...Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology By Adilene Benavidez Sociology B1 CRN# 71786 Prof. John Carpenter September 24, 2014 Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology Sociologist view society in three major theories: Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactions. Each theory used allows us to understand the views of social life. Structural Functionalism: “ Functional Analysis, the central idea of functional analysis is that society is a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together”(Henson 2015:17). Structural Functionalism is the idea that different parts of society work together like that of a body’s organs to create harmony. It’s seen on a macro level, looking at the big picture. Conflict Theory: “provides a third perspective on social life. Unlike the functionalist, who views society as a harmonious whole with its part working together, conflict theorists stress that society are of groups that are competing with one another for scarce resources. The surface might show cooperation, but scratch that surface and you will find a struggle for power”(Henson 2015:20). A Conflict theorist, see society as two classes, the proletariat (worker) and the bourgeoisie (owners). It’s like a sports arena one team and fans being the workers and the other team being the owners competing for the win. The higher class you are, the more power you have. Status is very important for power and so is being in a political party. This theory is also seen...
Words: 324 - Pages: 2
...Introduction The theories of psychology can be observed throughout every aspect of daily life, in everything that we do. Whether in the classroom or a social gather, different concepts and ideas can be applied to human behavior. As a student of psychology, it would be difficult to complete a degree without considering which of these theories align with your personal worldview. Thus, this paper will reflect my journey through the program, as well as my personal philosophy towards the field of psychology, specifically to the theory of humanism. The application of this theory to my future career and goals, professional and personal, will also be discussed. Theoretical Perspective Humanists believe that humans are inherently good by nature and have the free will to make choices that shape the person you become. According to humanists, genetics and unconscious forces do not shape a person. Rather, a person’s choices and actions...
Words: 2628 - Pages: 11
...‘A critical analysis of theoretical perspectives related to dyslexia’ In this essay I will be demonstrating the critical understanding of key theoretical perspectives on the cause of dyslexia (phonological processing, magno, cellular and cerebellar aspects. I will also be researching and reviewing relevant literature exploring key issues such as identification, co-morbidity, international views on dyslexia. This essay will allow me to study dyslexia in depth and broaden my knowledge on its identifying characteristics and the underlying causes. About dyslexia Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects the brain; this means that the brain is slower on picking up certain things. This can be learning how to...
Words: 361 - Pages: 2
...The Theoretical Perspective of the Cognitive Personality Approach Brett Abstract What I as an author am trying to do in this essay is to grab my audiences attention and explain and appeal to them about the theoretical perspective of the Cognitive Personality approach. I provided historical statements, theories, and research to make each individual aspect of the perspective as clear as possible. This essay will consist of the Theoretical perspective of the approach, Theorists who have contributed to this approach, Compare and contrast two theorists perspectives within this approach, Identify and describe measurement and assessment instruments, and Clinical application of the approach. If you believe the saying 'Perception is everything,' then you may well be a cognitivist. Cognitive theory is focused on the individual's thoughts as the determinate of his or her emotions and behaviors and therefore personality (Dasen). Many cognitive theorists believe that without these thought processes, we could have no emotions and no behavior and would therefore not function. In other words, thoughts always come before any feeling and before any action. The theoretical perspective of the Cognitive approach of personality can be simply described as what personality does, but is much more complex than that. Cognitive Psychology revolves around the notion that if we want to know what makes people tick then we need to understand the internal processes of their mind (Dasen). Cognition...
