Premium Essay

Four Perspectives

In:

Submitted By caitank
Words 665
Pages 3
Principles of Sociology // SOCI10143_SPR08
Portfolio Assignment
April 11, 2008
The Four Perspectives There are four perspectives in the field of sociology. These four perspectives are symbolic interactionism, functionalism, conflict theory, and feminist theory. When evaluating a social problem, sociologists will typically use the theory which best relates to the problem. However, some sociologists may never favor a certain theory. Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world, and communicates with one another. Symbolic interactionism can be traced back to the eighteenth century when individuals evaluated their own conduct by comparing themselves with others, and using symbols to understand their own experiences. Symbolic interactionism relates with just about every aspect of a society. Without these symbols, we would not know who parents, aunts, uncles, etc are because those are just symbols to show relationship. There would not be movies, bridges, instruments, anything that requires a plan, a symbol of how it will turn out. These symbols also affect the behaviors of a society and how people act. The society would not know who to respect, who to obey, who to love because people would not have any symbol to classify their status in society. Functionalism, also known as functional analysis and structural functionalism, is a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of various parts, each with a function that, when fulfilled, contributes to the society’s equilibrium. Functionalism in a society requires both structure, how the parts of a society fit together as a whole, and function, how each part contributes to society. Functionalism looks at how each little part of a society must be functioning correctly

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Four Sociological Perspectives

...behavior during the interaction. Sociology includes four major sociological perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, and post-modernism. All of these theories in sociology equip us with different perspectives with which to view the social world. Each of the four major theoretical perspectives offer a range of explanations about the human behavior and social...

Words: 692 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Strategic Maps

...outcomes and avoid imaginary hopes. The creation of a strategic map includes merging various factors and information on the same page so as to ease communication. The strategic maps show every objective as a text within a shape (in most cases, an oval or rectangle), less than 20 objects and a broad interconnection between the objectives as they are joined together or linked by the arrows. There are four major perspectives that are attended to by the strategic maps; learning and growth perspective, financial perspective, the clients’ perspective and internal business perspective (Meredith & Shafer 2013). The financial perspective aims at developing a long lasting value to shareholders and coming up from the production strategy of bettering the costs structure, it also aims at the expansion of opportunities and improving the value of customers. The four elements of strategic maps get support from the branding, partnership, availability, quality, selection, functionality and service (Ogras et al 2005). The operations and customer management is taken care of by the internal business perspective, through service...

Words: 764 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Old Temple Research Paper (Art)

...of Chicago. Although the entire institute is exquisite in form, the room that held not only one, but four of Hubert Robert’s massive paintings was my favorite. Immediately entering the room it becomes apparent that “The Old Temple” is the focal point, sitting at what many would call eye level, where the emphasis of the room rested so subtly on its shoulders. And big shoulders they were, with a height of 255 cm and a width that complemented at 223.2 cm. At this point, becoming even more relevant as the painting engulfed us further, was the size of the ever-beautiful frame. It suited the painting perfectly in which the value was effected. After this, noticing the elements of art was simple. The painting was made with oil on canvas, and truly helps with the variety of color. What is meant by this, is that it truly feels like the composition takes us to the time of development, however, reasons for this could be due to techniques used in the creation of the artwork. The most notable and visually appealing element to “The Old Temple,” was the use of linear perspective, where the lines move throughout space vanishing at a single point, which most significantly is called the vanishing point. This is so well shown through the long arch which is supported by numerous pillars on each side, yet with closer investigation, it is found that a second set of lines create linear perspective near the ground, pulling your attention toward the people assembling in the...

