THEORIES OF SOCIETY

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THEORIES OF SOCIETY
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AIMS

• To understand the main sociological theories.
• To understand their strengths and weaknesses.

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STRUCTURE ACTION

• What shapes our actions?
• Are we moulded by society or do we have the
  freedom to decide our own actions?

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SOCIAL SYSTEMS

• A structuralist approach.
• Emphasises the power of society over the
  individual.
• Social expectations, social pressures, social
  control.
• We learn roles, norms and values.

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SOCIAL ACTION

• An interpretivist approach.
• Individuals actively create their own social
  world.
• We take action based on our own interpretations
  and meanings.
• Roles, norms and values are flexible guidelines.

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SYSTEMS VS ACTIONS

• Not saying only one is right.
• It is a question of emphasis.

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CONSENSUS CONFLICT

• How would you describe society?
• Is it based on consensus (co-operation) or
  conflict?

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CONSENSUS

• Agreement is the basis of social life.
• Consensus provides the basis for co-operation and
  social unity without it all would be chaos.
• Value consensus provides a harmony of interests
  in society.

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CONFLICT

• Basic conflicts of interest in society.
• Some groups gain at the expense of others.
• Norms values are imposed by the more powerful
  groups.
• Consensus is, in fact, coercion.
• Co-operation is, in fact, exploitation.

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THE THEORIES

• There are specific sociological theories arising
  from these ideas.
• A sociological theory is a set of ideas which
  claims to explain the social behaviour of human
  beings.

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FUNCTIONALISM

• Society is a system each institution has a
  function to perform.
• If all functions well and social order is
  maintained then the society will survive.
• Value consensus is crucial everybody needs to
  pull in the same direction.
• Social disorder is a temporary disturbance to the
  system.

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CRITICISMS

• A deterministic view of human nature.
• It says people are governed by society.
• What about free will?

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MARXISM

• The economic system shapes society.
• Ruling class owns the means of production.
• Media distorts the truth.
• Legal political systems support rulers.
• Values form a ruling class ideology.
• Marx believed the conflicts of interest would
  lead to the downfall of capitalism.

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CRTICISMS

• A deterministic view of human nature.
• It says people are governed by society.
• What about free will?
• Downfall of Communism in the Soviet Union and
  Eastern Europe.

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FEMINISM

• Social inequality which benefits men at the
  expense of women.
• Patriarchy male dominance can be seen in every
  area of society.
• Feminist research rejects the view that male
  dominance is inevitable or natural.

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CRITICISMS

• Preoccupied with gender inequality.
• Ignore the rest of society.

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SOCIAL ACTION THEORY

• Focuses on small-scale interaction situations.
• Social life is directed and constructed by
  negotiated meanings.
• Human action is not governed by the social system
  it is a creative process directed by
  individuals in interaction situations.

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CRITICISMS

• Social action theorists tend to ignore the wider
  society.
• Human behaviour is not completely free, creative,
  spontaneous and flexible.
• Society does have an influence.