Chapter 2 - Understanding Theory Flashcards
What is a theory?
- A statement of how and why specific facts are related
- Job of sociological theory
- To explain social behavior in the real world
- Sociologists conduct research to test and refine their theories
Sociological Theories
- Functionalism
- Conflict
- Feminism
- Symbolic Interactionism
- Dramaturgy
Theoretical perspectives
Groups of theories that share much in common
Structural functionalism.
Social Institutions
- Structural functionalism is a macroscopic level theory. It focuses on social structures and society, not the actions of individuals.
- The seven primary social institutions
- Social institutions construct stability and order
- The view of modern societies as consisting of interdependent parts working together for the good of the whole
- Social solidarity is the moral order of society and is necessary for society to function properly.
- The structural functionalist perspective believes that both social harmony and social order are important. Modern societies consist of interrelated parts, and they need to work together in a harmonious and orderly fashion in order for society to function properly.
- Individuals work for the larger society’s interests, rather than their own, because of social solidarity, or the moral order of society. Families, religion, education, and other institutions teach individuals to help society function smoothly.
- Sociologists who use this theoretical perspective tend to focus on social harmony and social order. They often overlook issues such as conflict and inequality. Instead, structural functionalists emphasize the role of the major social institutions and how they help provide stability to society.
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Understanding the Structural Functionalist Perspective
Durkheim and Types of Societies:
- Mechanical solidarity was found in simpler societies. The similarity of its members created social order and cohesion.
- Organic solidarity is what defines more complex and current societies. People can specialize in the tasks they perform, and we rely on other people to perform those tasks. What would happen if teachers stopped teaching? Or garbage collectors stopped picking up the trash? How long before problems would arise, causing other societal problems?
Social Institutions
- Sets of statuses and roles
- One aspect of society
- Work together, form social structures
Seeing the Social World Using Structural Functionalism
- Social institutions work together to socialize members of society into following the same norms and values. This helps build social harmony and social order.
- Punishment is necessary according to this perspective to correct problematic behavior and prevent others from engaging in similar actions.
- In order to maintain social harmony and order, the structural functionalist perspective argues that social change should be slow and gradual. Change that is too rapid can cause problems and unintended consequences.
Émile Durkheim
Writing in the early 1900s, examined social solidarity throughout history.
Social Institutions
Sets of statuses and roles focused around one central aspect of society (think of social institutions as similar to the different organ systems in a human body). A status is the position a person occupies in a particular institution.
Macro-Level Analysis
When sociologists examine large-scale social processes, like institutions
Seven primary social institutions
Structural functionalists note that there are seven primary social institutions: family, religion, economy, education, government, health care, and media.
Institution: Manifest Functions
The obvious stated reasons that a social institution exists
Institutions: Latent Functions
Good or useful things that a social institution does but are not the institution’s reason for existing.
Latent functions almost always link to a second social institution and connections between one social institution and another build the social harmony structural functionalists see when they look at society.
Dysfunctions
Behavioral patterns that have unintended negative consequences,
Social change: Structural Functionalism
Because they see harmony deriving from the stable functioning of institutions and cooperation among them, are not sure that social change is necessarily a good thing. Change in one institution rips apart the social harmony and equilibrium between it and the other institutions and requires a long time for the other social institutions to “catch up” and to reestablish social equilibrium.
Should be done very slowly so as not to upset the equilibrium
Conflict Perspective
Macro-theoretical perspective
Instead of seeing society as groups of institutions working together for the good of the whole, conflict theorists believe that society is composed of groups competing for power.
Karl Marx
Expanding upon Marx’s analysis, conflict theorists recognize many ways in which social rewards are unequally distributed
Talk about the haves—those individuals and social institutions that gain access to more of society’s scarce rewards—and the have-nots—those unable to get even their fair share of social rewards because of their category membership.
Conflict theorists notice patterns of inequitable distribution of resources and rewards.
Believe that social change to alleviate social injustice should be done rapidly.
Can overlook moments when society is going along fairly well. By concerning itself primarily with injustices and oppression, conflict can overlook times of societal harmony and equilibrium.
Do not always acknowledge how disruptive and harmful change can be—for the have-nots as well as the haves.
Karl Marx
Founder of the conflict perspective believed that there were ten stages of societal development, but he was most concerned with the last three stages.
All of these stages of social change are economic ones, and Marx is often called an economic determinist. The social institution that was the base of the society, for him, was always the economy.
- Bourgeoisie: The bourgeoisie are the wealthy and own the technical and materials needed to make good. They employ, and exploit, the proletariat, who are the workers.
- Proletariat: Workers
- Lumpenproletariat: Chronically unemployed
Conflict Perspective: Stage 8
Marx held that advanced capitalism is an economic system based on the pursuit of maximum profit.
Capitalism divides people into two major categories and a third, smaller group.
- The bourgeoisie - the rich owners of the means of production (the technology and materials needed to produce products, such as factories)
- The proletariat - the poor workers (in the factories, etc.).
- The Lumpenproletariat - the perpetually unemployed
False Consciousness
Collectively and individually did not understand that they and the owners had different self-interests. They were, he argued, misled to believe that what was good for the owner also benefited them. They believed that, if they just worked hard every day, they too might become members of the bourgeoisie.
Alienation
Proletariat are prevented from living up to their species being by the very nature of the capitalist exploitation they endured. They lived in a state of alienation that left them laboring for others and separated from what they created.
Karl Marx and Socialism
Marx predicted that when the proletarian revolution began, society would move from the eighth stage of societal development, advanced capitalism, into the ninth stage, socialism.
In socialism, children would be off the factory floors and sent to free public schools while able-bodied adults would work.
The state would take over the means of production from the bourgeoisie through imposing a heavy progressive income tax on all adult citizens. This tax would economically hurt only the bourgeoisie (although many in that group were expected to die in the revolution). A proletariat worker, with almost no income, would not have to pay much.
New inheritance laws would ensure that rich families would no longer be able to pass money, property, and other expensive goods down to the next generation of their families.
After a bourgeoisie died, the socialist government would “inherit” the rest of their money and goods and redistribute it to the citizens.
Conflict Perspective: Stage 9
socialism.
In socialism, children would be off the factory floors and sent to free public schools while able-bodied adults would work.
The state would take over the means of production from the bourgeoisie through imposing a heavy progressive income tax on all adult citizens. This tax would economically hurt only the bourgeoisie (although many in that group were expected to die in the revolution). A proletariat worker, with almost no income, would not have to pay much.
New inheritance laws would ensure that rich families would no longer be able to pass money, property, and other expensive goods down to the next generation of their families.
After a bourgeoisie died, the socialist government would “inherit” the rest of their money and goods and redistribute it to the citizens.
Conflict Perspective: Stage 10
Communism.
Marx believed that after a few generations of socialism as an economic system, some of the key social institutions, such as the political and economic systems, would no longer be needed and would disappear. Under communism, all citizens would be equal and, at long last, able to fulfill their species-being. Each person could contemplate and then go create. There would be no social classes under communism because every person would make the same wage for work done.
Never accomplished.
Social Conflict approach
Sees society as arena of inequality that generates conflict and change
Theories under the Umbrella of the Conflict Perspective
Feminist conflict theorists argue that men as a category of people have greater access to social rewards than women.
Critical race theorists focus on the social construction of race and the White-dominated racial hierarchy
Build on Marx’s insight that some individuals and groups have more resources and rewards than others do and that this is unjust.