Words: 666 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Asianfanfics

...Canterbury Boys’ High School English 2014/15 Advanced Course The following information gives an outline of the Year 12 Advanced English Program for the HSC tested in 2015. The syllabus states that: The aim of Senior English is to enable students to understand, use, enjoy and value the English language in its various textual forms and to become thoughtful, imaginative and effective communicators in a diverse and changing society. The study of English involves exploring, responding to and composing texts • in and for a range of personal, social, historical, cultural and workplace contexts • using a variety of language modes, forms, features and structures. Meaning is achieved through responding and composing, which are typically interdependent and ongoing processes. In Year 12 time is allocated to certain issues and texts based on the time needed to cover the Board of Studies’ requirements for the fulfilment of the English outcomes. This program is based on the premise that: • students are required to experience literature in a variety of modes (short story, novel, poetry, non-fiction, film and drama) • there should be a continuing study of non-literary material (print and non-print, multi-media) • students should be encouraged to develop reading interests outside the classroom • there will be a continuing emphasis on oral English in class discussions, small group discussions, debating, public speaking, interviewing, dramatic reconstructions ...

Words: 1578 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

India

...India was amazing. People were always willing to help us any way that they could. Whether it was the hotel employees, the bus crew, restaurant staff, bystanders on the street, or even those living in absolute poverty, the people of India were always smiling at us and wanting to know where we were from. Most people would think that they were always looking for a rupee or two, but that was not the case. They were genuinely glad that we were in their country and wanted to make sure that we had the best experience possible. It was inspiring and amazing and I think we could all learn of a lot from them. India was an eye-opening experience and it absolutely gave me an appreciation for how fortunate I am and it really put life into perspective. It made me realize what’s important and what I really value in life. There were times when I found myself frustrated, dirty, exhausted and ready to throw in the towel, but then I would turn a corner and spot something spectacular or come across a child with a smile on their face and I would remember how fortunate I was to experience such a unique place. India is a beautiful place filled with incredible people whose pride in their country is unwavering, and rightfully...

Words: 336 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Changing Perspectives

...CHANGING PERSPECTIVES PSY/220 KATRENA TAYLOR 7/24/11 WRITTEN BY GARY ELLIOTT The scenario that is in the text is something that we see all too often out in society. We as people think that we should have control over what is going on around us at all times. The way we view something is what we have seen in the past, or have experienced ourselves. I have been guilty of this very thing; everyone has a different perspective on the same situations. People that have religion see things different than people that don’t. Most people just see the situation from their perspective on the outside and they don’t take the time to ask questions or try to see the other side. After reading the following scenario, I would say that the first analogy of the situation fits well. You see that sort of situation all the time, whether you are at the grocery store or at Wal-Mart. I actually witnessed a situation like this once at a store called Game stops. These kids were so bad that they were running around knocking over the displays, the mother was patiently waiting in line to purchase the games that she bought. One of the guys that worked there had to stop the kids from destroying the store, while the mother paid no mind to what was going on. Where I live there are a lot of homeless people constantly walking around and asking for anything mainly money. These are the same people that are telling you that their car broke down and the just need a little gas to get home. Most of these homeless...

Words: 1064 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Service

...The five characteristics for human service professionals are: Self-awareness, Ability to communicate, Empathy, Responsibility/commitment, and Flexibility. Self-awareness is the deep understanding of one's own self, this includes comprehending self-knowledge about beliefs, attitudes, values, stereotypes, biases, cultural and gender differences, and behaviors. Self-awareness is beneficial in diminishing preconceptions and opinions, allowing one to modify or change their "self" toward a client's perspective. Empathy is the ability to see or feel what the client has experienced. Similar to self-awareness, empathy furthers the progression of understanding oneself and enables a provider to put their feet into the client's shoes. Providers who have experienced as well as relate to the client's situation have an easier time expressing empathy. Responsibility/Commitment are ideal promises to a client. The provider shall support the client in whichever possible way is needed through responsibility and will offer the highest quality of service through commitment. A provider displays a strong presence of professionalism and acts to the best of their abilities. They will adhere to a code of ethic or conduct and will remain honest with their client throughout their service. Flexibility provides versatility to a provider’s service. They may need to change, abandon, or revise plans if the program suddenly becomes difficult or unusual. Flexibility allows a provider to learn new alternatives...

