Sociological theory
Read & consider
To have a sociological perspective is to look at your social world in terms of the major sociological theories.
There are three main Sociological theories:
Structuralism/Functionalism
Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interactionism
(there are also subgroups and combinations of these)
To this we are also going to add: Feminist theory.
Sociologists generally examine social interactions and social structures in terms of power (who has power over others, who controls what,
who doesn’t have it) and how these social factors shape behaviours. A sociological perspective looks at the impact of social factors such
as age, gender, ethnic group, socioeconomic group, cultural group, national group, geographical location, occupational group, education
etc.
To develop a sociological perspective we need to break down the assumptions we have about our social world. We need to be able to stand
outside our own ideological frameworks and see the everyday and the ordinary as unfamiliar and the object of scientific study. This can be
difficult!17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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3. Major social theories
Watch & consider
This video follows on from the crash course in sociology video we watched in week 1. It looks at theoretical paradigms or theories of
sociology, macro and micro distinctions and the 3 major paradigms in sociology.
Watch: Major sociological paradigms: Crash course sociology #2 (YouTube 9:39)
Major Sociological Paradigms: Crash Course Sociology #2
CrashCourse. (2017, March 21)
Major sociological paradigms: crash course sociology #2 [Video} YouTube https://youtu.be/DbTt_ySTjaY17/4/23,
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4. Activity: Durkheim
Watch, consider & post
Emile Durkheim is considered a founding thinker of sociology. He focussed on how a society is formed and how it functions, or how a society
maintains order and stability. He is attributed with the creation of the functionalist perspective in sociology. His work remains very relevant
today as we explore culture and what holds a society together as well as what creates division and our response to that division in a
society.
Watch: Sociology – Emile Durkheim (YouTube 7:47)
SOCIOLOGY – Émile Durkheim
The School of Life (2015, May 22)
Sociology – Emile Durkheim [Video] You Tube https://youtu.be/z9W0GQvONKc
Structural-functional theory is often criticised for focussing too much on the stability of societies and its inability to explain social change.
For these reasons, many sociologists now believe that functionalism is no longer useful as a macro-level theory.
Activity: Emile Durkheim did extensive research on suicide during the latter part of the nineteenth century. His theory as to why people
commit suicide focuses on the condition of social cohesion present in a society and experienced by the individual.
To help us understand Durkheim’s theory of social cohesion, let’s undertake a critical analysis of Australia’s welfare and health.
Go to Australia’s Welfare 2019 or the Australian Bureau of Statistics and find either some welfare or health statistics that support Durkheim’s
theory
Post your response by clicking on the forum icon below.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2019).
Australia’s welfare 2019 : in brief. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-
welfare/australias-welfare-2019-in-brief/contents/table-of-content17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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5. Activity: Marx
Watch, consider & post
Watch: Political theory – Karl Marx (YouTube 9:27)
POLITICAL THEORY – Karl Marx
The School of Life (2014, December 19)
Political theory – Karl Marx [Video] You Tube https://youtu.be/fSQgCy_iIcc
Activity: Conflict theory has been criticised for focussing on conflict to the exclusion of recognising stability. Can you think of any social
structures that are stable or have gradually progressed over time rather than changing abruptly as conflict theory would suggest?
Post your response by clicking on the forum icon below.17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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6. Activity: Weber
Watch, consider & post
Watch: Sociology – Max Weber (YouTube 7:22)
SOCIOLOGY – Max Weber
The School of Life (2015, February 20)
Sociology – Max Weber [Video] You Tube https://youtu.be/ICppFQ6Tabw
Activity: Weber also recognised that in addition to class, society can be stratified by groups who have different status. Which groups in our
society have a status that is viewed with prestige and something to be desired and which groups have low status and prestige and as a
result may experience scorn, disadvantage or discrimination? How much power do these groups wield?
Post your response by clicking on the forum icon below.17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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7. Activity: Feminist theory
Watch, consider & post
Watch: Theories of Gender: Crash course sociology #33 (YouTube 10:37)
Theories of Gender: Crash Course Sociology #33
CrashCourse (2017, November 14)
Theories of gender: Crash Course Sociology #33 [Video] You Tube https://youtu.be/CquRz_cceH8
Activity: Some feminist theorists identify the following 5 major issues of feminism today:
!. The division of domestic labour
“. The media
#. The glass ceiling
$. Social inequality
%. Violence against women
Yet often these issues are surrounded in controversy and heated opposition. Why? How can a sociological perspective affect social
change?
