CONCEPTS AND

PRINCIPLES OF
THE
SOCIAL SCIENCE
THEORIES
P R E S E N TAT I O N T I T L E M a y 2 1 , 2 0 X X
2
SOCIAL SCIENCE
THE MAJOR

THEORIES

Lesson 1
THE MAJOR SOCIAL

P R E S E N TAT I O N
SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
The social sciences are not only composed of
disciplines that showcase how it views and studies
3
every facet of society. The disciplines prove how

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social science is applicable and practical, meaning

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that the social sciences are things that you can use

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every day to understand reality much better. Without
the disciplines, the social sciences would not exist at
all.
P R E S E N TAT I O N T I T L E M AY 2 1 , 2 0 X X
4

Functionalism
MAJOR SOCIAL

THEORIES
SCIENCE
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
FUNCTIONALISM

T I T L E
5

According to Vincent, 2001, Functionalism, also called structural

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functional theory, sees society as a structure with interrelated

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parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of the
individuals in that society.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
FUNCTIONALISM

T I T L E
Functionalist sociologists like Parsons and Durkheim 6

have been concerned with the search for functions that

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2 1 ,
institutions may have in society. However, another

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functionalist sociologist R. Merton has adopted a
concept of dysfunction – this refers to the effects of any
institution which detracts from the conservation of
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
FUNCTIONALISM

T I T L E
An example of a function which helps maintain 7

society is that of the family, its function is to ensure

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the continuity of society by reproducing and

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socializing new members.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
FUNCTIONALISM

T I T L E
Another institution which performs an important function is religion
functionalist sociologists believe that it helps achieve social solidarity and 8

shared norms and values, however it could be argued that it fails to do this

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as a result of increasing secularization in recent years and therefore it

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creates a divide between members of society rather than binding them
together (moral glue).
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
CONCEPTS OF STRUCTURAL -
FUNCTIONALISM ACCORDING TO
QUEXBOOK, 2018
Concepts Description

T I T L E
Collective • Functionalists believe that without collective conscience/ shared values and beliefs,
Conscience and achieving social order is impossible and social order is crucial for the well-being of society.
Value Consensus
9

• They believe that value consensus forms the basic integrating principle in society. And if
members of society have shared values, they therefore also have similar identities, this helps

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cooperation and avoids conflict.

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• Value consensus also ensures that people have shared: Goals, Roles and Norms. Norms can

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be described as specific guidelines of appropriate behavior; for example, queuing when
buying things.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
CONCEPTS OF STRUCTURAL -
FUNCTIONALISM ACCORDING TO
QUEXBOOK, 2018
Concepts Description

T I T L E
Social Order • Functionalists believe that there are four main basic needs that an individual requires in
order to exist in society.
10
• They also believe that these four basic needs are essential for maintaining social order. They
are: food, shelter, money and clothing.

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 P R E S E N TAT I O N
CONCEPTS OF STRUCTURAL -
FUNCTIONALISM ACCORDING TO
QUEXBOOK, 2018
Concepts Description

T I T L E
Functionalism and • Durkheim believes that education transmits society’s norms and values. Education brings
Education together a mass and changes them into a united whole which leads to social solidarity.
11
• Parsons (1961) believes that education leads to universalistic values and that education
performs a link between family and the wider society which in turn leads to secondary

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socialization.

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• Education also allows people to train for their future roles in society. Schools instill the value

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of achievement and the value of equality of opportunity.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
CONCEPTS OF STRUCTURAL -
FUNCTIONALISM ACCORDING TO
QUEXBOOK, 2018
Concepts Description

T I T L E
• Education helps match people with jobs suited to them.

12
Functionalism and • George Peter Murdock believes that the family provides four vital functions for society:
Family sexual, reproductive, economic, and educational.

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• The family is the primary point of socialization in that it provides children with values and

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norms. Family also stabilizes adult personalities.

• A family unit provides emotional security for each person in the relationship.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
CONCEPTS OF STRUCTURAL -
FUNCTIONALISM ACCORDING TO
QUEXBOOK, 2018
Concepts Description

T I T L E
Functionalism and • reflecting the interests of the audience. It portrays public opinion.
Media
13
• The media understands that society has a wide diversity of culture and this is shown by the
different amounts of stories it covers.

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Functionalism and • Durkheim shows us that there is such a thing as society, and that it is this entity called

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Crime and society that creates crime and deviance.
Deviance
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
CONCEPTS OF STRUCTURAL -
FUNCTIONALISM ACCORDING TO
QUEXBOOK, 2018
Concepts Description

T I T L E
• that creates crime and deviance. Crime and deviance are socially constructed –they are not
natural, obvious, or theologically inspired categories.
14
• They are concepts that were brought into the world solely by humankind.