Words: 312 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Inbev’s Buyout

...The article, This Bud May Be for the Belgians, discusses InBev’s buyout of Budweiser. Discuss the value of the brand from a consumer perspective. Some of you may not be beer drinkers, or drink any alcohol, but you are still a part of a culture where beer drinking is an identifiable lifestyle component, so you should be able to provide some perspective. Some things to consider are Budweiser’s targeted blue-collar market segment, its country of origin, and our nationalistic “pride of ownership.” Switch perspectives a bit, and consider how international consumers might value the quintessential American beer. Do you think that coming from the US enhances the value to overseas customers? Why or why not?  (Blenkinsop & Geller, 2014) In replying to other classmates, discuss the consumer perspective, thinking about your own exposure to Budweiser’s products and promotions. Include your thoughts on the value of any of the AB brands. Even though I am not a beer drinking but during socializing events majority of my friends and the people I have observed prefer international beer (i.e. Russian, German etc). During the initial stages of the InBev buyout of Budweiser the response was not that great Hence, the AB InBev buyout adopted to understand and address factors hindering Budweiser’s growth in the US as well as build or introduce the brand in other markets helped them achieve strong in-market performance globally. In addition, the brand is now successfully developing a universal...

Words: 599 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Management Accounting Guidance

...Management Accounting & Control (ACCFIN5036) Coursework: Academic Essay Length and submission: This is a 2500-word (excluding references) academic essay, which must be submitted on 23rd November 2015 at 12noon. Aim: The aim of this assignment is to test your management accounting and control knowledge in relation to its social and organizational perspectives where you see management accounting not only as a set of technical tools such as performance measurement indicators or costing techniques and methods, but also as social and institutional practice by which technical tools are promoted, legitimised, used or even misused. Question: Bearing in mind this broader perspective, consider a recent management accounting change programme such as Activity-Based Costing or Balanced Scorecard: its origin, development, diffusion and managerial effects. Explore why and how this programme has come about as a global programme and evaluate whether it solves the problems it expected to solve or whether it produces some unintended consequences. Materials to be used: Use relevant journal articles, which you must refer to. Follow standard academic referencing practices when citing them. Use your own intuition to answer the question above rather than merely reproducing the reading materials. When you directly quote from your readings, you must acknowledge by properly citing references. You must be aware of university’s plagiarism policy in this regard. Marking...

Words: 280 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Theory of Knowledge Reflective

...probably fail once or twice but you’ll get there.” 2. I – Emotions are as reliable as reason. II – Areas of knowledge are not applied; they are organized clusters of knowledge. III – No area of knowledge is inferior to another, especially the arts and the religious knowledge systems. 3. - I know bits and pieces of knowledge as I am of the opinion that we can never know the whole story. - I can say I know myself pretty well. I believe my background and experiences shape the way I think. Therefore, my pursuit and interpretation of knowledge is often skewed to fit my preferences. - I know what I know mainly through evidence, experience and my intuition. I explore the nature of knowledge by looking at knowledge from different perspectives, examining biases and the ways of knowing used to interpret the knowledge at...

Words: 311 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Personal Effectiveness

...Reflective Practice Reflective practice is a process which enables you to achieve a better understanding of yourself, your skills, competencies, knowledge and professional practice. Although most of us engage in thinking about experiences either before, during or after an event, we need to document our understanding in order to clearly identify and demonstrate the components of our learning. Identifying what we have learnt requires us to think about our experiences, and consider the outcomes, in order to evaluate the experience, and identify our thoughts, feelings and understanding of the relevant issues. The objective is to identify what we have learnt in order to construct new or different approaches to our future practice, or to recognise and validate effective practice to utilise in the future. Learning comes from many different incidents and experiences that we have in life. We can learn much about ourselves, others, our job, our organisation, and professional practice, as well as our abilities and skills, if we consciously take the time to reflect on our learning.  As a starting point, a pro-forma sheet for reflective practice, incorporating some ideas around the type of experiences we can utilise for learning, is provided. N.B. When reflecting on clinical incidents or professional practice involving patient care, patient confidentiality must never be breached  Further guidance on different theories and methodologies for reflective practice is available on...

