A LOOK AT THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH SOCIOLOGISTS EXPLAIN HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 4 Different Theoretical Perspectives of Sociology

Functionalism Society= sum of its parts – Government – Economy – Religion – Education – Family Codependency: Each part interacts with and impacts every other – “Domino effect” Cooperation and shared core values Group brainstorm & independent quick write in notes margins: Provide 2 examples of the “Domino effect” as it relates to sociology and functionalism

Conflict Theory Competition is king!! (It drives all human behavior) Over what do people compete? Food Resources Wealth Territory Power Leads to hierarchy within groups, between groups and inter-group conflict Us vs them; Haves vs have-nots Independent quick write in your notes margins: List as many examples as you can think of in 2 minutes that support conflict theory

Symbolic Interactionism Examines the roles of symbols, objects, words in shaping group and inter-group behavior e.g.: peace sign middle finger swastika red and blue bandanas NFL sports team logo 1.Quick think: As you see the images, in your mind identify what you see and think about the emotions or thoughts that immediately come to mind 2.Quick pair share: When I ring the bell, share with your partner what you see and how you felt (your gut reaction) as you saw the image

Social Darwinism Herbert Spencer ( England) Survival of the fittest promotes healthiest society When people must fight for power, wealth, basic needs, they will work harder and weak will die out Government assistance creates weaker gene pool by allowing survival of the unfit In your notes margins, quick write: a. Why do you think this is one of the more controversial sociology perspectives? b. What is your opinion about Spencer’s assertions?

Journal entry: 4 Perspectives of Sociology Summary & Analysis Prompt Write a summary and analysis of the four perspectives of sociology. You must do the following for each perspective within your response: a) State the main idea of the perspective (1-3 sentences/perspective) b) State your opinion about whether or not the theory is a good way to explain and understand human behaviors (1-3 sentences/perspective). Be sure to support your opinion with examples and explanatory statements!! If you have trouble creating a strong topic sentence, use the following model in your response: Fill in the blanks in the following topic sentence. There are four different perspectives used by sociologists to examine and explain human social behavior: __________________, _____________________, _____________________, and _____________________.