Post your response by clicking on the forum icon below.17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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8. Sociological Theory Today
Read & consider
These three approaches are still the main foundation of modern sociological theory, but some evolution has been seen. Structural-
functionalism was a dominant force after World War II and until the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, sociologists began to feel that structural-
functionalism did not sufficiently explain the rapid social changes happening in the United States at that time.
Conflict theory then gained prominence, as there was renewed emphasis on institutionalised social inequality. Critical theory, and the
particular aspects of feminist theory and critical race theory, focused on creating social change through the application of sociological
principles, and the field saw a renewed emphasis on helping ordinary people understand sociology principles, in the form of public
sociology.
Postmodern social theory attempts to look at society through an entirely new lens by rejecting previous macro-level attempts to explain
social phenomena. Generally considered as gaining acceptance in the late 1970s and early 1980s, postmodern social theory is a micro-level
approach that looks at small, local groups and individual reality. Its growth in popularity coincides with the constructivist aspects of
symbolic interactionism.
Read:1.3 theoretical perspectives from
OpenStax. (2016).
Introduction to Sociology (2nd ed.). OpenStax CNX. https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-2e17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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9. Activity: Sociological perspectives on the family
Consider & post
Later in this subject we will be looking at the topic of gender equality and will be exploring the family further. However, in this activity we are
going to consider how each of the sociological perspectives view the family.
Click on the Google doc link below to post your responses
Additional resource
The following video is an additional resource if you have some extra time. It’s not very interesting to watch so just put your headphones on
and listen to it next time you are on the train, bus, in a waiting room…
Video: (YouTube 16:47)
Marshall, D. (2013, July 8).
Sociology of the family [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/prHCBereGdE17/4/23, 12:13 pmWeek 2
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10. Activity: Applying the sociological perspective everyday
Read, consider & post
Benefits of applying the sociological perspective to our daily lives:
assess the truth of community held assumptions ie common sense, taken-for-granted, status quo: Are these commonly held beliefs
true? Why are they so widely held? For example where do differences in gender, ethnicity or class come from?
assess both the opportunities and the constraints that characterise our lives – how can we pursue our goals?
empowers us to participate actively in shaping our society
helps us recognise diversity and confront the challenges of living in a diverse world
Read this article which takes a sociological view on the tearing down of statues of racist historical figures: We see history more clearly after
tearing down statues of racist colonisers
Savoulian, R. (2020, July 9).
We see history more clearly after tearing down statues of racist
colonisers. https://rupensavoulian.com/2020/07/09/we-see-history-more-clearly-after-tearing-down-statues-of-racist-colonisers/
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Where and when my
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11. Activity: Marginalisation
Consider & post
“What is marginalisation? Marginalisation describes a state in which individuals are living on the fringes of society because of their
compromised or severely limited access to the resources and opportunities needed to fully participate in society and to live a decent life.
Marginalised people experience a complex, mutually reinforcing mix of economic, social, health and early-life disadvantage, as well as
stigma.” (Cruwys et al., 2013, p.4)
Consider a group in Australia that can be identified as marginalised based on the definition above, for example, Indigenous Australians,
unemployed people and welfare-reliant single mothers. The sociological perspective provides a way for us to analyse and explain
marginalisation. We can analyse the social structures that shape society at a macro-level or we can look at the social interactions that
occur in a specific situation at a micro-level.
In the following activity think of the social structures in Australian society and the social interactions in a specific situation that might
contribute to the marginalisation of that group. Then consider what social changes need to be made to ensure social inclusion.
Post your response in the Google doc by clicking on the icon below.
Additional resource
Cruwys, T., Berry, H.L., Cassells, R., Duncan, A., O’Brien, L.V., Sage, B. & D’Souza, G. (2013).
Marginalised Australians: Characteristics and
predictors of exit over ten years 2001-2010. University of Canberra. https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/assets/documents/hilda-
bibliography/other-publications/2013/Cruwys_etal_marginalised_Australians.pdf
Korff, J. (2020, 17 July).
Aboriginal prison rates. Creative spirits. https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/law/aboriginal-prison-
rates#Aboriginal_prison_statistics:_%22Every_year_it_gets_worse%22
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