THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

IN
SOCIOLOGY

Reported by:
ASNAIRAH & ASMIRAH DARAGANGAN
 SOCIOLOGY
 The word Sociology originates from Latin prefix :soci
us, “ companion"; and the suffix -ology, "the study of
", from Greek lógos, "knowledge" .

Sociology is the systematic study of society. Sociology

encompasses all the elements of society such as social
relation, social stratification, social interaction, culture.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY

A. SOCIAL ORDER

B. CONSENSUS THEORY

C. CONFLICT THEORY

D. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

E. ECOLOGICAL

F. FEMINISM

G. MULTICULTURALISM
 SOCIAL ORDER
Social order is a state in which the society’s
fundamental operations are carried out easily and
without interference. This can be attained if the
institutions that compose the society perform their
tasks efficiently. At this state, a normal and organized
way of interacting and behaving is maintained among
the members of the society.
Social order is maintained by peopl
e with the greatest political, econo
mic and social resources, which mea
ns that social order is directed by an
elite few at the expense of the major
ity.
 social order emerges because of c
onflicts between the working class, o
r proletariat, and the elite class. The ri
ch and powerful elite class, force soc
According to Karl Marx, social order is base
d on the perpetuation of false-class consc
iousness and the ruling class ideology.
The false-class consciousness is impos
ed on the working class by repressive sta
te apparatuses and ideological state appar
atuses which are collaborated into different
parts of society.
Ideological state apparatuses indoctrinat
e the ideas of being the perfect “proletariat”
into the working class and hence, creating
Repressive State Apparatuses ar
e institutions which demand s
ocial order and use force or sanctio
ns to sustain it.
Examples of repressive state appar
atuses are the legal system and th
e armies of a country. When the co
nflict of interest is exposed, social o
rder controlled by the ruling class
 CONSENSUS THEORY
Consensus is a concept of society in which the
absence of conflict is seen as the equilibrium state of
society based on a general or widespread agreement
among all members of a particular society.
Consensus Theories
Emphasizes on social order, stability and social
regulation.
See shared norms and values as fundamental to
society, focus on social order based on tacit agre
ements, and view social change as occurring in s
low and orderly fashion.
Consensus Theorists
Examine value integration in society.
 CONFLICT THEORY
-A disagreement or clash between opposing ideas,
principles, or people.

-it states that tensions and conflicts arise when

resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between
groups in society and that these conflicts become the engine
for social change.
MARX'S CONFLICT THEORY
Conflict theory originated in the work of
KARL MARX, who focused on the caus
es and consequences of class conflict
between the BOURGEOISIE (the owner
s of the means of production and th
e capitalists) and the PROLETARIAT (th
e working class and the poor), Focusing
on the economic, social, and political i
mplications of the rise of capitalism in E
urope, Marx theorized that this system,
This Theory assumes that those who have wea
lth perpetually try to increase their wealth
at the expense and suffering of those who have
not. It is a power struggle which is most often
won by wealthy elite and lost by the common p
erson of common means.
Power is the ability to get what one wants even
in the presence of opposition. Authority i
s the institutionalized legitimate power. The
Bourgeoisie or wealthy elite have the most pow
er. Bourgeoisie exploit the Proletariats to maxi
mize their profit. The Proletariats are the comm
on working class, lower class, and poor mem
In general thought, Conflict theory
focuses on the conflict between t
hose who have power and those who do
not, the haves and the have not
s, the over privileged and under pri
vilege, the 1% and the 99%, the
bourgeoisie and the proletarist.
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
Symbolic interactionism, is a major fram
ework of sociological theory. This pers
pective relies on the symbolic meanin
g that people develop and rely upon in t
he process of social interaction.
Symbolic interactionism also suggests th
at our identity or sense of self is shaped
by social interaction. We develop our sel
f- concept by observing how others i
The basic notion of symbolic interactionism is that human action
and interaction are understandable only through the exchange of
meaningful communication or symbols.

Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the

subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and
behaviors.
MEAD’S APPROACH TO SYMBOLIC INTERACTION RESTED ON
THREE BASIC PREMISES

1. The first is that people act toward the things they encounter on the basis of
what those things mean to them. (Things, in this context, refer not just to o
bjects, but also to people, activities and situation).
2. Second, we learn what things are by observing how other people respond to
them that is through social interaction
3. Third, as a result of ongoing interaction, the sounds (or words), gestures, fac
ial expressions, and body postures we use in dealing with others acquire sym
bolic meanings that are shared by people who belong to the same culture. Th
e meaning of a symbolic gesture extends beyond the act itself. A hand shake,
for instance, us a symbolic gesture of greeting among Filipinos. As such it co
nveys more than just a mutual grasping of fingers and palms. It expresses bo
th parties shared understanding that a social interaction is beginning.
 ECOLOGICAL
The ecological perspective can be traced back to biological
theories that explain how organisms adapt to their environments
.

