Suicide Do information technologies bind people together, or create a world where people feel disconnected in the collective life and interpersonal relations? How may this influence rates of suicide? Are individuals and the media able to easily create fake and widespread realities and pseudo-explanations in the absence of real knowledge about events? Conclusion Each perspective involves different assumptions Leads us to view the world differently and ask different questions Summary Table is on page 30 Activity COMPLETE “Theoretical Perspective” Activity