Sociological Perspectives

1
Sociological Perspectives

• Functionalist Perspective,
• Conflict Perspective
• and Interactionist Perspective

2
Functionalist Perspective

• Society is a set of interrelated parts that work
  together to produce a stable social system
• Society is held together through consensus
• Based on the ideas of Auguste Comte, Herbert
  Spencer and Emile Durkheim
• 2 types of functions
• Manifest function- the intended and recognized
  consequence of some element of society (car as a
  form of transportation)
• Latent function- the unintended and unrecognized
  consequence of an element of society (car as a
  symbol of social status)

3
Conflict Perspective

• Focus is on the forces in society that promote
  competition and change.
• Interest in how those with power in society
  exercise control over those with less power.
• Look at violent and non-violent competition.
• Believe social change is an inevitable feature of
  society.
• Conflict is not necessarily bad- its the agent
  for desirable change.
• Karl Marx, Max Weber were conflict theorists.
• Conflict theorists ask, Who benefits?

4
Interactionist Perspective

• Focus on how individuals interact with one
  another in society.
• Interested in the ways individuals act toward,
  respond to and influence one another in society.
• Max Weber heavily influenced interactionist
  theorists.
• Particularly interested in the role that symbols
  play in our daily lives (symbolic interaction).

5
Interactionist Perspective Continued

• Do NOT consider social institutions like the
  economy or government.
• Micro-sociology focus is small (on individuals
  rather than groups)
• People, not institutions, are the forces of
  societal change.