Words: 1907 - Pages: 8
...Theoretical Perspectives Soc 102 April 15, 2012 Professor Davidson I have chosen to analyze a church in the perspectives of a functional analysis. In order for a church organization to run smoothly, several people must work together. These people include the pastor, deacon, ushers and members of the congregation. Each of these people has to contribute to their part of the church in order for the organization to function properly. Because each contribution works with the others’ for the church to function properly, I believe the church can be analyzed in the perspective of a functional analysis; where society is viewed as an organism, in which all parts must work together in order for the organism to run smoothly (Henslin 2009). Everyone who is a part of a church organization has a part to uphold. This coincides with the perspective of a functionalist, which suggests everyone has a purpose or place in society. Social unity is expected to form either a mechanical solidarity or an organic solidarity. Mechanical solidarity is described as a form of society cohesion that arises when people in a society share similar beliefs and values and also engages in similar types of work. Organic solidarity is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in a society are interdependent, but uphold varying values and beliefs as well as engage in varying types of work (Henslin 2009). In a church, everyone has a part for which they are responsible...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...Theoretical Perspective Theoretical Perspective Essay Katena J. Brooks Grand Canyon University: Principles of Sociology 102 August 20, 2011 Symbolic Interactionism has been used to describe various aspects of human life, according to George Herbert Meade’s theory, symbolic interactionism utilizes symbols in which to identify ones’ beliefs, culture, relationships, etc. Symbols have been used for many years, in one particular area that symbols are looked upon, and used in high regards is religion, and we will look at the Christianity religion from a symbolic interactionism perspectives. What are the symbols used within the Christianity religion? How does one embrace these symbols in order to communicate to one another, and gain a complete understanding of society? Some will argue that religion itself is a symbol, for some it is a symbol of hope, love, forgiveness, a safe haven; it is what defines them as human being, and with complete understanding religion allows those around them to “get them”, this is why I chose Symbolic Interactionism. Within the Christianity religion there are various symbols that are used as a guide too many; God, the cross, the bible, church, the Ten Commandments, and Moses just to name a few. One can ask, what is the relevance of the previous mentioned symbols, and everyday life? As to many within all religions, God is a symbol of the ultimate authority figure, it is God alone who created the world we live in, and it is God who has the right...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
...Momodou L Ceesay SOC-210-OL Reaction Report 1 According, to the text there are two broad categories for “Theoretical Perspectives on Families” (Strong, DeVault, and Cohen 37). The first category is referred to as Macro-Level Theories. Macro-Level Theories comprises focusing on the family as a “social institution” (Strong, DeVault, and Cohen 37). “A social institution is the organized pattern of statuses and structures, roles, and rules by which a society attempts to meet certain of its most basic needs” (Strong, DeVault, Cohen 37). It refers to the family as a whole and can further be broken down into Family ecology theory, Structural functionalism, Conflict theory, and Feminist theory. The second category is Micro-Level Theories. Micro-Level Theories involve “emphasizing what happens in families, looking at everyday behavior, interaction between family members, patterns of communication and so on” (Strong, DeVault, and Cohen 37). It refers to individuals within the family. They can further be broken down into the following four categories, Symbolic interaction, Social exchange theory, Developmental theory and family systems theory. The two examples of “Theoretical Perspectives on Families” that will be explained are Feminist theory and Symbolic interactions. Feminist perspective or theory refers to gender and the “inequity of power in society and especially in family life” (Strong, DeVault, and Cohen 43). The women’s movement didn't begin until the 1960's...
Words: 566 - Pages: 3
...In our society today, there are three theoretical perspectives that act as ways to view our lives. Symbolic Interactionism , Functional Analysis, and Conflict Theory. All of which are centered around the people they derived from who are : George Herbert Mead, Charles Horton Cooley, Robert Merton and Karl Marx. With these theories being a major part of sociology, the research that is collected to study the people in these societies should be looked at as a whole ,for, sociology comes in many forms. Symbolic Interactionism is the idea that one puts meaning to something. We attach our selves to names of certain people or things . Symbols are used to describe the relationships that we have with one another. Without symbolic Interactionism there would be no names to associate with people like a sister or brother . This also includes a teacher , an associate or a co-worker, These people may have names but they have a certain name that categorizes them into where they are related to you and how you should act towards them. Our actions towards people depend on the symbols we associate society with such as how you treat a boss compared to a sibling. Without this type of perspective there would be no way to socialize things such as the government which would mean that the most common things that are used in everyday life wouldn't be here. This theory is used describe things that are untouchable such as love, marriage or being a parent . It all goes back to how you rationalize these...
Words: 2012 - Pages: 9
...Final Journal Entry Which theoretical perspective in psychology do you find most interesting; Psychodynamic, Behaviorisme, Humanism, Cognitive or Developmental? Developmental psychology is a tremendously interesting portion of psychology because it combines different types of psychological theories together and explains why we do the things we do. The ongoing debate of nature vs. nurture explains why humans are so diverse. According to research, heredity (nature) is what makes every human so unique. When babies are born, they have inherited genes that can be traced all the way back to their ancestors. Majority of these traits, however, come from their parents which later on in life define who they are. On the other hand, the nurture factor...
Words: 383 - Pages: 2
...Theoretical Perspectives of John Lennon John Lennon is world renown for being the founding member of one of the most influential bands of the 20th century, The Beatles. John Winston Lennon was born on October 9th, 1940, in Liverpool, England while German Nazis were raining bombs on the city for the third month in a row during World War II. John would grow up knowing very little about his parents, Julia Stanley and Alfred “Alf” Lennon. John Lennon’s early childhood was anything but stable. His father, Alfred, was a sea merchant who was rarely home. While he was at sea, Julia took a halfhearted approach to raising her son as well as to her marriage vows. She became well known as a “good time girl” in the local pubs and with the sailors who were in and out of the Port of Liverpool. She would often bring men home and sleep with them with John in the house, sometimes even in the same bed (Riley, 2011). John was often shuffled around between aunts and uncles. After a long series of unfortunate events that caused an extended time away from his family with no contact, Alfred was able to make it back home to Liverpool only to find Judy pregnant with another man’s baby. She claimed to have been raped and soon after birth, put the baby girl up for adoption. The marriage of Judy and Alfred Lennon diminished shortly thereafter and eventually ended. John was five years old at the time and was cruelly forced to choose between the two parents. Initially he chose his father...
