Study Guide 1-3: Introduction to Sociology
Theoretical Perspectives
After completing this study guide you will be able to:
1. State the major assumptions of functionalism and its contributions to
Sociology.
2. State the major assumptions of conflict theory and its contributions to
Sociology.
3. State the major assumptions of symbolic interactionism.
Answer the following questions.
1. What is a theoretical perspective?
Define:
2. Functionalism:
3. Conflict theory:
4. Symbolic interactionism:
5. Manifest functions:
6. Latent functions:
7. Dysfunction:
8. According to functionalism what happens to society after upheaval occurs?
9. Give an example of manifest and latent functions of government.
10. According to functionalists the consensus of values is the reason for what?
11. When does change occur according to conflict theorists?
12. What does a symbol represent.
13. Who assigns meaning to a symbol.
14. How do we learn the meaning of a symbol?
15. Create a new symbol for some social interaction that doesn’t have one.
16. Indicate whether the following statements represent functionalism (F), the conflict
perspective (c), or symbolic interactionism (S).
a. Societies are in relative balance.
b. Power is one of the most important elements in social life.
c. Religion helps hold a society together morally.
d. Symbols are crucial to social life.
e. Many elements of a society exist to benefit the powerful.
f. Different segments of a society compete to achieve their own self-interest
rather than cooperate to benefit others.