"Ecology" means "the interdisciplinary scientific study of the livin

g conditions of organisms in interaction with each other and with
the surroundings, organic as well as inorganic" (Naess,1989). The
social work discipline explains that an individual is "constantly
creating, restructuring, and adapting to the environment as the
environment is affecting them" (Ungar, 2002).
Ecological theories focus on interrelation transactions between
systems, and stress that all existing elements within an ecosyste
m play an equal role in maintaining balance of the whole.
Ecological systems theory ( Bronfenbrenner, 1979)

Microsystem- The most basic system, referring to an individual's

most immediate environment. The microsystem is the layer closes
t to the child and contains the structures with which the child ha
s direct contact.

Mesosystem- A more generalized system referring to the interacti

onal processes between multiple Microsystems. Mesosystems con
nect two or more systems in which child, parent and family live
Exosystem- Settings on a more generalized level which affect
indirectly, family interactions on the micro and meso level.
The structures in this layer impact the child's development
by interacting with some structure in his/her microsystems.

Macrosystem- The most generalized forces, affecting individuals

and family functioning. The macrosystem is composed of cultural
values, customs and laws. It refers to the overall patterns of ideology
and organization that characterize a given society or social group.
FEMINISM
Feminism is a collective term for systems of
belief and theories that pay special attentio
n to women’s rights and women’s position i
n culture and society. The term tends to be
used for the women’s rights movement, whi
ch began in the late 18th century and conti
nues to campaign for complete political, soc
ial, and economic equality between women
and men.
 Theories of gender development

Social learning theory

Proponents of social learning theory believe that parents, as the distributors of reinf
orcement, reinforce appropriate gender role behaviors.

Cognitive developmental theory

Children engage in symbolic thinking by about 2 years of age. Using this ability, chil
dren acquire their gender identity and then, Kohlberg believes, they begin the proce
ss of acquiring gender-appropriate behavior.

Gender schema theory

A schema is a mental blueprint for organizing information, and children develop an
d formulate an appropriate gender. Such schema helps a child to develop gender id
entity and formulate an appropriate gender role.
GENDER STEREOTYPING- defined as the beliefs hu
mans hold about the characteristics associated with
males and females.

GENDER AND EQUALITY-gender gives women and

men the same entitlements to all aspects of human d
evelopment, including economic, social, cultural, civil
and political rights, the same level of respect, the sa
me opportunities to make choices, and the same leve
l of power to shape the outcomes of these choices.
Gender Inequality
Women get less of materials resources, social status, power,
and opportunities for self-actualization than do men who s
hare their social location – be it a location based on class, r
ace, occupation, ethnicity, religion, education, nationality, o
r any other socially significant factor.

Gender and Education

The education of women is seen as providing the key to sec
uring intergenerational transfers of knowledge, and provin
g the substance of long-term gender equality and social cha
nge.
 MULTICULTURALISM
According to Harrison (1984), multiculturalism
is a theory about the foundations of a culture rather t
han a practice which subsumes cultural ideas. It is a po
licy that emphasizes the unique characteristics of differ
ent cultures, especially as they relate to one another in
receiving nations. Multiculturalism is a systematic and
comprehensive response to cultural and ethnic diversit
y, with educational, linguistic, economic and social com
ponents and specific institutional mechanisms.
 MUTICULTURAL EDUCATIO
N
Banks and Banks (1995) define multicultural education as a field of
study and an emerging discipline whose major aim is to create equ
al educational opportunities from diverse racial, ethnic, social clas
s and cultural groups.
According to James banks (2009), the primary goal of multicultur
al education is to transform the school so that male and female st
udents, exceptional students, and students from diverse cultural, s
ocial-class, racial and ethnic groups experience an equal opportun
ity to learn.
 Dimensions of Multicultural Education
Content integration- it deals with the extent to which teache
rs use examples and content from variety of cultures
and groups to illustrate key concepts, generalization
s, and issues within their subject are or disciplines.

Knowledge construction process- it describes how teachers

help students to understand, investigate, and deter
mine how biases, frames of reference, and perspecti
ves within a discipline influence the ways in which k
nowledge is constructed within it.
Prejudice reduction- it describes lesson and activities used by teac
hers to help students to develop positive attitudes toward
different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.
Equity pedagogy- It exists when teachers modify their teaching in
ways that will facilitate the academic achievement of stud
ents from diverse racial, cultural, and social class groups.
Empowering school culture and social structure- the dimension I
s created when the culture and organization of the school
are transformed in ways that enable students from divers
e racial, ethnic, and gender groups to experience equality
and equal status.