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- The Conflict Paradigm. The Conflict paradigm does a very good job of explaining racism, sexism, ageism, socioeconomic inequality (wealth and poverty), etc.
- The Functionalist Paradigm (Structural Functionalism) The Functionalist paradigm describes society as stable and describes all of the various mechanisms that maintain social stability.
- The Symbolic Interactionist Paradigm. Symbolic Interactionism describes society as small groups of individuals interacting based on the various ways that people interpret their various cultural symbols such as spoken, written, and non-verbal language.
- Functionalism
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Interactionism
- Postmodernism
- Signposting
Functionalism is a structural consensus theory which argues that social institutions generally perform positive functions such as maintaining value consensus and social order. Key Functionalist theorists include Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917) and Talcott Parsons (1902 -1979). Key concepts associated with Functionalism are defined below….
Marxism is a structural conflict theory which argues that societies are divided along social class lines. There are two main classes – the Bourgeoisie who own Capital and the Proletariat who must work for wages. In Marxist theory the Bourgeoise control social institutions and use them to maintain their power. The Key Marxist thinker was Karl Marx (...
Feminism is a diverse body of social theory which aims to understand the reasons for inequalities based on gender and gender identity and a political movement which campaigns for greater gender equality. Some of the key concepts associated with Feminism are defined below…
Interactionism is a social action theory which focuses less on social structure and more on how individuals see themselves and actively construct their own identities through interactions with others. Key interactionist theorists were Ervin Goffman (1922 to 1982) and Howard Becker (1928 to present day). Some of the key concepts of interactionist th...
Postmodernists argue that the old structures and certainties of the modernist era are now gone (hence ‘post’ modernity). With the shift to late Capitalism and the rise of Consumer society social life is now more fluid and unpredictable and individuals have much more freedom to shape their identities. Postmodernists also question the certainties of ...
Sociological Perspectives are a key component of the social theoriesaspect of the Sociology A-level Theory and Methods compulsory module, usually studied in the second year. Please click here to return to the homepage – ReviseSociology.com
Sociologists analyze social phenomena at different levels and from different perspectives. From concrete interpretations to sweeping generalizations of society and social behavior, sociologists study everything from specific events (the micro level of analysis of small social patterns) to the “big picture” (the macro level of analysis of ...
In this section, you’ll learn about how sociologists use paradigms to understand the social world. A paradigm is a broad viewpoint, perspective, or lens that permit social scientists to have a wide range of tools to describe society, and then to build hypotheses and theories.
Perspectives or paradigms are frameworks or models used within a discipline to tie different concepts, analyses, explanations, and ways of formulating problems together (Drengson, 1983). Sociologists use these models to pose or address research questions.
Jun 16, 2024 · The three key sociological paradigms are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Each are explained below. Sociologists explore social phenomena from different viewpoints and at different levels. They analyze specific events and social patterns (the micro level of analysis) as well as the big picture (the macro level of ...
In sociology, a theory is a way to explain different aspects of social interactions and to create a testable proposition, called a hypothesis, about society (Allan 2006). For example, although suicide is generally considered an individual phenomenon, Émile Durkheim was interested in studying the social factors that affect it.
