Theoretical Approaches in Sociology

Abstract

This paper describes the three major approaches that sociologists use to explain social behavior which are the Structural Functional Approach, Social Conflict Approach and Symbolic- Interaction Approach.

Theoretical Approaches in Sociology The study of Sociology is the study of human society. An important part of society is a theory which is a statement of how facts are related. The whole point of a theory is to explain some sort of social behavior. Sociologists use three main theoretical approaches to help them understand and prove their theories. A theoretical approach is a basic image of society that guides sociologists thinking and research. The three major theoretical approaches are the Structural Functional Approach, the Social-Conflict Approach and the Symbolic-Interaction Approach. The Structural Functional Approach studies social structures, which are patterns of behavior that people tend to follow. Some of these patterns are religious rituals, class structure, political views and educational views. This approach looks at our society as a system that works together to keep things stable and normal. Social Functions, which are how a social structure affects society is also import to the Structural- Functional Approach. Each way that we interact with someone from a hit to a hug is what keeps society functioning as a whole. There are two types of functions, the first being the manifest and the second latent. A manifest function is something that you recognize and know/accept the consequences of the action. While a latent function is an action that you don’t recognize or realize the consequences. We have Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer and Robert K. Merton to thank for this approach. Auguste Comte can be considered the “father” of sociology because he coined the term in 1838. Comte realized the need to understand society to keep it unified. Emile Durkheim was also a pioneer of sociology in France that came up with the theory that certain people with less social ties are more likely to commit suicide. Herbert Spencer is the one that realized society is a system that works together by comparing it to the human body. This realizations lead to sociologists being able to recognize social structures and their functions. Lastly, Robert K. Merton was the first to expand on the functions of a social structure. He came up with manifest functions and latent functions. Merton also acknowledged that not all the effects on society are good which led us to social dysfunction, a pattern that may disrupt society. The Social-Conflict Approach sees society is made up of inequalities that cause conflict and change. Unlike the Structural Functional Approach this approach focuses on how social patterns benefit some people but hurt others and that society does not work together as a whole. Sociologist using this approach study social class, race, gender, dominance and disadvantage. One type of social-conflict is the gender-conflict which focuses on the inequality between men and women. This is closely linked with feminism which supports equality for men and women. Another type of social-conflict is the race-conflict which focuses on the inequality and conflict between people of different races. Karl Marx view of society is all about social-conflict in the working place. He focuses mostly on the social classes and how capitalism shapes society completely. He took the side of the workers against the factory owners. Marx saw the factory owners getting richer and richer but not passing any of that on to the minimum wage workers. Seeing this happen caused him to believe that the workers were going to stay in the same minimum wage jobs their whole lives because that’s how their society worked. Taking it even further Marx believed that because these workers were stuck that their children would fall into the same path as them. The only way to correct this problem with society was to “rebuild” society. The Symbolic-Interaction Approach studies how everyday interactions of people shape reality. Sociologists that use this approach believe that society is just people’s shared reality as they go about their lives. We have meanings for everything from a handshake to a hug so reality is simply how we define ourselves, interactions and daily surroundings. Just because people may see or interact the same way does not mean they have the same reality. One person may see a kiss and an intimate action between lovers while another person may see it as an action between friends. That means it’s everybody’s different reality that shapes society. Max Weber was a German sociologist with ties to the Symbolic-Interaction Approach. Weber came up with idealism which is how human ideas shape society. That is the whole basis of the approach. Weber studied human’s intentions, values, beliefs, and attitudes. He realized the need to understand a social setting from the point of view as one of the people involved in it. The Structural Functional Approach, the Social-Conflict Approach and the Symbolic-Interaction Approach are all good approaches that sociologists have used for their research and theories. The Structural Functional Approach is not favored anymore due to the fact that it is conservative and ignores the inequalities that cause tension and conflict. The Social-Conflict Approach has gained more followers in recent times but it ignores that shared values unify society. The Social-Conflict Approach and the Structural Functional Approach both make society to broad which is how we got the Symbolic-Interaction Approach. The problem with this approach is that it can miss the widespread influence of society. All three of these theoretical approaches have their good and bad points but if they didn’t there would not be much diversity in the field of Sociology.

References
Macionis, John. (2010,2009,2008). Sociology. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall.