Basic Concepts and

Principles of the major

Social Science Theories
a. Structural Functionalism
b. Marxism
c. Symbolic Interactionism
Structural Functionalism

What is meant by structural

functionalism?
Structural Functionalism

What is meant by structural

functionalism?
 Structural Functionalism

“is a school of thought according to which each

of the institutions, relationships, res, and norms
that together constitute a society serves a
purpose, and each is indispensable for the
continued existence of the others and of society
as a whole.”
• - each institution in a given society play a vital role for its
functionality or success.
• - On a micro- perspective, each institution may only be functional
when and if each of its members performs the task required and
expected of her/him.
- example: the most basic social institution which is the family,
the family is not functional structurally when the father or the mother is
the only one working.
 Herbert Spencer
• the primary advocate of structural
functionalism
• ‘compared society to a human body where
each part of the body works in harmony
with all the other parts.’
Principles Peculiar to Structural Functionalism

• Collective Conscience
• a given institution, must have a shared
participation in every endeavor
• each may work individually but each would
have collective result as an end.
Principles Peculiar to Structural Functionalism

Social Order
• There has to be established security, in terms of
the basic needs, among the people for social order
to be in place. The lack or merely the insufficiency
for instance of food would render an institution
not functional already.
 Principles Peculiar to Structural Functionalism

Education
-Education comes in the form of a well-informed populace.
-Education does not necessarily presuppose that everyone must
be degree- holders
-Having the know-how about the role one has to take or the
knowledge about the functional norms is education sufficient
enough already for the structure or the institution to be functional.
 Principles Peculiar to Structural Functionalism

Deviance and Crime

- Deviance- rule-breaking behavior of some kind which fails to
conform to the norms and expectations of a particular society or social
group.
-they are socially unacceptable ex: addiction, nose picking,
standing too close to other people and not bathing regularly
- other examples of deviant behavior include drug use, theft,
murder and assault
 4 Basic Concepts of Structural
Functionalism
1. Social Structure – the distinctive, stable arrangement of institutions whereby human beings in
a society interact and live together. Social structure is often treated together with the concept of
social change, which deals with the forces that change the social structure and the organization of
society. Ex : family, religion, law
2. SocialFunction – Social Functioning means living up to the expectations that are made of an
individual by that person’s own self, by the immediate social environment, and by society at large
3. Manifest Function – According to the structural-functionalist perspective, a manifest function
is something that a social group or institution does that is intentional and beneficial to society.
4. Latent Function – A latent function is beneficial to society, but is an unintended by-product of
a manifest function.
 Auguste Comte
• Auguste Comte is called the father of sociology because he coined the
word ‘Sociology’ in 1830, for that branch of science which studied human
behaviour.
• Pointed out the need to keep society unified as many traditions were
diminishing. He was the first person to coin the term sociology. Comte
suggest that sociology is the product of a three-stage DevlopmenT
• Comte’s Law of three stages: Theological stage, metaphysical stage And
positive or scientific stage.
 Emile Durkheim

• Like other functionalists, he focused on the

problem of order and the positive effects of
social institutions, explaining their existence
in terms of their functionally necessary
contributions.
 HERBERT SPENCER

• in describing society, Spencer alludes to the

analogy of a human body just as the structural
parts of the human body the skeleton muscles and
various internal groups function independently to
help the entire organism survive, social structures
work together to preserve society.
 Nature of Marxism
• -Marxism as a socio-economic theory was espoused by Karl Marx
(The Communist Manifesto) and Friedrich Engels during the
nineteenth century
• - Accordingly Marxism talks about the capitalist mode of production
which enables the bourgeoisie to exploit the proletariat and as a
result, it leads to the struggle of the proletariat.
• - They strive to obtain freedom from the end of the proletariat may
end up to the overthrow of the bourgeoisie through an armed
struggle.
• Marxism is a social, political, and economic
philosophy named after Karl Marx. It
examines the effect of capitalism on labor,
productivity, and economic development and
argues for a worker revolution to overturn
capitalism in favor of communism.
 Principles of Marxism
• - Exploitation and Alienation
- refers to the exploitation of the workers by the employers who
are the alter ego of the capitalists
- This happens where and when the workers could be made to
render hours of work beyond what is stipulated, or they could be
required to work more than or even less than their job description.
- In the process, the workers experience alienation because they
are deprived of the right to be their own persons as they shall submit to
the will of the bourgeoisie.
 How did Karl Marx came up with the
Marxist theory?

