Sociological Theories

Question 1

Symbolic Interactionism? Features

Answer 1

• adopts a micro sociological approach to explain human society.
• focuses on how individuals help to shape the social world
• they live in through their interactions, to help create a world of shared social meaning.
• significant others help individuals develop sense of who they are.
• people who interact with them often, especially within the family which symbolic interactionism sees as a social group.

Question 2

Marxism? Strengths

Answer 2

• can account for the continued inequality that exists in capitalist societies.
• explains the nature of the power imbalance inherent in our class system, marxism shows how distribution of wealth is a direct result of the nature of our society.
• social inequality can only be overcome by changing the system, which means a redistribution if power and wealth

Question 3

Feminism? Strengths

Answer 3

• provides a valid explanation of persistent gender inequality in society
• explains the structural basis for the power imbalance that exists in society e.g gender pay gap.

Question 4

Feminism? Weaknesses

Answer 4

-marxist argue that by focusing on gender inequality, feminists downplay other factors such as class e.g women from the bourgeoisie exploit men and women from the proletariat.