theories

Question 1

features of structural theories

Answer 1

• macro sociological
• can be divided into consensus and conflict theories
• uses quantitative research methods

Question 2

features of action theories

Answer 2

• micro sociological
• believes we have free will and are social actors (make our own choices)
• uses qualitative research methods

Question 3

strengths of functionalism

Answer 3

• looks at society as a whole
• helps explain how social structures affect human behaviour
• explains social continuity (no revolutions or change)

Question 4

weaknesses of functionalism

Answer 4

• ignores the influence of individuals and how they shape society
• assumes everyone shares the same values
• ignore the possibility that the value consensus sustains the power of dominant groups therefore perpetuates social inequalities

Question 5

features of marxism

Answer 5

•structural theory- society is governed by the economy
•conflict theory- conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat
•proletariat suffer from alienation and false class consciousness- alienated from work and do not realise they’re being exploited
The means of production (materials needed to produce mass goods) are owned and controlled by the bourgeoisie
Infrastructure is economy and structures society needs to function such as shops, superstructure is the political and cultural parts of a society which promote capitalism
Marxism creates an illusion of Meritocracy (success being based off merit, not social class)

Question 6

strengths of marxism

Answer 6

•recognises inequality as a result of capitalism- globally the worlds 8 richest have the same amount of wealth as the bottom 50%
•looks at society as a structured whole recognise of the conflict and power interests between the bourgeoisie and proletariat 
•explains false class consciousness- working class people voting for tax cuts
Emphasises the importance of the economy unlike functionalism

Question 7

weaknesses of marxism

Answer 7

•Marx argued revolution was inevitable but it hasn’t happened
•ignores actions of individuals
•focuses solely on economy and ignores other social factors like gender and ethnicity
Functionalists criticise Marxism for over emphasising conflict where there must be harmony and shared values for social order to be possible

Question 8

features of feminism

Answer 8

•structural theory
•structure of society is based on the oppression of women by men
•4 branches- liberal, radical, marxist and black
Socialisation is the process of being taught the values, norms and roles of a culture. We are socialised to see males as workers and females as caregivers

Question 9

strengths of feminism

Answer 9

Provides a valid explanation for persistent gender inequality in society by explaining the structural basis for the power imbalance that exists within society such as the pay gap
•both academic theory and political movement
•many legal successes- equal pay act
•many branches- diverse theory

Question 10

weaknesses of feminism

Answer 10

Marxists would argue that it downplays other factors such as class, for example women from the bourgeoisie exploit both men and women from the proletariat
•overlooks exploitation of men
•too many branches

Question 11

features of symbolic interactionism

Answer 11

Explores the idea of ‘the looking glass self’. This means the way in which we form our sense of identity through interaction with others, defining ourselves by their reactions
Often in labelling the label can become the ‘master status’, taking over all other roles and identities a person has. People that interact only with the label and not the person this can then lead to a ‘self fulfilling’ prophecy if the person thinks that regardless of their behaviour they will be treated by the label
•microsociological action theory
•focus on role taking and significant others
•uses qualitative research methods- interested in meanings behind action

Question 12

strengths of symbolic interactionism

Answer 12

• gives insight into small scale human interactions
• highlights the relationship between the meaning of symbols and a persons behaviour
• sees humans as active creative participants who are not passive

Question 13

weaknesses of symbolic interactionism

Answer 13

• not enough emphasis on large scale social structures and their influence on behaviour
• subjective so difficult to quantify
• ignores how factors like gender affect behaviour

Question 14

features of weberism

Answer 14

Believes that someone’s social position is made up of more than just social class. Although Weber agreed with Marx on much of what he said about class, Weber also believed that party (a person’s political allegiances) and status (how someone is viewed socially in society) contribute to social position.
Protestant work ethic is the belief that Catholics could atone for their sins so were confident that they would go to heaven whereas protestants did not have the same levels of certainty and so had to work hard and hope they had done enough come the day of judgement.
Iron cage of bureaucracy is the fact that there is more people employed to figure out how to increase profit and put cuts in place than actual workers
•bridge between structural and action theories- structural aspects like class but also small scale interactions
•importance of verstehen (understanding)- why people act the way they do
distinguishes between class, status and party
•uses qualitative data

Question 15

strengths of weberism

Answer 15

• successfully combines aspects of structural and action theories
• recognises that we need to understand individual meanings to understand how societies change

Question 16

weaknesses of weberism

Answer 16

• doesn’t fully explain the role of structures in society and focuses too much on the role of the individual
• too much focus on structures influencing the individual