Paradigms in Sociology

There are three primary theoretical frameworks to interpret social life

1. Functionalism

2. Conflict Perspective

3. Symbolic Interactionism

Three level of analysis

Macro level (society level) Micro level (Individual level) Meso level (Organizations, family)

Functionalism

Assumes that society is compromised of interrelated parts which contribute to its stability and maintenance

Society, like an animal, consists of systems that act together to maintain

the life of the organism That means, everything that exists in the society is functional

Social Inequality is functional

Inequality helps societies to survive Society must make certain that its positions are filled Some positions are more important than others The more important positions must be filled by the

more qualified people To motivate the more qualified people to fill these

positions, society must offer them greater rewards

Motivating Qualified People

If society does not offer higher salaries, and benefits to more responsible positions, why would anyone strive for them?

Why suffer through taking tests in college or graduate school if you can get the same pay and prestige with a high school education?

Is there any danger in such view?

Functionalism

State of equilibrium (balance) The equilibrium may be upset External/internal reasons (war, trade

imbalance, or catastrophe of nature) Homeostasis

Functionalism

Societal cohesion (equilibrium) derives from consensus and common values

People in the US believe in the values of individual effort and hard work

These common values strengthen cohesion of people of different ethnic groups and religions

Functionalism vocabulary (Robert Merton)

Functions are the beneficial consequences of people’s actions that help keep a group (or society) in equilibrium

Manifest Functions are those intended or recognized by others

Latent Functions are unintended or unexpected consequences of actions that help system to adapt

Dysfunctions are consequences of the actions that undermine a systems’ equilibrium

Manifest Functions of Tuition Increase

Raise faculty salaries Recruit better faculty Renovate buildings/laboratories Build more computer labs

Latent Functions of Tuition Increase

Quality of faculty improved greatly University gained a national reputation

overnight The number of applicants doubled Expansion of programs and campus The expansion contributed to the stability of

the college This stability was unintended (latent function

of tuition increase)

Latent Dysfunctions of Tuition Increase Unintended Increased tuition can backfire Half the student body could not afford the increase

and dropped out With this loss of income, the college had to reduce

salaries They managed to get through one year, but then

folded These unintended results of tuition increase harmed

the system Equilibrium was not restored, system did not survive

Conflict Theory

Theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups competing for scares resources

Developed by Marx (1818-1883) The key to all human history is class struggle In each society, small group of people

controls the means of production and exploits those who do not

Marx stated that capitalism is

Struggle between bourgeoisie (small group of capitalists) and proletariat (the mass of workers)

Bourgeoisie controls politics, so that when workers rebel the capitalists are able to call on the power of the states to control them

Difference with Functionalism

Harmony vs. Conflict of interests Inequality is functional vs. inequality is a

reason for Class struggle Motivation of qualified people vs. Exploitation

and misery

Modern Conflict Theory

Weber(1864-1920) criticized Marx For Marx, social class was based solely on a

person’s position in relationship to the means of production

For Weber, Social class is a combination of Property, Prestige and Power

Managers of corporations do have power and they control the means of production although they so not own them

Weber’s view of Social Class

Prestige is not only related to property (wealth) Olympic gold medalists or Recipients of Nobel Prize

may not own property but they have very high prestige

Power is related to property (wealth) Everybody has some power, although those who

are rich have more power Although prestige may be transformed into Power

Weber’s three components of the Social Class

PropertyProperty PowerPower

PrestigePrestige

PrestigePrestige PowerPower

PropertyProperty

PropertyProperty PrestigePrestige

PowerPower

Bill Gates; wealthy men who become presidents

The wealthy in general

Crooked politicians

Olympic gold medalists who endorse products

Abraham Lincoln Colin Powell

Ronal Reagan

Symbolic Interactionism

Theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meanings, develop their views of the world, and communicate with one another

The main question

Symbolic Interactionism primarily examine face-to-face interaction, looking at how people work out their relationships and make sense out of life and their place in it.

Which is the “real presentation” of you vision of a book?

There is no “book”, only various images of it from different points of view. And all the different images are equally “true”

Alcohol

Let’s apply this logic to a social situation

Husband’s point of view

Let’s apply this logic to a social situation

Wife’s point of view

Different people – different “realities”

Symbolic Interactionism

Views symbols- things to which we attach meaning –as the basis of social life

Without symbols our social relations would be limited to the animal level

We would not have mechanism for perceiving others in terms of the relationships (aunts, friends, parents, employers, teachers, etc)

Symbols

Symbols are extremely important in helping us to comprehend people

Hair style is a symbol

Symbols

Symbols are important in helping us to understand abstract and complex concept like “justice”

The ideas underlying our system of laws are frequently represented by a blindfolded woman holding the scale of justice

Symbolic Interactionism

Without symbols we could not coordinate our actions and actions of others

No plans for future, books, movies, music Even self is a symbol It consists of the ideas that we have about who we

are This symbol is changing (we interacts with others

and constantly adjust our views of the self based on how we interpret the reaction of others)

We live in the world of symbols

How does Symbolic Interactionism work?

Analyzes how our behavior depend on how we define ourselves and others in a particular situation

If you think of someone as an aunt, you behave in certain way

The interpretation of the situation may be different for two people

Everyday life is a stage on which we perform, switching roles to suit our changing audience

Misunderstandings

Every interaction looks like

SENDER RECEIVER DECIPHER

doesn’t use symbols appropriately

Mistakes in transmission: dark, noisy, other distractions

Distraction Different coding system, different meanings attached

Status Symbols

Signs that identify the status Wedding ring (announce the marital status) Uniforms, guns, and badges (police officers) Bumper sticker “CONVICTED DUI” (driving

under the influence) is required in some of the counties of the US for those who wish to avoid jail