CHAPTER 3 REVIEWER

Three Primary Theoretical Perspectives by Sociologists:

•the functionalist perspective

•the conflict perspective

•the symbolic interactionist perspective.

•These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influences
people, and how people influence society.

•Each perspective uniquely conceptualizes society, social forces, and human behavior.

•Functionalist theory- introduced by The Dem Bones song.

Three Social Theories

1) Structural-functional theory

• Herbert Spencer, the proponent of structural-functional theory.

- Herbert Spencer views society as "a system of interconnected parts each with a unique function.
The parts have to work together for stability and balance of society."

• Society is like a human body where different parts need to work together.

• Society has different but interrelated components such as the family, the state, the school, the Church,
mass media, economics.

• Cybercrime Act of 2012- address issues on online transactions.

• The functionalist theory of education focuses on how education serves the need of society through the
development of skills and the Community, School Culture and Organizational Leadership encouraging
social cohesion.
Purposes of Schooling according to Functionalists

1) Intellectual purposes - acquisition of cognitive skills.

2) Political purposes - educate future citizens; promote patriotism, etc.

2. Conflict Theory

• there are always two opposing sides in a conflict situation.

• Conflict theory welcomes conflict for that is the way to the establishment of a new society.

How Proponents of Conflict Theory Regard Education

• According to the conflict theory, education is not truly a social benefit or opportunity as seen by the
functionalists.

• The purpose of education is to maintain social inequality and to preserve the power of those who
dominate society.

3. The Symbolic Interactionist Theory

Three tenets of symbolic interactionist theory:

1) An individual's action depends on meaning. We act based on the meaning we give to symbols.

2. Different people may give different meanings to the same thing.

3. Meanings change as individuals interact with one another.

Implications to Teaching

• Let us continue to teach for meaning.

• Let us use positive symbols in the form of gestures, words, actions, and appearances to express our
trust, belief in our students' abilities, an affirmation of their being.

Symbolic Interactionism

• the Symbolic interactionist perspective

• directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life.

• states that people interact with one another through symbols.

Weakness of Symbolic Interaction Theory

• Critics claim that symbolic interactionism neglects the macro level of social interpretation-the "big
picture."

• Symbolic interactionism traces its origins to Max Weber's assertion that individuals act according to
their interpretation of the meaning of their world

•American philosopher George H. Mead (1863-1931) who introduced this perspective to American
sociology in the 1920s.