Happy Tuesday!!!! Take out your articles and questions sheet We are going to discuss what you read as a class

Nacirema= American How does this change your perception of the civilization? What does this tell you about how others view our society?

Major Perspectives in Sociology

Its all how you look at it Sociologists can approach the study of human society in different ways –Macro view- “big picture”- large social phenomena Social institutions and inequalities –Micro view- zeroing in on immediate social situations in which people interact with one another From these 2 views, Sociologists have developed various theoretical perspectives- a set of general assumptions about the nature of society

Functionalist Perspective- Focus on social order Each part of society- the family, the school, the economy, the state-performs certain functions for the society as a whole All parts are interdependent –Family depends on school to educate children –School depends on the family and state to provide financial support –State depends on family and school to help children grow to be good citizens, pay taxes, etc. If something disrupts this social order, its parts will adjust to produce new stability

social order What holds the society together? Social consensus- most members of a society agree on what would be good for everybody and cooperate to achieve it Mechanical solidarity-type of social cohesion that develops when people do similar work and have similar beliefs and values Organic solidarity- social cohesion that arises when the people perform specialized jobs and therefore depend on one another

Conflict Perspective- Focus of Social Conflict Portrays society as always changing and always marked by conflict Society is made up of conflicting groups –Women and men –Blacks and whites –Religious groups The more powerful groups gain more than the less powerful, but the former continues to seek more wealth and power

Feminist Theory A form of conflict theory that explain human life in terms of the experience of women Difference in interests-caring, nurturing, gentle Unequal social situations-less power, freedom, respect Women are oppressed-restrained, controlled by male dominant society –PATRIARCHY

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Focus on Social Interactions Directs our attention to the details of a specific situation and the interaction between individuals and situations Society is composed of individuals whose actions depend on interpreting each other’s behavior Social order is maintained through constant negotiations between individuals