SOC 1.3

Sociology 1.3 requires you to explain the three primary perspectives that are used in Sociology and then to apply them to different situations. 

In many cases the perspectives are like the cartoon above. There is no one perspective that has to be used but depending on which perspective you use you are likely to see something different. 

The Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives look at large groups in society where as the Interactionalist perspective focuses more on how the individual impacts/ is impacted by society. In some cases the topic that you are wanting to study lends itself best to one perspective. 

For example if you want to study how the Federal government has changed over time in the United States you would lean towards the functionalist perspective. This is because you are looking at a large social institution such as government and you are focusing on the way this institution has changed in its function. 

If you wanted to study how an LGBTQIA youth are influenced by the change in marriage equality laws in the United States you are most likely to use the symbolic interactionalist perspective. It is likely that you would interview individuals or small groups to identify influence on these individuals. 

If you wanted to study gender inequality in the media industry you are likely to use a Conflict perspective. This is because you are looking at power structures related to limited resources. 

While you are only held accountable for the three primary perspectives it will be helpful to know their offshoots especially when deciding how to apply the perspectives.

Structural Functionalist Perspective - Neofunctionalism 

Conflict Perspective- Critical Theory - Feminist Theory- Queer Theory

Symbolic Interactionalist- Ethnomethodology - Conversation analysis