Republic of The Philippines

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROVINCE OF BUKIDNON
VALENCIA COLLEGES (BUK.) INC.

HAGKOL, VALENCIA CITY BUKIDNON 8709
SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES 1
SUBMITTED BY:
LLEWELLYN Q.CABALLERO
BA-SOCIOLOGY (WEEKEND-2ND)
SUBMITTED TO:
MARJORIE O.ALCONTIN
INSTRUCTOR
INTRODUCTION:
A sociological theory is a set of ideas that provides an explanation for human society. Theories are
selective in terms of their priorities and perspectives and the data they define as significant. As a result
they provide a particular and partial view of reality. Sociological theories can be grouped together
according to a variety of criteria. The most important of these is the distinction between Structural and
Social action theories.

Structural, or macro perspectives analyses the way society as a whole fits together. Structural theory
sees society as a system of relationships that creates the structure of the society in which we live. It is
this structure that determines our lives and characters. Structured sets of social relationships are the
‘reality’ that lie below the appearance of ‘the free individual’ of western individualism. Structuralism
focuses on the particular set of ‘structural laws’ that apply in any one society.

Despite their differences, both functionalism and Marxism use a model of how society as a whole works.
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 behavior as being largely determined by society, they see society as
being the product of human activity. They stress the meaningfulness of human behavior, 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 interactionist try to
explain human behavior 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.
Émile Durkheim, one of the founding thinkers of sociology, was born in France on April 15, 1858. The
year 2017 marked the 159th anniversary of his birth. To honor the birth and life of this important
sociologist, take a look at why he remains important to sociologists today.
What Makes Society Work?
Durkheim's body of work as a researcher and theorist focused on how it is that a society can form and
function, which is another way of saying, how it can maintain order and stability (see his books
titled The Division of Labor in Society and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life). For this reason, he is
considered the creator of the functionalist perspective within sociology. Durkheim was most interested
in the glue that holds society together, which means he focused on the shared experiences,
perspectives, values, beliefs, and behaviors that allow people to feel that they are a part of a group and
that working together to maintain the group is in their common interest.
In essence, Durkheim's work was all about culture, and as such, it remains deeply relevant and
important to how sociologists study culture today. We draw on his contributions to help make sense of
what holds us together, and also, quite importantly, to help we understand the things that divide us,
and how we deal (or don't deal) with those divisions.
On Solidarity and the Collective Conscience
Durkheim referred to how we bind together around a shared culture as "solidarity." Through his
research, he found that this was achieved through a combination of rules, norms, and roles; the
existence of a "collective conscience," which refers to how we think in common given our shared
culture; and through the collective engagement in rituals that remind us of the values we share in
common, of our group affiliation, and our shared interests.
So, how is this theory of solidarity, crafted in the late 19th century, relevant today? One subfield in
which it remains salient is the Sociology of Consumption. In studying why, for example, people often
make purchases and use credit in ways that conflict with their own economic interests, many
sociologists draw on Durkheim's concepts to point out the important role thatconsumerist rituals play in
our lives and relationships, like giving gifts for Christmas and Valentine's Day, or waiting in line to be
among the first owners of a new product.
Other sociologists rely on Durkheim's formulation of the collective conscious to study how certain
beliefs and behaviors persist over time, and how they connect to things like politics and public policy.
The collective conscious—a cultural phenomenon premised on shared values and beliefs—helps explain
why many politicians are elected based on the values they claim to espouse, rather than on the basis of
their actual track record as legislators.
The Dangers of Anomie

Today, Durkheim's work is also useful to sociologists who rely on his concept of anomie to study the way
violence often crops up—whether to the self or others—in the midst of societal change. This concept
refers to how societal change, or the perception of it, can cause one to feel disconnected from society
given changes in norms, values, and expectations, and how this can cause both psychic and material
chaos.
In a related vein, Durkheim's legacy also helps explain why disrupting everyday norms and routines with
protest is an important way of raising awareness of issues and of building movements around them.
There are more ways that Durkheim's body of work remains important, relevant, and useful to
sociologists today. You can learn more about that by studying him and by asking sociologists how they
rely on his contributions.

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The Dangers of Anomie

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