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Lecture Two

Lecture Two. Sociological Analysis: Theoretical Perspectives. Studying the Social World. The major theoretical approaches are important to compare and contrast because they make different assumptions about the social world and have different answers

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Lecture Two

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  1. Lecture Two Sociological Analysis: Theoretical Perspectives

  2. Studying the Social World • The major theoretical approaches are important to compare and contrast because theymake different assumptions about the social world and have different answers • Sociologists ground their research and analysis in a theoretical approach to: • Ask the right questions • Guides research methods • Organize empirical observations and conclusions • Some sociologists use ONLY one approach all the time and some use the perspective that best addresses the question at hand.

  3. Functionalism • Functionalist approach believes that society works toward equilibrium and stability • According to functionalism society is asystem of interrelated parts – economy, family, religion, mass media, etc. • Each of society’s parts function to maintain the stability of the larger system • Main questions asked by functionalists: How do the institutions (parts) of society contribute to social stability and/or instability?

  4. Marxist/Conflict Theory • In contrast to functionalists who focus on order and stability, the conflict approach focuses on conflict and social change. • According to the conflict approach, society is based on conflict between social groups • Patterns of inequality create social stability in some circumstances and social change in others • Social conditions are the expression of the ongoing power struggle between groups • The main question asked by the conflict approach is: Who benefits from a particular pattern or social arrangement and at whose expense?

  5. Symbolic Interactionism • In contrast to functionalism and conflict theory, which assumes that people’s group membership determine their behavior (race, class, etc.), symbolic interactionism focuses on how people’s ideas/values shape their behavior • Symbolic Interactionism assumes that social life is possible because people attach meaning to it. • Main question asked by symbolic interactionsim is: how do individuals communicate and interact to make social life meaningful?

  6. Feminist Theory • View socially constructed categories - like gender, race, and class – as key factors in the inequality that shape society • Social interaction • Social institutions • Intersectionality • Intersection of race, class, and gender • Main question asked by feminist theorists is: what is the basis for inequality in society?

  7. Rational Choice Theory • Instrumental (rational action) behavior is the key variable to explain social life • Self-interested behavior • People make rational, self-interested decisions based on the circumstances presented to them • Main question asked by rational choice theorists is: how does individual self-interst shape society?

  8. Post-modernism • Social life is influenced by images and symbols • There is no history • Reality is what we make it to be • Meaning is created and constantly in flux • Main question asked by rational choice theorists is: how do we make meaning in life and how are we affected by images/symbols?

  9. Putting them into practice… How do we explain the gender wage gap?

  10. Is education the great equalizer? • High School Diploma: • men = $32K women = $22K (68%) • BA/BS Degree: • men = $51K women = $36K (70%) • PhD: • men = $77K women $56K (72%)

  11. How do we explain the wage gap? • Use the theory assigned to your group to explain the gender wage gap. • Group: • 1 = Structural Functionalism • 2 = Conflict Theory • 3 = Symbolic Interactionism • 4 = Feminist Theory • 5 = Rational Choice • 6= Postmodernism

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