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• Moreover, Durkheim goes beyond this and shows us how socially constructed definitions of

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crime and deviance are linked into a wider social structure.
MARXISM
 MARXISM

P R E S E N TAT I O N
According to Quexbook, 2018, Marxism is a social, political, and economic
philosophy named after Karl Marx, which examines the effect of capitalism on

T I T L E
labor, productivity, and economic development and argues for a worker
revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism. Marxism posits that 16

the struggle between social classes, specifically between the bourgeoisie, or

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capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers, defines economic relations in a

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2 0 X X
capitalist economy and will inevitably lead to revolutionary communism
Concepts of Marxism

P R E S E N TAT I O N
Certain concepts are key to an understanding of Marxism, a political theory that has
shaped world politics for over 150 years. Key Marxist concepts are diametrically the opposite

T I T L E
to capitalism, and some believe have created a mentality of a society that is very much a ‘them
and us’ one. Marxism believes that capitalism can only thrive on the exploitation of the
17
working class. Marxism believes that there was a real contradiction between human nature and
the way that we must work in a capitalist society. Marxism has a dialectic approach to life in

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that everything has two sides. Marxism believes that capitalism is not only an economic

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system but is also a political system. The profit difference between what goods are sold for
and what they actually cost to make; Marxism refers to as a “surplus profit”.
 Concepts of Marxism

P R E S E N TAT I O N
Marxism believes that economic conflict produces class (rich, middle and
poor) and inherently class produces conflict.

T I T L E
A Marxist analysis called ‘Polarization of the Classes’ describes the
historical process of the class structure becoming increasingly polarized –
18
pushed to two ends with noting in the middle. It says that soon classes will

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disappear and be absorbed either into the bourgeoisie or the proletariat.

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Capitalism largely shapes the educational system; without the education

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system the economy would become a massive failure as without education we
are without jobs and employment which is what keeps society moving.
 Concepts of Marxism

P R E S E N TAT I O N
Education helps to maintain the bourgeoisie and the proletariat so that
there can workers producing goods and services and others benefiting from it.

T I T L E
Schools transmit an ideology which states that capitalism is just and
reasonable. Ruling class project their view of the world which becomes the
19
consensus view (hegemony).

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Marxists believe that a key part in the control of the Proletariat is the use of

2 1 ,
alienation in all aspects of society, including the family, the education system

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and the media. This provides the Bourgeoisie with a supple mass of workers
who do not mind working for the external rewards of a constant wage.
 Concepts of Marxism

P R E S E N TAT I O N
Education helps to maintain the bourgeoisie and the proletariat so that
there can workers producing goods and services and others benefiting from it.

T I T L E
Schools transmit an ideology which states that capitalism is just and
reasonable. Ruling class project their view of the world which becomes the
20
consensus view (hegemony).

M a y
Marxists believe that a key part in the control of the Proletariat is the use of

2 1 ,
alienation in all aspects of society, including the family, the education system

2 0 X X
and the media. This provides the Bourgeoisie with a supple mass of workers
who do not mind working for the external rewards of a constant wage.
 Concepts of Marxism

P R E S E N TAT I O N
Marxists believe that deviance is any behavior that differs from the societal norm. It is seen as
deviant because as a society, we do not accept it.

Deviance can vary from simply odd behavior to behavior that can harm

T I T L E
society or is considered dangerous or disrespectful.

21
Neo-Marxism is based on ideas initially projected by Karl Marx. Marx believed that economic
power led to political power and that this is the key to understanding societies.

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2 1 ,
2 0 X X
Neo-Marxists believe the economic system creates a wealthy class of owners and a poor class of
workers. They also believe that certain social institutions such as churches, prisons and schools
have been created to maintain the division between the powerful and the powerless.
P R E S E N TAT I O N T I T L E M a y 2 1 , 2 0 X X
22
INTER ACTIONISM
SYMBOLIC
 SYMBOLIC

P R E S E N TAT I O N
INTER ACTIONISM

T I T L E
According to Quex book, 2018, The symbolic interaction perspective,
also called symbolic interactionism, is a major framework of 23
the sociological theory.

