THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

THEORECTICAL PERSPECTIVES

• FUNCTIONALISM– The viewpoint that emphasizes the smooth

functioning of society• CONFLICT THEORY– Looks at problems caused by groups that oppose

each other• SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM– Looks at interactions based on shared symbols

COMPARING THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

FUNCTIONALIST CONFLICT SYMBOLIC INTERACTION

EMPHASIS ON… ORDER AND STABLITY CONFLICT OVER SCARCE RESOURCES

SHARED MEANING OF SYMBOLS

SOCIETY IS VIEWED AS…

A SYSTEM OF INTERRELATED PARTS

DOMINANT AND SUBORDINATE GROUPS IN CONFLICT OVER SCARCE AND VALUED RESOURCES

A SERIES OF INTERACTIONS DEPENDANT ON SHARED SYMBOLS

KEY QUESTIONS IS… HOW DOES A PART CONTRIBUTE TO OVERALL FUNCTIONING OF A SOCIETY?

WHO BENEFITS FROM A PATTERN OR SOCIAL ARRANGEMENT, AND AT WHOSE EXPENSE?

HOW ARE SYMBOLIC MEANINGS CREATED?

MAJOR CRITICISMS IT DEFENDS EXISTING SOCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

IT EXAGGERATES TENSION AND DIVISIONS IN SOCIETY

IT OFFERS NO SYSTEMATIC EXPLANATION FOR HOW MEANINGS PERSIST OR CHANGE

HOW DO THE PERSPECTIVES VIEW SOCIETY?

THE BIG PICTURE• Functionalist and conflict

perspectives take a macro approach – they look at social institutions and processes by examining whole societies, large-scale structures and social systems

THE SMALLER PICTURE• Symbolic interactionism is

more likely to study small groups and group dynamics

Sociology looks at the Internet

• Turn to page 28-29.• Divide class into 3 groups and determine

merits of assigned perspective. • Each perspective present findings to class.

Which approach would you take to study the following cases or events? Why?

1. Changes in family values– Functionalism – focuses on how a change in 1 part of

society affects changes in other parts

2. Increasing economic inequalities– Conflict – these problems focus on tensions in society

3. Work styles in Japan– Symbolic interactionists – look at how groups and

people in groups related and respond to one another

4. Drug use in inner cities– Conflict – these problems focus on tensions in society