Sociological Theories free essay sample

Mills was able to shift his focus to examine how people influence others based on external social forces that shape personal experiences. Mill’s definition of the sociological imagination allowed for the ability for others to see the impact of social forces on individual’s private and public affiliations. Through Mill’s establishment of the sociological imagination, a perspective on religion could then be observed through viewing religious institutions as merely a product of social foundations (Dandaneau, 146). In Steven P. Dandaneau’s book, Taking it Big, Developing Sociological Consciousness in Postmodern Times, the analysis of chapter seven entitled, Religion and Society- Of Gods and Demons, created an assessment which viewed the nature of religion as a social institution. The arrangement of religion within a society creates a structural analysis of patterns and beliefs that are replicated through the development of social establishments and are maintained within a society by linking social institutions directly to a religious belief. Many functionalists base their model of society around the assumption of basic needs and go to explain how different parts of society help to meet those needs. Marxists, on the other hand, see society as resting upon an economic base or infrastructure, with a superstructure above it. They see society as divided into social classes which have the potential to be in conflict with each other. However, the main differences between functionalist and Marxist perspectives then, is the way they characterize the social structure. Functionalists stress the extent to which the different elements of the social structure fit together harmoniously. Marxists stress the lack of fit between the different parts, particularly social classes, and so emphasize the potential for social conflict. Not all sociological perspectives base their analysis upon an examination of the structure of society as a whole. Rather than seeing human behaviour as being largely determined by society, they see society as being the product of human activity. They stress the meaningfulness of human behaviour, denying that it is primarily determined by the structure of society. These approaches are known as social action theory, interpretive sociology or micro sociology. Max Weber was the first sociologist to advocate a social action approach. Symbolic interactionists try to explain human behaviour and human society by examining the ways in which people interpret the actions of others, develop a self-concept or self-image, and act in terms of meanings. Ethnomethodology moves even further from a structural approach by denying the existence of a social structure as such. They see the social world as consisting of the definitions and categorizations of members of society. The job of the sociologist, in their view, is to interpret, describe and understand the subjective reality. Marxism is an economic and socio-political worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and a critique of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid-19th century by two German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marxism encompasses Marxian economic theory, a sociological theory and a revolutionary view of social change that has greatly influenced socialist political movements worldwide. Courtesy of Lee Bryant, Director of Sixth Form, Anglo-European School, Ingatestone, Essex 3 Related Pages Theories in Sociology Key beliefs of functionalism Feminism Social Action Theory The Labelling Theory Michel Foucault Women and Crime Why do people commit crime? Crime and Globalisation Feminism and Crime