Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Sociological
Perspective
First Semester/Second Quarter
Sociological Perspective
is an approach to understanding
human behavior by placing it within its
broader social context. C. Wright Mills
referred to the sociological perspective
as the intersection of biography (the
individual) and history (social factors
that influence the individual).
Three Main
Sociological
Perspectives
1. Functionalist Perspective
2. Conflict
3. Symbolic Interaction
Functionalist
Perspective
Functionalism studies how the
different aspects of society
contribute to ensuring its stability
and continued function. They
believe that each aspect of society
serves an important purpose. They
also believe on the intrinsic value of
social activities or roles.
Functionalist
Perspective
Conflict
Perspective
Conflict theory focuses on the
creation and reproduction of
inequalities. Conflict theorists are
deeply critical of social
stratification, asserting that it
benefits only some people, not
everyone in the society.
Inequality is produced by Characteristics
the scarce resources of the of inequality
social structure.
Competition and conflict set
in. This theory is useful in
explaining how the
dominant groups use their
power to exploit the less
powerful groups in the
society.
Symbolic
Interaction
Symbolic interactionism is a theory
that examines everyday interactions
of individuals that explain their
behaviors. It focuses on the micro-
level perspectives of interactions.
This will explain the effects of their
everyday interactions.
 Symbolic Actions &
Our identity is shaped by social
interactions. Symbolic
Gestures
interactionism sees that our
self-concept is developed by
observing how others interact
with us and label us. By
observing how others view us,
we see a reflection of ourselves
that Cooley calls the looking
glass self.