Structuralism

Question 1

What is structuralism concerned with?

Answer 1

The overall structure of society and the way social institutions like the family act as a constraint on or limit and control individual behaviour

Question 2

What are the two main varieties of structuralism?

Answer 2

Functionalism

Marxism

Question 3

What is the behaviour of individuals, the way they act and the formation of there Identities seen as?

Answer 3

Being a result of social forces which are external to the individual

Question 4

Individuals are mounded, shaped, and constrained by what?

Answer 4

Society through socialisation, postive and negative sanctions and materials sources resources like income and job

Question 5

An example of an individual being moulded and shaped?

Answer 5

Instittuions like the family, the education system, the media, the law and the workplace moguls us into our identities

Question 6

According to structuralism the individual is what?

Answer 6

Like a puppet, whose strings are pulled by society. We might see people almost jelly like; poured into a ‘social mould’ to set

Question 7

What is the main purpose of sociology?

Answer 7

To study the overall structure of society, the social institutions which make up this structure, and the relationship between these social institutions such as the links between workplace and the economy, the economy and the political system and so on

Question 8

The focus of sociology is on ?

Answer 8

The study of social institution and the social structure as a whole, not on the individual. Sometimes referred to as macro approach