Download Bellwork Example: PERSPECTIVE 1: SYMBOLIC INTERATIONISM

8/23/2012
Bellwork

Take out your ordinary object from home
Open Packet to page 27

Complete Sociological Imagination wkst

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
IN SOCIOLOGY
Symbolic Interactionism, Structural-Functionalist, &
Conflict Theory
Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

A theory is general statement about how some parts
of the world fit together/work.
Example:



Explains how 2 or more different facts are related.

Sociologists face 2 basic questions:

What issue should we study?
 How should we connect the facts?

FACT: More babies are born on Tuesday.
FACT: Cesarean-Section delivery is safer than it
used to be.
THEORY: More babies are being delivered by Csection, which is scheduled on the doctors most
convenient day, Tuesday.
Symbolic Interactionism


PERSPECTIVE 1:
SYMBOLIC INTERATIONISM

Framework for building theory that sees society as
the product of everyday individuals.
How we create our personalities from social
experience.
Symbols are the key to understanding how we view
the world & communicate with each other.
Symbols are the basis of social life
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Symbolic Interactionism

George Herbert Mead specified 3 Core Principles:

People act on the basis of their meaning.

Meaning is beyond the definition, it’s everything people
associate with a symbol (understanding)

Meaning is symbolic: In interaction we use language
and facial or bodily expressions to express meaning
Symbols and meanings allow us to...

Define relationships

Coordinate actions with others

Symbolic Interactionism

We learn meanings from social interaction. (interacting
with the outside world)


Language is the primary tool.
People try to interpret others to understand meaning

Meaning is subjective: 2 people, 1 symbol, maybe different
meaning

Meaning can be changed during interpretation.
In your notebooks… Create a chart
Theoretical
Perspective
Related
Sociologists
Symbolic
George
Interactionism Herbert
Mead
Level of
Analysis
?
Make social life possible because we use symbols to
understand people.
Image of Society
Core Questions
An ongoing process of
social interaction in
specific settings based on
symbolic communication;
individual perceptions of
reality are variable and
changing.
•How is society experienced?
•How do human beings
interact to create, maintain,
and change social patterns?
•How do individuals try to
shape the reality that others
perceive?
•How does individual
behavior change from one
situation to another?
Structural
Functionalist
Conflict
Bellwork
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Functionalism


PERSPECTIVE 2:
STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
Structure—How parts of society fit to make the whole
Function = beneficial consequences of peoples actions
that keep society stable

Dysfunction = consequences that undermine stability

Manifest = intended, latent = unintended

Functionalist study how functions change, how they
effect other structures and functions.
Society is made up of functional parts—like the
human body
Example
Structure: School

Functions to create citizens capable of surviving and
continuing the culture.

Manifest Functions: Teach basic knowledge, job skills,
routine, group work skills.

Latent Functions: Teaches social order, can reduces
creativity/independence
Complete Theoretical Perspective Chart
Related
Sociologists
Level of
Analysis
Symbolic
Interactionism
George
Herbert Mead
Structural
Functionalist
Robert
Merton;
Emile
Durkheim
Theoretical
Perspective
Image of Society
Core Questions
?
An ongoing process of social interaction
in specific settings based on symbolic
communication; individual perceptions
of reality are variable and changing.
•How is society experienced?
•How do human beings interact to create,
maintain, and change social patterns?
•How do individuals try to shape the reality
that others perceive?
•How does individual behavior change from
one situation to another?
?
A system of interrelated
parts that is relatively stable
because of widespread
agreement on what is morally
desirable; each part has a
particular function in society
as a whole.
•How is society integrated?
What are the major parts
of society?
•How are these parts
interrelated?
•What are the consequences
of each part for the overall
operation of society?
Conflict
PERSPECTIVE 3: CONFLICT THEORY

Society is composed of groups competing for scarce
resources
PERSPECTIVE 3:
CONFLICT THEORY
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Karl Marx




Example
Bourgeoisie: small group that owns means of production
Economics:
Proletariat: Masses of workers exploited by
Bourgeoisie.

Other Conflict Theorists have expanded it into any
power relationship

Changes in society are often connected to changes in
power relationship

Business owners exploit workers by paying the
lowest amount,
Unions use their numbers to gain equal footing with
employers.
Firms move overseas for cheap labor
Complete Theoretical Perspective Chart
Related
Sociologists
Level of
Analysis
Symbolic
Interactionism
George
Herbert Mead
?
An ongoing process of social
interaction in specific settings based
on symbolic communication; individual
perceptions of reality are variable
and changing.
•How is society experienced?
•How do human beings interact to create,
maintain, and change social patterns?
•How do individuals try to shape the reality
that others perceive?
•How does individual behavior change from
one situation to another?
Structural
Functionalist
Robert Merton;
Emile Durkheim
?
A system of interrelated parts that is
relatively stable because of widespread
agreement on what is morally desirable;
each part has a particular function in
society as a whole.
•How is society integrated? What are the
major parts of society?
•How are these parts interrelated?
•What are the consequences of each part for
the overall operation of society?
Conflict
Karl
Marx
?
A system based on social
inequality; each part of
society benefits some
categories of people more
than others; social inequality
leads to conflict which, in
turn, leads to social change.
•How is society divided?
•What are the major
patterns of social inequality?
•How do some categories of
people try to protect their
privileges?
•How do other categories of
people challenge the status
quo?
Theoretical
Perspective
Image of Society
Core Questions
Level of Analysis
Symbolic Interactionism is micro-level or
microsociological analysis


Conflict and Functionalism are macro-level (or
macrosociological).



“small-picture” human interaction
Study the “big picture.”
All 3 perspectives are useful in analysis.
Complete Theoretical Perspective Chart
Related
Sociologists
Level of
Analysis
Symbolic
Interactionism
George
Herbert
Mead
Micro
An ongoing process of social
interaction in specific settings
based on symbolic
communication; individual
perceptions of reality are
variable and changing.
•How is society experienced?
•How do human beings interact to create,
maintain, and change social patterns?
•How do individuals try to shape the
reality that others perceive?
•How does individual behavior change
from one situation to another?
Structural
Functionalist
Robert
Merton;
Emile
Durkheim
Macro
A system of interrelated parts that is
relatively stable because of
widespread agreement on what is
morally desirable; each part has a
particular function in society as a
whole.
•How is society integrated? What are the
major parts of society?
•How are these parts interrelated?
•What are the consequences of each
part for the overall operation of society?
Conflict
Karl Marx
Macro
A system based on social
inequality; each part of society
benefits some categories of
people more than others; social
inequality leads to conflict
which, in turn, leads to social
change.
•How is society divided?
•What are the major patterns of
social inequality?
•How do some categories of
people try to protect their
privileges?
•How do other categories of
people challenge the status quo?
Theoretical
Perspective
Image of Society
Core Questions
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Trends shaping future sociology

Reform or Value Free???

1st, sociologists were concerned with making the world a better
place

2nd, they tried to gain status as a respected field of knowledge,
so emphasized basic or pure sociology

3rd (current trend) is toward applied sociology—combine
knowledge and practical uses.

Never a consensus on which of the above approaches is better.
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