Words: 3233 - Pages: 13
...Theoretical Perspectives of Social Psychology Romerle Johnson ITT Technical Institution Abstract Psychological studies vary in design. In correlational studies a researcher looks for associations among naturally occurring variables, whereas in experimental studies the researcher introduces a change and then monitors its effects. It is important to be able to distinguish between correlational and experimental designs, because only well-controlled experimental designs allow conclusions about cause and effect. This paper will attempt to define the two research methods coinciding with examples and counterpoints toward each design. Theoretical Perspectives of Social Psychology Correlational Versus Experimental Research Correlational research is an important form of educational and psychological research. Some knowledge of correlational methods is important for both the consumption and conduct of research. A correlation is simply defined as a relationship between two variables. The whole purpose of using correlations in research is to figure out which variables are connected. Prime example of the research can be found in most of our childhood experiences, the harmonious sound of the ice cream truck bell. This particular was the universal sound in most American neighborhoods that it was time for a delicious cold treat. Second example of this research comes from academia. The efficient student who studies is more likely to achieve a higher grade on their test...
Words: 486 - Pages: 2
...Sociological Theoretical perspectives: Functionalism, Conflict, and Interactionist perspective on Poverty. GEORGINA JACKSON ARIZONA UNIVERSITY Sociologists view society in different ways. Some see the world basically as a stable and on-going entity. They are impressed with the endurance of the family, organized religion and other social institutions. Sociologists look at the society in different theoretical perspectives such as functional, conflicts and interactional. The functionalist perspective emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability. Talcott parsons, a Harvard university sociologist refined functionalism with the work of Emile Durkheim who established functionalism perspective theory. Coming to the Conflict perspective, it deals with how society, institution may help to maintain the privileges of some people. The interactionist perspective looks at the society in micro level to get insight of the larger macro observation. In this paper, we are going to use functionalist, conflict and interactionist perspectives to evaluate poverty. Functionalist perspective views the society as a system we used to have poverty to be able to have rich people. If there is no poverty, there cannot be rich people. Poverty is a state where by someone lacks materials or basic...
Words: 621 - Pages: 3
...Applying Theoretical Perspective to Curriculum Content ECE315 Language Development in Young Children Victoria Phillips February 20, 2012 Amy Brown There are theorist all who have different views on how children learn and develop. It is important that teachers learn about the different the theories when it comes to educating students. Students learn differently and in different learning environments. Nativist main focus is the acquisition of syntactic knowledge. Noam Chomsky believed that children are born prepared to learn language. “Chomsky proposes that this universal grammar is an innate property of the human mind”(Otto, B. (2010) p.28). “Steven Pinker(1994) contended that language is an instinct, not simply a cultural invention: “Language is a biological adaption to communicate information language is the product of a well-engineered biological instinct”(Otto, B. (2010). The nativist perspective encourages teachers to use a curriculum in a way that will provide opportunities for children to explore language. Syntactic knowledge teaches children about word order and its importance in creating meanings. An activity for syntactic knowledge would be a game of “Bingo”. The teacher must first make sure that the each child understands the rule and the categories of the game. I feel that this should be done in a small group of students. Bingo will help students learn new words, how to pronounce the words and most importantly it teaches them to put words in order....
Words: 829 - Pages: 4
...Micah Chrisman SOC-102 April 24, 2016 Ieisha Jones Theoretical Perspective Essay Structural functionalism is based on the idea that societies are made up of structures and functions. Structures include things like education, politics, family and economics. Functions are the what are produced by the structures; education provides learning and advancement within a society, politics provide social order, etc. These structures act like parts of a machine, each accomplishing a function to achieve harmony. However, because there are functions, there must also be dysfunctions. Dysfunctions are anything that go against the harmony of a society. The theory can be thought of like a car. Many different parts are needed for a car to function, but a number of things can go wrong before the car stops working. A car must have tires to move. If it gets a flat, it can still run, but it hurts the car and is less efficient. Dysfunctions hurt society, but unless there is a major problem, the society will continue to function. Conflict theory, as the name suggests, is a struggle for power. Karl Marx is the father of this theory. He believed that those in power will constantly oppress everyone else in order to keep their power. This theory explains discrimination within a society. At one point, white males gained power. In order to maintain this power, they oppressed the other races and women. This would allow them to keep power. Marx took this theory to all aspects of life. He saw capitalism...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...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
