Theoretical Perspectives Consensus, Conflict, and Social Action

Sociological Theory  Theoretical Perspective: a set of assumptions (theory: a statement of how and why specific facts are related) about an are of study accepted as true  Three Key Theories  Functionalism (Structural Functional)=Consensus  Comte and Durkheim  Conflict Theory (Marxism)=Conflict  Marx  Weberian Theory- Social action  Weber  Each constructs a basic image of society that guides thinking and research  What issues should we study?  How should we connect the facts?

Auguste Comte  Comte believed that social behavior needed to be scientifically studied.  to understand society as it actually operates.  positivism – scientific observation to study society  Knowledge we are “positive” or sure of can only be know if scientifically studied

Comte Continued  Distinguished between  Social Statics – study of social stability and how order is maintained  Family  Religion  Language  Division of labor  Social dynamics – study of social change; revolutionary progress  Civil rights  Women’s rights

Emile Durkeim  Society exists due to a broad consensus among its members

Durkheim continued  Preindustrial societies operated based on…  Mechanical Solidarity - social bonds based on shared moral sentiments that unite members of preindustrial societies  Strong dependence on tradition, social pressure to conform, consensus on values and beliefs  Modern industrial societies operate based on…  Organic Solidarity - social bonds based on specialization, that unite members of industrial societies  This shift is accompanied by a decline in the level of trust between members of the society

Durkheim continued  Durkheim warned of anomie (a societal condition in which individuals receive little moral guidance)  Durkheim defined the term anomie as a condition where social and/or moral norms are confused, unclear, or simply not present. Durkheim felt that this lack of norms led to deviant behavior.  Example – stem cell research, abortion rights…

Functionalism  A theory that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability  Society is viewed as an integrated whole; a change in one part leads to changes in other parts  How has technology changed society?  Gender roles?  Has society remained stable?

Functionalism  Functionalism assumes that societies tend to return to a state of stability after some upheaval has occurred.  1960s  This era did not revolutionize American society  Changes were absorbed in the society  Society emerges somewhat different but it is still recognizable as the same society  How is modern society similar to the American society of the 1950s? How is modern society different?

Functionalism  Most aspects of society exist to promote a society’s survival and welfare; if they didn’t they would fail to survive  Manifest functions: the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern  Ex?  Latent functions: the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern  Ex?  Social Dysfunction: any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society

Marriage is a relatively stable pattern of behavior for men and women in the United States It often leads to an increase of money (combined income), creation of families and the transmission of traditions and culture. May reinforce stereotypical male/female roles Divorce acts as a social dysfunction

Functionalism  Values – broad ideas about what most people in a society consider to be desirable  Society comes to a consensus on values  Values influence social behavior  As societies become more complex, consensus must be reinforced by more rules/laws  Is it necessary for the United States to have local, state and federal laws?  Should individuals be given choice in the laws they follow(civilians) or enforce (law enforcement)?

Marxism-Conflict Approach  Conflict approach – a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change  This is the reverse of functionalism  Investigates how factors (social class, race, gender, etc.) are linked to the unequal distribution of money, education and social prestige  Sociologist look at the conflict between dominant and disadvantaged categories of people; those with power are able to constrain or limit other groups to promote their own special values and interests

Karl Marx  Marx’s approach is based on materialism, which asserts that the production of material goods shapes all aspects of society.  Identified 2 major social classes in industrial societies  Bourgeoisie – the CLASS who own the means (factories/machines) to produce wealth  Capitalist – the PERSON who owns or controls the means for producing wealth  Proletariat – working class; labor for the bourgeoisie and paid just enough to stay alive

Class Conflict - Marx  Class Conflict – ongoing struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat  Felt that capitalism would eventually fall to class conflict and communism would be the result  Do you agree?

Awareness and conflict - Marx  In order for conflict to occur, the proletariat must achieve class consciousness (workers recognition of their unity as a class in opposition to capitalists and ultimately, to capitalism itself)  Then workers must organize themselves and rise in revolution.  Internally divided by their competitive search for profits, the capitalists would be unable to unify to effectively resist their revolution

Marx Continued  Marx considered the economy the infrastructure on which all other social institutions were based.  The institutions of modern societies, he argued, tend to reinforce capitalist domination.  According to Marx, most people in modern societies do not pay much attention to social conflict, because they are trapped in False Consciousness  Explanations of social problems that blame the shortcomings of individuals rather than the flaws of society

 Gender conflict approach –focuses on inequality and conflict between men and women  Closely related to feminism – the advocacy of social equality for women and men  Race conflict approach –focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories  Any other conflict approaches?

Max Weber  Sociologists must discover the personal meaning, values, beliefs and attitudes underlying human social behavior  Understanding could be achieved by Verstehen – mentally walking in another’s shoes

Weberian Theory  Social Change-How societies modernize  The Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism both reflect the Rationalization of society  the historical change from tradition to rationality as the dominant mode of human thought  From groups formed on traditions, values, relationships to goals and most efficient way to reach them  Considered industrial capitalism the essence of rationality, since capitalists pursue profit in whatever ways they can.  Feared that the rationalization of society carried with it a tendency toward dehumanization or alienation.

Rational Social Organizations  Weber identified seven characteristics of rational social organizations:  Distinctive social institutions  Large-scale organizations  Specialized tasks  Personal discipline  Awareness of time  Technical competence  Impersonality