Words: 352 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Anthony Doerr's Novel 'All The Light We Cannot See'

...Anthony Doerr uses many different perspectives in his novel All the Light we Cannot See to convey how different people are affected by the current ongoing war, World War II. Doerr focuses on 2 characters perspectives in his novel; Werner, a intelligent boy enlisted into a nazi training camp and later sent onto the field and Marie-Laure, a blind girl with a passion for knowledge. Werner’s perspective is focused around survival and he does what he is told because he fears for his life. Contrary to this, Marie-Laure has a hopeful perspective because her hope creates her reality in her mind. Doerr uses different perspectives to show how focusing too much on one point of view can obscure reality and make a person blind to the reality of some situations. Werner has a very fearful perspective....

Words: 702 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Corporate Sustainability Report.Pdf

...Internet while shopping for new and used vehicles—more than double the usage of any other information source. This reflects consumers’ growing desire for an objective resource of trusted information. Increasingly, analysis shows that consumers are relying more and more on their social media networks and trusted connections for guidance on vehicle purchases. A primary conclusion to draw from these trends relates to control and influence: The most influential sources of information in the vehicle purchasing process exist beyond the traditional span of control of the OEM and dealer to include social influences. 2. Manage the customer experience: The challenge of managing a customer experience that lives beyond the boundaries of the OEM’s four walls is not new. After all, manufacturers have worked to manage customer relationships through independent dealerships. However, due to the ways in which consumer power and vehicle shopping influence are rapidly changing, consumer expectations about their experience in the dealership (which they view as inseparable from their experience with the vehicle brand) are also transforming. What’s more, the customer experience lifecycle features many more touchpoints compared to what existed 10 or 15 years ago. Each of these touchpoints should be managed in a consistent way. In terms of changing expectations, consider how customers are treated when they step...

Words: 592 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Four Perspectives Of Crime Analysis

...are violated they will then be punishable by the law. True enough it's the officer who makes the arrest, but the courts; the judges have the final say so. There are so many categories of crime. A crime can be something as simple as a misdemeanor, to a felony. While first time offenders mostly pay a fine or receive probation, those who continually commit crimes will face jail time. If there was no crime, there would not be the study of criminology. There would be no need to find the understanding as to why people commit crimes. Most importantly if it weren't for crime many of us would not be here; striving for our degrees' in Criminal Justice. Crime can be defined in several ways and some scholars have suggested that at least four definitional perspectives can be found in contemporary criminology (Schmalleger, 2015)....

Words: 379 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Mgt 437

...and growth allows the company to get detailed information from the employees that work for them. Finally there is customer perspective. This is customer insight about the project that was being evauled. Each of these perspectives comes together in one big report for the company but all of the perspectives are different. Financial Audit Audit is a way for the company to have insight to financial matters to help determine if the project is meeting goals. The audit will review budgets, status of the project, and future of project, sales receipts, maintence, and even pay roll information. The company then has an overview of how costly or beneficial the project is. An audit for a project uses no standard system and has no records; therefore the data needs to be started when engaging the audit. Learning and Growth The learning and growth perspective allows a company to understand the employees employed. This provides information based on employee satisfaction and even retention. Learning and growth even explores the different skills needed for each job. This allows the company to have full insight on what sort of skills are going to be needed if the project is going to be redone at a later time. This could ensure the outcome of the project to be better just by following and tweaking the project guidelines. Customer The customer perspective provides the company with insight from new and repeat customers. This...

Words: 722 - Pages: 3