CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL PARADIGMS ON SOCIETY AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR THEORETICAL PARADIGMS 1. DEFINITION OF TERMS a. Theory — a statement of how and.why specific facts are related. It refers to an organized body of ideas as to the truth of something, usually derived from the study of facts related to it, but sometimes a result of exercising the speculative imagination. Ex. Durkheim: “A high risk of suicide stems from a low level of social integration.” b. Theoretical Paradigm — a basic image of society that guides thinking and research. Ex. Viewing different dimensions of society. e.g., a8 a stable system: as a changing system; as a system in conflict; as a social interacting system. 2, FOUR GENERAL THEORETICAL PARADIGMS AND THEIR PROPONENTS Literature on theoretical perspective gives the following general theoretical approaches to explaining society and social behavi 1) The Evolutionary Theory — Evolutionary Theory proposes that societies, like biological organisms, undergo different stages in the development cycle, and that ocieties passed through different phases of growth and development, from ple-primitive archaic society to complex-modern society. Spencer argued rough his theory of “survival of the fittest,” that evolution was progressive, natural selection resulted in the survival of the fittest, enabling strong eties to survive and leading the weak ones to perish. The evolutionary proach looks for patterns of change. This approach seemed to offer a ing explanation of how human societies come to exist, grow, and elop. Ex. Through increase in population and better adaptation to the ironment the stronger families banded together to form clans, clans to . tribes to community or village, towns/municipalities or cities to vince, to a nation, and so on to a world global community,2) Structural-Functional Paradigm — This paradigm is a framework for building theory that envisions ociety as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity stability. It views society as an organized network of cooperating groups rating in an orderly manner according to generally accepted social norms. nee members share these sets of rules and values, a balanced harmonious em is maintained. It recognizes that our lives are guided by social structures — a relatively stable pattern of social behavior. It gives shape to social system. e.g., family and its social functions or consequences for the operation of society. The proponents of this paradigm include: 1. Auguste Comte — stressed social integration 2. Herbert Spencer - “Social Darwinism” Society is a social organism with interdependent parts performing specific functions for the system. 3. Talcott Parsons — treated society as a social system with basic tasks to perform. 4. Emile Durkheim — stressed that “mechanical solidarity” and “organic solidarity” holds society together. Mechanical solidarity refers to the customs and beliefs of conventional traditional societies. Organic solidarity refers to formal laws in modern society. 5. Rebert Merten - explained that social functions are the consequences of any social pattern. He classified functions inte: functions — the recognized and intended nces of any social pattern. Ex. Higher education — to provide knowledge and skills for the effective performance of jobs. b. Latent functions — are consequences that are largely zed and unintended. Ex. Higher education becomes a “marriage broker”, eps millions of youth out of the labor market.3) The Social-Conflict Paradigm — This is a framework for building theory that envisions society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change. It highlights division or opposition based on inequality. Factors such as social class, race, ethnicity, sex and age are linked to unequal distribution of money, power, education and restige. The social structure benefits some people while depriving xamiple: comet between dominant and disadvantaged people — rich vs. poor; capitalists vs. workers, whites vs. blacks; men vs. women. The approach views class conflict and class exploitation as the prime moving force in mankind’s history, and that the struggle for power and wealth as a continuous process between and among categories of people. ponents of this approach include: i Karl Marx ~ stressed class struggles. . E, B, Du Bois ~ pointed out racial conflict; racism. ‘oser ond Bahrendorf — advanced that prejudice and ation conflicts with seemingly organized cooperative ought about by power relations. $) Symbolie-Interaction Paradigm — This paradigm is a theoretical ‘framework that envisions society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals. Society arises as shared reality that its members construct as they interact with one another. Through the human process of finding meaning in our surrounding and to the symbols we employ to convey these meanings to ‘one another, we define our identities, rights and obligations toward others. jewed as a mosaic of subjective meanings and variable responses. interaction paradigm includes such other approaches as ethno methodology and social exchange. dramaiurg ‘The proponents of the $-I paradigm includes: 16