1.3 Modern Theoretical Approaches

Question 1

Symbolic Interactionism

Answer 1

A sociological approach developed by George Herbert Mead that emphasizes the role of symbols and language as core elements of all human interaction.

It focused on the detail of interpersonal interaction and how that detail is used to make sense of what others say and do.

We are always looking for context clues about appropriate behaviour and interpret what others are up to.

Symbolic thought frees us from being limited in our experience to what we can actually see, hear, or feel.

Question 2

Functionalism

Answer 2

A theoretical perspective based on the notion that social events can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform (The contributions they make to the continuity of a society.

Talbot Parsons and Robert K. Merton brought functionalism to prominence

Question 3

Thoughts of functionalists

Answer 3

They regard order and balance as the normal state of society, and the social equilibrium is grounded in a moral consensus of shared values among the members of society.

Question 4

Limitations of Functionalism

Answer 4

Functionalist thinkers like Talcott Parsons unduly stressed factors leading to social cohesion at the expense of those producing division and conflict.

Question 5

Conflict Theories

Answer 5

A sociological perspective that emphasizes the role of:

1. Political Power
2. Economic Power
3. Oppression as contributing to the existing social order.

Marxism and feminist theories are typically classified as conflict theories

• Social order is believed to be maintained by domination with power in the hands of those who possess the greatest political, economic, and social ressources.

Question 6

Power

Answer 6

The ability of individuals or the members of a group to achieve aims or further the interests they hold.

Power is a pervasive element in all human relationships.

Many conflicts in society are power struggles because how much power an individual or group can achieve governs how far it is able to put their wishes into practice.

Question 7

Ideology

Answer 7

Shared ideas or beliefs that serve to justify the interests of dominant groups.

Ideologies are found in all societies in which there are systematic and ingrained inequalities among groups.

Question 8

Ideologies and Power

Answer 8

The concept of ideology connects closely with that of power since ideological systems serve to legitimize the power that groups hold.

Question 9

Feminist Theory

Answer 9

A sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the uniqueness of the experience of women.

There are many strands of feminist theory, but they all share the desire to explain gender inequality in society and work to overcome it.

Question 10

Feminism

Answer 10

Advocacy of the rights of women to be equal with men in all spheres of life.

Feminism dates from the late eighteenth century in Europe, and feminist movements exist in most countries today.

Like Marxism, feminism links sociological theory and political reform.

Feminism highlights gender relations and gender inequality as important determinants of social life, and emphasize that gendered patterns and gendered inequalities are not natural but socially constructed

Question 11

3 Feminism Focuses

Answer 11

The intersection of:

1. Gender
2. Race
3. Class

Question 12

Rational Choice Theory

Answer 12

A theory that posits that if you could have only a single variable to explain society, self-interest would be the best one.

In criminology, rational choice analysis argues that deviant behaviour is a rational response to a specific social situation.

THIS CANNOT EXPLAIN EVERYTHING

Question 13

Postmodern Theory

Answer 13

Postmodernism is the belief that society is no longer governed by history or progress.

Postmodern society is highly pluralistic and diverse, with no “grand narrative” guiding its development. It is dominated by the new media, which “take us out” of our past, and everything seems constantly in flux.

Question 14

Jean Baudrillard ( 1929-2007)

Answer 14

Believed that electronic media created a chaotic, empty world.

He argued that meaning is created by the flow of images, as in TV programs, and that much of our world is now a make-believe universe in which we respond to media images rather than to real persons or places.

Question 15

Theoretical Thinking in Socioogy

Answer 15

Theoretical approaches are distinct from theories.

Theories are more narrowly focused and represent attempts to explain particular social conditions or types of events

Theories are usually formed during the research process and suggest other problems for subsequent research

Question 16

Scales of Theoretical Thinking

Answer 16

Sociologists do not share a unified position on whether theories should be specific, wide-ranging, or somewhere in between.

• Merton argued for middle-range theories, which are specific enough to be tested by empirical research, yet general enough to cover a range of phenomena.
• Other theoretical schemes, like those in the Marxist tradition, are grander in scale

Question 17

Diversity in Theoretical Thinking

Answer 17

Diversity in theoretical thinking provides a rich source of ideas for research and stimulates the imaginative capacities so essential to progress in sociological work

Question 18

Micro sociology

Answer 18

The study of human behaviour in the context of face-to-face interaction

• Micro studies are necessary for illuminating broad institutional patterns

Question 19

Macro sociology

Answer 19

The study of large-scale groups, organizations, or social systems.

• Marco analysis is essential for understanding the institutional background of daily life.