Theories of Sociology DIAGRAMMATIC BREAKDOWN OF SOCIOLOGICAL METHODS AND THEORIES LEVELS OF ANALYSIS MICRO (ACTION/AGENCY) MACRO (STRUCTURE)

man is a cultural Society creates man and RELATION dope that society man creates Society BETWEEN MAN creates (linear (reciprocal relationaship AND SOCIETY relationship between between man and society) man and society) TYPE OF ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY THEORIES

Non-scientific Qualitative Symbolic, Dramaturgy, Interactionism

Scientific Quantitative Conflict consensus, Marxism, Functionalism

Functionalism

According to functionalism the society is much like an organism. In the same way that the body has vital organs in order to survive, the society has vital institutions which maintain the social system. Every institution that arises therefore has its purpose and its function. As society goes and changes the nature of these institutions change. If there is a need to be filled because of this change society will develop new institutions to deal with the need that has arisen. Society can compared with a clock where all of the small parts function together to achieve the aim of demonstrating the time of day. Similarly when people pull together in society , they can achieve collectively the goals of that society. A main proponent of

functionalism was Emile Durkheim who proposed that society is held together by value consensus (shared thoughts and values that are collectively held). Value consensus ensured that all members of society were aware of the needs of that society. They were then made to believe that they needed to become part of the resource team which held fast to the values of society obeyed and promoted them. The result is the collective conscience. Like Comte, he hated social disorder and wished to explain society through the scientific method. In his book The Rules of Sociological Method Emile Durkheim argued that the specific task of sociology is to study what he called social facts (forces and structures outside and coercive of the individual). The nature of and changes in these social facts led to the scientific explanation of social phenomena. Durkheim differentiated between non-material ( eg. culture, social institutions) and material (eg. law) social facts, he stipulated that non-material social facts held earlier society together, however because of the complex nature of modern society and the decline in a strong collective conscience (Ritzer pg17), material social facts have become the glue that holds the society together (mechanic and organic solidarity). The collective conscience promoted social order. Talcott Parsons another functionalist added to Durkheims theory. Parsons main contribution was his concept of social equilibrium which is promoted by the functional pre-requisites. Social equilibrium is the stage at which society is in balance. All the needs of society is in balance. All the needs society have been met and every, member of society is adhering to the values of that society. The functional prerequisites are G (goal attainment) A (adaptation) I (integration) L (latency). Marxism

The Marxist ideology is based on the distinction of wealth and its effects on social structure. The theory is often referred to as historical materialism or the dialectic materialism. He argued that ideas are products of the material struggle for the existence of the economic base of the society. He believed that people were productive (in order to survive people need to work with and in nature). This is how they produce the food clothing etc, that they need to survive. Capitalism is the structure which erects barriers between the individual and the production process, which Marx referred to as alienation (Ritzer pg 27). Three main periods of change occurred in the way human society are organized. What distinguishes these periods(epochs) are the relations of production(the techniques used to generate the things we need to survive). Alienation occurs because capitalism has developed two main classes within the society: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The two classes have an antagonistic relationship based on ownership of the resources (mode of production). The bourgeoisie or the capitalist own the means of production, they use their power to create the values that are taught within society. These values are based on what is advantageous to the capitalist class. They therefore instill the proletariat a false class consciousness. This false class consciousness divides the proletariat( ensuring that they will not band together to become a threat to the bourgeoisie). In the Marxist theory the proletariat is exploited in various ways. These include: 1. They are alienated from each other through the apparent acquisitions of wealth and prestige. This fools many proletariat into thinking that they are not of the subject class but that they are closer to, if not part of the ruling class.

2. They are alienated from the goods and services which they manufacture 3. The proletariat is placed in such a constant state of poverty that they find it difficult to form organizations which will improve their social standing. Social Interactionism Human thought, experience and conduct are essentially social. They owe their nature to the fact that human beings interact in terms of symbols, most importantly language. A symbol does not simply stand for an object or event it defines them in a particular way and indicates a response to them. Symbols provide the means whereby humans can interact meaningfully with their natural and social environment. Humans both actively create the social environment and being shaped by it. Individuals initiate and direct their own action while at the same time being influenced by the attitudes and expectations of others. Herbert Blumer maintains that society must be seen as an ongoing process of interactions involving actors who are constantly adjusting to one another and continuously interpreting the situation. He accepts that action is to some degree structured and routinized. However, even if actions appear structured and standardized it should not be taken as an indication that actors are merely responding to external forces. Phenomenology Humans begin to organize that world around them into phenomena. Schultz argues that humans develop typifications that are shared by members of a society. Gradually a member of society builds up a stock of common-sense knowledge which is shared with other members of society and allows humans to live and communicate

together. This allows humans to partly understand each others situations.