•His key theories were a

critique of capitalism and
its shortcomings.
 CLASS STRUGGLE

• Class Conflict, also referred to as class

struggle and class warfare, is the political
tension and economic antagonism that exists
in society because of socio-economic
competition among the social classes or
between rich and poor.
 COMMUNISM
• Where the distribution of products
is based on the principle of "to each
according to his needs", in contrast
to a socialist principle of "to each
according to his contribution".
 Principles of Marxism
• Class consciousness
• -It is incumbent in the people to take cognizance of the existence
of stratification- be it according to the socio-economic status, or
according to gender, or to any indicator of distinction of segments
of the population.
• -Relative to this, the people must be conscious of the
probability of inequalities or injustices and must act according
to how they understand their position in the society.
 Principles of Marxism
• Emancipation of the workers
• -This principle presupposes that the members of
the proletariat themselves are held responsible
for their liberation. They cannot depend on any
other social class because they are basically on
their own from the very beginning.
 Principles of Marxism
Historical Materialism
• - This principle requires of the members of
the proletariat to be in the know of the
whereabouts of class struggle in the history of
man to enable them understand their struggle and
to capacitate them in the fight as well.
 Symbolic Interactionism
• - symbolic interactionism rests in the last analysis on three simple
premises.
• -The first premise says that human beings act according to the meanings
that they attach toward anything that they perceive around them.
• The second premise refers to the conception that such meanings come
as a result of the social interaction between and among men.
• Third premise says that these meanings are dealt with and modified
through an interpretative process by the person and this serves as a
guide to his/her encounters in life.
 Symbolic Interactionism
• by nature, is the sum total of the
meaning of man’s interactions and
how such become imperative to
anything that he/she encounters in
his/her lifetime.
 Core Principles of Symbolic
Interactionism
• Meaning
• - This principle is the core of symbolic
interactionism because all of man’s actions are
anchored from whatever meaning is attached
to the other person, or to a thing or even to an
occurrence.
 Core Principles of Symbolic
Interactionism
• Language
• - The second principle talks about the naming or
identification of the thing or things or even the action or
actions.
• - Meanings would not be created if there is no naming
that will take place. The naming process is done only
with the use of language.
 Core Principles of Symbolic
Interactionism
Thought
- This third principle of symbolic
interactionism speaks of how we interpret the
symbols and more often than not it involves
imagination.
 Justify Me

• Below are scenarios about the social science

theories of Structural Functionalism, Marxism and
Symbolic Interactionism. Read each carefully and
understand the situations before answering. Write a
three-liner justification to support your answer to
the questions.
 Justify Me
• At XYZ Corporation, the workers in the production area were
required to work even on weekends to cope with the high demand of
their product from local as well as foreign consumers. These
workers wanted to do otherwise as they wanted to have family time
on weekends. There is then a big possibility that these workers
would in no time find a way to emancipate themselves. What
theory was referred to in the scenario? Would the said workers be
able to enjoy their weekends? Why? Why not?
 Justify Me
2. Mr. P wrote and sent a love letter, following the traditional
practice, to Miss L. For the former, it was his way of expressing
whatever he felt because he was smitten by the beauty and kindness
of the lady. However, for the latter the letter was simply a
manifestation of appreciation and care for the opposite sex and not
implying romantic love. What social science theory was presented
in this scenario? What core principles were manifested? Why?
 Assignment: Draw Me
• If you were to wrap up your relationship with
your family, what object or thing would
symbolize it? Draw that object or thing and
write a one-liner caption why you chose that.
Use a4 bond paper for the drawing.