M a y
2 1 ,
2 0 X X
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
T hi s p e r sp e ct iv e r e lie s o n th e s y m b o l ic m e a n i n g th a t p e o p le d e v e lo p a n d
b u il d u p o n i n th e p r o c e s s of s o c i al i n te r a c ti o n. A l th o ug h s y m b o li c

T I T L E
in t er a c tio n is m t r a c e s i ts o r ig in s t o M a x We b e r 's a s s e r tio n th a t in d iv i du a l s a c t
a c c o r d in g to th e ir in te r p r e ta ti o n o f th e m e a ni n g o f th e i r w o r ld .

A so c ia l p sy c h o lo g ic a l th e o r y d e v el o p e d f r o m t h e w o r k o f Ch a r l e s H o r to n
Co o l ey a n d G eo rg e H e r b e r t M e a d in th e e ar ly pa r t o f th e t w e n tie th c e n tu r y ( th e

M AY
a c tu a l n a m e o f th e th e o r y c om e s f r o m H e r b e r t B lu m e r, o n e o f M ea d ’s s t u d en ts ) .
A c c o r d i n g t o th is t he o r y, p e o p le in h a b it a w o r ld th a t is in la rg e p a r t

2 1 ,
s o c ia l ly c o n st r u c t.

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CONCEPTS OF SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM

T he m o st im p o r t a n t c on c e p tu al b u il d in g b l oc k o n w h ic h s y m b o l ic i nt e r a c ti o n is ts

h a v e b a s e d th e ir a n a ly sis o f h u m a n c o n d u c t is th e c o n c e p t o f th e s y m b o l , or, a s M e a d

c a lle d it, th e si g n if i ca n t s y m bo l. Sy m b o l is a v o c a l o r o th e r k in d o f g e s t ur e t h at h a s th e

s a m e m e a ni n g a n d s o lic i ts t h e s a m e r e a c ti on b e tw ee n th e o n e u s in g it a n d to w h o m it is

d ir e ct e d .
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
T I T L E
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE
MAJOR SOCIAL SCIENCE
THEORIES

M AY
2 1 ,
2 0 X X
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES
Social Science Theory Principles

T I T L E
Structural - Functionalism • Societies should be examined holistically
in an interrelated system framework.
• Causation is reciprocal and, in many
instances, multiple.
• Social systems are generally in a state of

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equilibrium.
• The functionalists are less interested in

2 1 ,
the history of a society, but more

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concerned with social interaction.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

Marxism • Both Hegel and Marx have dealt with a

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basic question – How is man to be
reconciled with him and with the world?

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Hegel was of opinion that mind of man

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passes through history and finally comes
to realize what is the world.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

• Both Hegel and Marx thought that man

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was the product of self-knowledge and he
goes on reconciling with the world. But to

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Hegel the concept of self- knowledge is

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associated with Spirit or Absolute Idea
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

• Marx has rejected it and has laid down

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the famous doctrine of alienation. That is, he tries
to understand himself or the world around him

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through the alienation.

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 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

• The theory of alienation is the product of

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the alienated labor. In fact, alienation

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occupies a very important place in Marx’s

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theory.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

Symbolic Interactionism • Human beings, unlike lower animals, are

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endowed with the capacity for thought.

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• The capacity for thought is shaped by
(Blumer, 1969; Manis and

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social interaction.
Meltzer, 1978; A. Rose,
1962; Snow, 2001)
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

• In social interaction, people learn the

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meanings and the symbols that allow

2 1 ,
them to exercise their distinctively

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human capacity for thought.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

• Meanings and symbols allow people to

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carry on distinctively human action and

2 1 ,
interaction.

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 P R E S E N TAT I O N
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

T I T L E
Social Science Theory Principles

• People are able to modify or alter the

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meanings and symbols that they use in

2 1 ,
action and interaction on the basis of

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their interpretation of the situation.
 3 MAJOR SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES

P R E S E N TAT I O N
Functionalism Marxism S y m b o lic

T I T L E
I n te r a c t io n is m
also called structural is a social, political, and The symbolic
functional theory, sees economic philosophy interaction perspective, 36
society as a structure named after Karl Marx, also called symbolic
with interrelated parts which examines the

M AY
interactionism, is a
designed to meet the effect of capitalism on major framework of

2 1 ,
biological and social labor, productivity, and the sociological theory.
needs of the individuals

2 0 X X
economic development
in that society. and argues for a worker
revolution to overturn
capitalism in favor of
communism.
Interpret the cartoon below showing what
happened to the Philippines and how its society
was affected by the pandemic.
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
ASSIGNMENT

T I T L E
38
Make a poster with the theme “Marxism in
Today’s Society” and explain your work.

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2 0 X X