lecture 3 three main theories

8/14/2019 Lecture 3 Three Main Theories

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The Three MainThe Three Main

SociologicalSociologicalApproachesApproachesAngie Andriot

Lecture 3


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Last TimeLast Time

We:We:

1. Defined what a social problem is

2. Described the sociological

approach to social problems3. Identified the main methods anddesigns used to study socialproblems


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Key TermsKey Terms

Were:Were:

Social Problem

Objective Condition

Subjective ConcernSociological Research

Survey

Experiment

InterviewDocument

Participant Observation


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Today We:Today We:

1.Finish up the methods byexamining the types ofsurvey questions

2.Identify the 3 mainsociological frameworks


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Type of question... Best Used for...

Open-ended When respondents' own words areimportant; when the surveyor doesn'tknow all the possible answers.

Closed-ended when all response choices are known;when quantitative statistical resultsare desired.

Likert-scale To assess a person's feelings about

something.Multiple-choice When there are a finite number of

options

Ordinal To rate things in relation to otherthings.

Categorical When the answers are categories, andeach respondent must fall into exactlyone of them.

Numerical For real numbers, like age, number ofmonths, etc.

.


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This WeeksThis Weeks

Concepts:Concepts:

TheoryFunctionalism

Function versus dysfunction

Manifest versus latent functionStructure

Conflict Theorycapitalism

Symbolic interactionismSymbol

Social construction of reality


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SociologicalSociological

ResearchResearchbased on the use ofEMPIRICAL data tosubstantiate concepts and

theories and to test

hypotheses.

A simple, abstract construct (idea) that

represents some aspect of the world.

Facts that we observe, measure, and verify

with our senses.An educated guess

or proposition

about the

relationshipbetween two or

more phenomena

that is stated in

testable form.

A formal statement that attempts to explain a

phenomenon by attributing it to particular

relationships among a group of concepts.


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Perspectives:Perspectives:


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"There is no society known

where a more or less developedcriminality is not found underdifferent forms. No peopleexists whose morality is notdaily infringed upon. We musttherefore call crime necessaryand declare that it cannot benon-existent, that thefundamental conditions ofsocial organization, as theyare understood, logically imply

it.

Emile Durkheim


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FunctionalismFunctionalism

Society is a self-adjustingMACHINE that is composed of

many parts

Social problems are failures ofsome part of the system that

interfere with societys smoothfunctioning.

Each part exists in order to serve a function. If

that part fails, the machine can suffer.

FunctionFunction

DysfunctionDysfunction

StructureStructure

ManifestManifest

LatentLatent

a THEORETICAL perspective


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"The history of allhitherto existing

society is the historyof class struggles."

Karl Marx


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Conflict TheoryConflict TheorySociety is a self-adjusting

MACHINE that is composed ofmany parts, each competing

with one another for scarceresources

Social problems are the naturaland inevitable outcome of social

struggle.

Those who control the means of production

also control the power.CapitalismCapitalism



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If [people] definetheir situations as

real, they are real intheir consequences."

Thomas Theorem


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SymbolicSymbolic

InteractionismInteractionismPeople CREATE, NEGOTIATE,and CHANGE social meaning

through the process ofINTERACTION

Social acts that depend on andemerge though processes of

communication and interpretation

The purpose or significance of something, as

determined by how we respond to and make

use of it

Individual PerceptionIndividual Perception

Social OrganizationSocial Organization



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lecture 3 three main theories

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