THE SOCIAL SCIENCE IDEAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN

EXAMINING SOCIO-CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL

CONDITIONS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Sociologists investigate social phenomena at various levels and from different points
of view. From solid translations to clearing speculations of society and social conduct.
This lesson will explain how the major Social Science theories applied in the study of
society. Also, you will determine the importance of the major Social Science theories in
examining socio-cultural, economic, and political conditions.

THE APPLICATION AND IMPORTANCE OF THE MAJOR SOCIAL THEORIES

Sociologists utilize three major theoretical perspectives namely: (1) Structural-

functionalism; (2) Marxism, and (3) Symbolic Interactionism. These perspectives offer
sociologists theoretical models for clarifying how society impacts individuals or vice versa.
Every perspective remarkably conceptualizes society, social actors, and human conducts.

STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM

The Structural-functionalist perspective of society is a structure with interrelated parts

intended to meet the gradual and social needs of the people in the society. Hebert Spencer
(1820–1903) claimed that various parts must work together to keep society functioning.

● Socio-cultural - Sociologies look at the earlier people “social realities” these are
the laws, ethics, values, strict convictions, customs, designs, ceremonies, and the
entirety of the social principles that oversee public activity.
Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) assumed that society was composed of interdependent
and interconnected parts that were put together to keep instability. Functionalists seek
consensus and order in society while dysfunction creates social problems that lead to
social change
● Economic - The functionalist perspective of economics assumes that the continued
progress of the economy is important to the nation, as it guarantees the circulation of
goods and services.
However, a dysfunction might happen when some institutions fail to adapt quickly
enough to fluctuating social conditions. Normally, the marketplace goes into
segments of a shortage of products and services that will increase prices that may lead
to inflation, wherein you can buy less with your money.
● Political - According to functionalism, the government has four main purposes:
(1) planning and directing society; (2) meeting social needs; (3) maintaining law
and order; and (4) managing international relations. Functionalism viewed
government as a system to impose norms and control
 Conflict.

MARXISM

Marxism or conflict theory of Karl Marx (1818–1883), who considered society to

consist of two classes: (1) the bourgeoisie or the capitalist who owns the production, and (2)
the proletariat or the working class. The people’s state of inequality was influenced by class
stratification, social immobility, and representation of the powerful elite. Karl Marx believed
that conflict and struggle between groups happen to attain wealth and power which was
inevitable in a capitalist society.
● Socio-Cultural - Conflict theorists understand the social structure as inherently
unequal resulting from the differences in power based on age, class, education,
gender, income, race, sexuality, and other social factors. Culture reinforces issues of
"privilege” groups and their status in social categories. It focuses on the social
inequalities and power difference within a group.
● Economic - Marxism concentrated on the mode of production and relations of
production. The bourgeoisie possesses and controls the means for production,
which prompts misuse because of the benefit intention. In this course of action,
proletarians have just their work to sell and don't claim or control capital.
● Political - Marx’s concepts, coining the phrase power elite to describe what he
saw as the small group of powerful people who control much of society. He
believed the power elite used the government to develop social policies that allow
them to keep their wealth.

SYMBOLIC-INTERACTIONISM

Symbolic Interactionism is a smaller scale level theory that focuses on the studied
human interactions within a society or human communication through the exchange of
language, symbols, and meaning. Humans interact based on the meanings attributed to those
interactions. The recognized meaning comes from our interactions with others and society.
George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) was considered as the founding father of symbolic
interactionism.
● Socio-cultural - Social scientists apply symbolic interactionism thinking search
for examples of communication between people and examine the perception of
one-on-one connections. Symbolic interactions would be increasingly intrigued by
how people in the fighting gather connect, just as the signs and images of
conformists use to convey their message and to arrange and in this way create
shared implications. Symbolic interactionism examines communication pattern,
interpretation, and adjustment among an individual’s relative to the meanings of
symbols emphasizes individual’s verbal and nonverbal responses, symbols,
negotiated meaning, and its construct in the society. Role-taking is an important
mechanism determined in which a person can appreciate others perspectives to
understand well the meaning of a certain action. In social contexts, the ambiguity
of roles dwells the difficulty of role-making on a person in a certain situation.
Ethnomethodology, a branch of symbolic interactionism that studies how
human interactions can make the impression of collective social order in spite of
the absence of common understanding and the existence of opposing
perspectives.
● Economic - Symbolic interactionism idea interrelated to work and economy is
called career inheritance. The meaning of this concept is that a child has the same
job as their parents.
 ● Political - Symbolic interactionism relates to government emphasis on images,
symbols, or individuals that signify authority and power.

Learning Competencies
Apply the Social Science Ideas and Its Importance in Examining Socio-Cultural,
Economic, and Political Conditions