The Sociological Perspective

Pablo

Escobedo

Chapter 1 Assignment
1301.002

Define the Following Terms:

Sociological Perspective:
Way of looking at a society with a more accepting attitude.
Society:
People who share a culture and a territory.
Sociology:
The systematic study of human social life, groups, and societies.
Positivism:
The term refers to the process of applying the scientific method to the
social world.
Proletariat:
Term used to describe an industrial worker in capitalist society.
Social Integration:
The mixing of a number of social groups, more specifically the movement
of certain minorities to mainstream society.
Scientific Method:
Systematic procedures used to gather empirical evidence in a logical
manner.
Class Conflict:
Used to describe tension, which might arise in result to conflicting
interests in a society.
Bourgeoisie:
Term used to describe the upper class of a society.

Discussion Questions:

1. 1.
Discuss Structural Functional Theory, who was the theorist and
how it relates to the study of humans and their culture.
2. Structural Functional Theory was developed by Emile Durkheim, this
theory argues that the effect on peoples behavior is determined by
changes in social forces. This means that if something in society begins
to malfunction it will cause other problems in the system. There has to
be order from all aspects of a society in order for it to functions
properly.
3. 2.
Discuss Conflict Theory, who was the theorist and how it relates
to the study of humans and their culture.
4. Theory coined by Karl Marx, which points out that the gap between the
upper class and the working class in a society will always cause a
conflict between the two. It explains that this is unfair because the
upper class use their power to exploit the groups with less power. It is
relevant to the study of humans due to its relevance in our current
capitalist society.
5.
6. 3.
Discuss Symbolic Theory, who was the theorist and how it relates
to the study of humans and their culture.
7. This theory is traced to Max Weber, it considers the very fact that as a
species we act according to our separate interpretations of the world.
Therefore the meanings we attach to certain things are seen a symbols
and cues to our enterprising of the world. These interpretations vary
across cultures and races and are definitely relevant to the study of
human understanding.
8. 4.
In your own words, how would you explain looking at something
or someone using the sociological perspective?

9. It is a way to look at something or someone with an open mind. We

usually make observations with a certain biases towards it, however
using the sociological perspective would mean to hold back from
making any unfounded judgements.
10.