WHAT

DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?

Soc Sci 6 | SY 2018 – 2019 | PSHS-MC
WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
█ Sociology: Scientific study of social behavior in
human groups
n Focus on:
q How relationships influence people’s attitudes and
behavior
q How societies develop and change
EDUCATION
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

The different sociological perspective tend to focus on

one of two different levels.
1. Theories of society (macro theories)
2. social psychological theories (micro theories)
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Structural Functionalism
Macro Theories
Conflict Theory

Micro Theories Symbolic Interaction

FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
█ Emphasizes that parts of a society are structured to
maintain its stability
– Talcott Parsons (1902 – 1972) key contributor
– Viewed society as vast network of connected parts,
each of which helps to maintain the system as a whole
FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
– Manifest Functions: institutions are open, stated,
conscious functions that involve intended, recognized,
consequences of an aspect of society

– Latent Functions: unconscious or unintended functions

that may reflect hidden purposes of an institution

– Dysfunctions: element or process of a society that may

actually disrupt the social system or disrupt its stability
refers to an element or process of a society that may actually dis-
rupt the social system or reduce its stability. Th
be
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Cows (zebu), considered sacred in India, wander freely through this city, fe
respected by all who encounter them. The sanctity of the cow is functional in di
India, where plowing, milking, and fertilizing are far more important to subsis- in
FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
“Socialization helps us learn society’s
rules and the need to cooperate, as
people end up generally agreeing on
important norms and values, while
social integration, or our ties to other
people and to social institutions such
as religion and the family, helps
socialize us and integrate us into
society and reinforce our respect for
its rules.”
FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
- weaken a society’s stability but do not reflect
fundamental faults in how the society is
structured.
- Solutions to social problems should take the
form of gradual social reform rather than sudden
and far-reaching change.
- Despite their negative effects, social problems
often also serve important functions for society.
 FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE
View of society Stable, well integrated
Level of analysis Macro
emphasized
Key concepts Manifest functions
Latent functions
Dysfunctions
View of the individual People are socialized to perform societal
functions
View of the social order Maintained through cooperation and
consensus
View of social change Predictable, reinforcing
Example Public punishments reinforce the social order
Proponents Emile Durkheim
Talcott Parsons
Robert Merton
 CONFLICT
PERSPECTIVE
• Social behavior is best
understood in terms of
tension between
groups over power or
the allocation of
resources, including
housing, money, access
to services, and
political
representation
• Ex. Marxist view,
Feminist view
CONFLICT
PERSPECTIVE
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
- arise from fundamental faults in the
structure of a society and both reflect and
reinforce inequalities based on social class,
race, gender, and other dimensions.
Successful solutions to social problems must
involve far-reaching change in the structure of
society.
 CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE
CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE
View of society Characterized by tension and struggle
between groups.
Level of analysis emphasized Macro
Key concepts Inequality
Capitalism
Stratification
View of the individual People are shaped by power, coercion, and
authority
View of the social order Maintained through force and coercion
View of social change Change takes place all the time and may have
positive consequence
Example Laws reinforce the positions of those in power
Proponents Karl Marx
W.E.B. Du Bois
Ida Wells-Bernett
SYMBOLIC-INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVES
SYMBOLIC-INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVES
George Herbert Mead American
Sociologist (1863-1931) is regarded
as the founder of the interactionist
perspective
Ø Symbolic interactionists view
symbols- things that we attach
meaning- as the basis of social life.
A symbol is something representing
something else:
Ø symbols range from words and
language to nonverbal gestures and
signs.
SYMBOLIC-INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVES

Ø According to symbolic interaction, people attach

meanings to each other’s words and actions
Ø Their actions and attitudes, are not determined by
some action in and of itself
Ø This understanding of the of the conditions in
which we find ourselves, known as the definition
of the situation
SYMBOLIC-INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVES
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
- arise from the interaction of individuals.
People who engage in socially
problematic behaviors often learn these
behaviors from other people. Individuals
also learn their perceptions of social
problems from other people.
 SYMBOLIC – INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE
View of society Active in influencing and affecting everyday social
interaction.
Level of analysis Micro, as a way of understanding the larger macro
emphasized phenomena
Key concepts Symbols
Nonverbal communication
Face-to-face interaction
View of the individual People manipulate symbols and create their social
worlds through interaction
View of the social order Maintained by shared understanding of everyday
behavior
View of social change Reflected in people’s social positions and their
communications with others.
Example People respect laws or disobey them based on their own
past experience
Proponents George Herbert Mead
Charles Horton Cooley
Erving Goffman
THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

█ Gain broadest understanding of society by drawing on all

major perspectives, noting where they overlap or where
they diverge

█ Each perspective offers unique insights into the same issue

█ A researcher’s work always will be guided by his or her
theoretical viewpoint
 FUNCTIONALIST CONFLICT INTERACTIONIST
View of society Stable, well integrated Characterized by tension Active in influencing and
and struggle between affecting everyday social
groups. interaction.
Level of analysis Macro Macro Micro, as a way of
emphasized understanding the larger
MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
Table 1-1 Comparing Major Theoretical Perspectives

Key concepts Manifest functions Inequality Symbols

macro phenomena

Latent functions Capitalism Nonverbal communication

Dysfunctions Stratification Face-to-face interaction

View of the individual People are socialized to People are shaped by People manipulate symbols
perform societal functions power, coercion, and and create their social
authority worlds through interaction

View of the social order Maintained through Maintained through force Maintained by shared
cooperation and consensus and coercion understanding of everyday
behavior
View of social change Predictable, reinforcing Change takes place all the Reflected in people’s social
time and may have positive positions and their
consequence communications with
others.
Example Public punishments Laws reinforce the positions People respect laws or
reinforce the social order of those in power disobey them based on
their own past experience
Proponents Emile Durkheim Karl Marx George Herbert Mead
Talcott Parsons W.E.B. Du Bois Charles Horton Cooley
Robert Merton Ida Wells-Bernett Erving Goffman
 THINK – PAIR -
SHARE

• Form a group of three and each one will take each

perspective as we look into the issue of
prostitution.