Paradigms in Sociology

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Paradigms in Sociology
Claude Oscar Monet The Studio Boat, 1874
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• Sociological Paradigms
• Structure Functionalism Paradigm
• The organic analogy.
• Society is a system of institutions that operate
  for the good of the whole.
• All social systems have four key functions
  Adaptation, Goal-Attainment, Integration,
  Latency.
• Social action takes place within a social system
  of cultural norms and institutional structures.
• Key terms Status, role, norm.

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• Sociological Paradigms
• Structure Functionalism Methods
• Assessment of the functioning of societal
  institutions.
• Assessment of statuses and roles and how these
  affect the well-being of society.
• Assessment of the rules and how effective these
  are at meeting the functional imperatives.

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• Sociological Paradigms
• Marxism (Conflict Theory) Paradigm
• Dialectical materialism.
• All social systems have a small minority of
  powerful elites.
• Society is a system wherein the powerful will
  intentionally exploit resources from the less
  powerful.
• Key Terms alienation, class consciousness, false
  consciousness, means and relations of production.

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• Sociological Paradigms
• Marxism (Conflict Theory) Methods
• Assessment of inequalities.
• Assessment of intentional exploitation.
• Assessment of the negative consequences of
  inequalities alienation, false consciousness,
  civil disobedience, deviance, lost productivity,
  family discord.

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• Sociological Paradigms
• Symbolic Interactionism Paradigm
• Social construction of reality.
• Society is a system of interactions among people
  who use language and symbols to define reality.
• Social action is influenced by person's beliefs,
  attitudes, perceptions, and negotiations of
  meanings.
• Key Terms self, looking-glass self, identity.

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• Sociological Paradigms
• Symbolic Interactionism Methods
• Assessment of language, symbols, images.
• Assessment of interactions and the outcomes of
  these interactions on the rules of society.
• Assessment of social identity, self, emotions,
  sentiments, interactions among people.

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• Rational Objectivity Reconsidered
• Prediction of Nonrational Behavior
• A science of human behavior can objectively
  examine all types of behavior, even nonrational
  behavior, in terms of how it influences and is
  influenced by cultural expectations (i.e.,
  norms).
• The Subjectivity of Science
• All scientific inquiry, in all sciences, all the
  time, in all settings, reflects subjective
  elements of the culture of the society.
• We can never separate objective reality from our
  subjective experience.

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Questions?