Sociological theories
Functionalist perspective
Conflict perspective
Interaction perspective
Post modern perspective
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Founders of the functionalist
perspective :
 August
Comte (1798-1857)
 Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
 Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)
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August Comte (1798-1857)
"father of sociology"

The science about
society
– social
physics
Comte invented the
term sociology
 Evolutionist
 Positivist
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Comtes positivism
Comte's views of the three stages of the history of
sciences. In order as follows, the stages are:
1.
Theological - nature has a will of it's own. This stage is broken
down into three stages of its own, including animism,
polytheism, and monotheism.
2.
Metaphysical state - though substituting ideas for a personal
will.
Positive - a search for absolute knowledge.
3.
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Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
Englishman
 Evolutionist –
“survival of the
fittest”
 Optimist
 Laissez-faire
liberalism
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Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)

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Frenchman
Evolutionist
Division of labour
Study of suicide
–
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“Anomy”
Statistics applied in
sociology
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Functionalism

Society is a combination of different
parts/institutions such as:
–
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Family, religion, economy and educational system
These institutions secure the evolution and
growth of society
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The characteristics of society
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Well planned uniformity
Stability and equilibrium between different
parts
Consensus of the main values
Every institution has a function which helps
society to remain stable
What is, is good – “natural selection” of good
institutions/functions
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Functionalistic research questions?

Mapping, describing and analysing
–
–
–
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The positive functions
The institutions
(The dysfunctions)
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Assignment
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Mention all main parts/institutions which you
believe are the brick stones of society. How
do these parts work together in creating
societies equilibrium?
What are the main weaknesses of the
functionalist perspective in describing
society?
Is it politically biased? If, then how?
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Conflict perspective

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Founders?
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
–

Friedrich Engels (18201895)
–
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German revolutionist
philosopher, sociologist
and economist
German socialist
philosopher
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Marxism

Historical materialism
–
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“It is not the consciousness of men that determines their
existence, but on the contrary, it is their social existence
which determines their consciousness...”
Dialectic
Class struggle
National economy
Socialism
Communism
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Conflict perspective in modern sociology

Not only focusing on class struggle as Marx
did, but on the overall power structure in
society, such as conflicts between different
groups of interests
–
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Producers and consumers, employers and
employed, Muslims and Christians, teachers and
students, parents and kids, personality and
culture
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Conflict causes social change
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In every society there are conflicts; conflict is
the driving force of social change

Conflict does not necessary mean violence,
rather tension, competition or disagreement
about objectives and values, conflict of
interests
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Research questions?

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Mapping of power-relations
Someone is making benefit of the situation at
the expense of someone else
How can we dissolve the conflict? Can there
be a win-win solution?
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Conflict vs. functionalist
perspective
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The conflict paradigm highlights parts of
society where functionalists usually do not
focus on
The weakness of the conflict paradigm is that
they miss the consensus- and balance in
society
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Assignment
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The conflict paradigm presupposes that resources
and power are limited, which in turn, creates tension
and conflicts between different groups.
Investigate some relationships within the school from
the viewpoint of conflict theories, for example the
relationship between teachers and students, or
between school-board and students, or between
pastime and studies.
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Assignment
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The functionalist paradigm presupposes that every
part of society has a (positive) function.
Investigate some relationships within the school from
the viewpoint of functionalist perspective, for
example the relationship between teachers and
students, or between school-board and students, or
between pastime and studies.
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Interaction perspective
Max Weber (1860-1920)

Verstehen
–
–
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Identifies different kinds of authorities
–
–
–
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Traditional
Charismatic
Rational
Ideal types
–
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Understanding the meaning of human
action
Thought to be characteristic of the
social sciences opposed to the
natural sciences
Institutionalised social action
Iron cage
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Interaction perspective/founders

George Herbert Mead (18801949)
–
Symbolic interaction
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Erving Goffman (1922- )
–
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Human behaviour has a deeper
symbolic meaning
Humans learn the meaning of
social behaviour, by
socialisation
Role theory
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Objectivity/impartiality
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Is objectivity possible in (social) sciences?
Scientists have consciousness formed by
their personal experience, they live in a
certain culture, place and time, they have
their personal interests
Is objectivity desirable in science?
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Postmodernism/post structuralism
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Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
History of madness and medicine
History of sexuality
The Archaeology of Knowledge
Deconstruction
Discourse/discourse analysis
Plurality of knowledge and method
Power and knowledge; Relativism
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