Theory And Methods

Question 1

Structuralism - Functionalist Perspective

Answer 1

1) Durkheim - society maintains social order

2) Parsons - Functional Prerequisites
Basic needs for society to survive
(Perquisites - something that requires something else)

3) Merton - Dysfunction
Critiques Parsons - social systems can go wrong — creating pollution

4) NEW RIGHT - critiques functionalism, lose of self-reliance and traditional ideals

Methodology - Functionalists are Positivists (see Soc as science)

Question 2

Traditional Marxist and Neo-Marxist Perspectives

Answer 2

1) Marx
Involves the Superstructure
All institutions support the economic base and spreads DI

2) Althusser - 3 Levels of Capitalism
- The Economic Level - means of production
- The Political Level - keep people in line
- The Ideological Level - ISA spreads dominant ideology

3) Gramsci - Hegemony (Social Action)
Not everything relates to the economy!!
The concept of hegemony places more emphasis on ideology rather than the economy.

The Hegemonic Curtains:
Hall - policing the Crisis showed a hegemonic curtain that maintained a false class conciousness

Question 3

Feminism

Answer 3

1)Liberal - aim to win rights for women through legal and cultural change. Effects have seen the Equal Pay Act
- AO3 - BBC paid women less however

2)Radical - men are the enemy, solutions must be radical - separatism (Political Lesbianism)
AO3: fail to recognise happy heterosexual relationships

3) Marxism - woman’s oppression is due to capitalism, Housekeeping provides free domestic labour and satisfies the male worker (“Takers of Shit” - Ansley)

Question 4

Postmodernism

Answer 4

1) Decline of Meta-narratives
Can’t establish theories and all attempts are outdated

2) Hyper-Reality - media saturation contributes to globalisation, we can’t distinguish reality

3) Identity - no longer fixed by CAGES, we have freedom and Choice to create our identity

Question 5

Consensus vs Conflict

Answer 5

Looks at how social order is maintained
Consensus: social order is maintained through a value consensus and agreement
Conflict: social order is unstable and power is held by dominant groups

Conflict Theories;
- Marxism
- Feminism

Consensus Theories:
- Functionalism
- New Right

Question 6

Interactionism and Social Action Theories

Answer 6

1)Blumer - Symbolic Interactionism:
- People act in symbols which are:
Gestures, words and expressions
- roles are negotiated

2)Weber - Empathy/Verstahn:
- must understand subjective experience
- free will

3)Becker - Labelling Theory:

4)Goffman - The Presentation of the Self:
Life is a stage and we shape our identity in certain situations

Ethnomethodology:
Nothing has a fixed meaning and everything relies on context
E.G: Candle:
Used for birthdays, funerals, Romance

Question 7

Is sociology a science?
(Y = M+F - K - N = Int - Pop - Kh)

Answer 7

It is a Science:
1) Positivists: - Marx + Func
- Sociology should strive to be a science
- Comte - Observable actions
- if we could understand sociology scientifically, we can improve it

2) Kaplan - Why not eh?
- sociology is as scientific and unscientific as natural sciences.
- scientists can ignore data that doesn’t fit — breakthroughs are down to luck
(Penicillin)

Sociology is NOT a science:
1) Interpretivists
- meanings and motives must be taken into account

2) Popper:
- Principle of Falsification:
As long as it is not proved false, it can be accepted as true

3) Kuhn:
- Science operates within Paradigms so sociology can’t be seen as a science if science itself doesn’t fit what it is supposed to

Question 8

Value Freedom - can sociology be studied equally
(1 Is possible - positivists)
(2 Not Possible - assumptions + myth)
(3 whose side are we on)
(Relativism)

Answer 8

1) A Value Free Society:
- Positivists - Objectivity is possible so should influence policy

2) A Value Free Society is NOT possible:
- Sociologists follow academic training, which is a paradigm perspective
- Their assumptions, beliefs and preferences are all sources of values
Value Freedom is a Myth
Gouldner - Committed Sociology
Sociologists should make value judgements when they find injustice

3)Becker - Whose side are we on?
- we should aim to see perspectives from the Under-Dog - w/c / rather than the Over-Dog

.4) Relativism - Postmodernists:
- there is no objective truth — what u believe is truth for u

Question 9

Sociology and Social Policy

Answer 9

1) What impact has it had?
WPW:
- Universal Credit
- Minimum Wage
Education:
- Aim Higher
- Linear GCSEs
Crime:
- Zero Tolerance
- CCTV

HOWEVER; policy in education just lead to marketisation (benefit the m/c)

2) How far should sociology seek to influence social policy?
—————————————————
1) Functionalism - sociology should influence policy as it benefits society
E.G: Beveridge Report

2) Marxism - should not influence policy as they protect for capitalism (Fake Caring Face)

3) Feminism
- policy acts as a march in progress (liberal)
- policies are not enough to tackle patriarchy (radical)