Major Perspectives in Sociology1

Theoretical perspectives are merely orienting strategies. They show us

how to view society and what kind of questions we should ask about social
behavior. Unlike more specific theories, they cannot be validated as either
true or false. They are merely orienting strategies which can only orient or
direct us toward what is assumed to be the real nature of society.
1. Structural Functionalism (inspired by Spencer and Durheim) claims that
each part of the society-the family, the school, the economy or the statecontributes something. Each performs certain functions for the society as a
whole. Moreover, all parts are interdependent. Interdependent parts of
society produce stable social order, the structure. If something happens to
disrupt this social order, each one will adjust in a way that produces a new
stability.
1.1What holds the society together, enabling all its parts to produce social
order?
Social Consensus- a condition in which most members of the society agree
on what would be good for everybody and cooperate to achieve it. Durkheim
assumed that social consensus can come about in the form of either:
1.1.1 Mechanical solidarity is a type of social cohesion that develops when
people do similar work and have similar beliefs and values. This is a
characteristic of a simple traditional society.
1.1.2 Organic solidarity a type of social cohesion that arises when the people
in a society perform a wide variety of specialized jobs and therefore
have to depend on each other. This is a characteristic of a complex
industrialized society.
1.2. Robert Merton (1957), classified functions in two types:
1.2.1 Manifest functions are those that are intended and seem obvious.
1.2.2 Latent functions are unintended and often unrecognized.
2. Conflict Perspective-portrays society as always changing and always
marked by conflict. This perspective is likely inclined to concentrate on
social conflict as beneficial, and to assume that the social order is forcibly
imposed by the powerful on the weak. They criticize the status quo.
While Marx believed that conflict between economic classes was the
key force in society; conflict theories today define social conflict to mean
conflict between unequal groups or societies. This emphasized that groups
or societies will have conflicting interest and values and thus will compete
each other. In effect, because of this perpetual competition, society is
always changing.
3. Symbolic Interactionism directs our attention to the details of everyday
life and the interaction between individuals. According to Max Weber,
people act according to the interpretation of the meaning of their social
world. According to this perspective, people assign meaning to each
others words and actions base on their subjective interpretation.
Symbolic interpretation implies two things:
3.1 People do not respond directly to physical things but they respond base
on their interpretation of them.
3.2 Act according to interpretation is always changing. Why? Because how we
act is constantly being altered by how we interpret other peoples actions
and reactions to our own behavior.
4. Integrated View
Condensed by Roland L. Aparece, MA PM, MAT PH, from Alex Thio,
Sociology: An Introduction, 3rd ed. (New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1992)
pp. 15-19.
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