SOC 213- 1-2 Journal-The Three Sociological Theories PDF

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SOC 213. Sociology of Social Problems. Module 1 Journal. The Three Sociological Theories. Southern New Hampshire University. I made an A on this....

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The three sociological theories that were discussed in this week’s reading are functionalism, conflict theory and interactionalism. Functionalists see society as a whole while interactionalists focus on individual social interaction. The functionalist perspective, according to our book, states “society is a system made up of a number of interrelated elements, each performing a function that contributes to the operation of the whole” (Sullivan, 2016). The conflict perspective focuses on “the idea that society consists of different groups who struggle with one another to attain the scarce societal resources that are considered valuable, be they money, power, prestige, or the authority to impose one’s values on society” (Sullivan, 2016). The interactionist perspective focuses on “everyday social interaction among individuals rather than on large societal structures such as politics and education” (Sullivan, 2016). Out of these three sociological theories, our book states that functionalist and conflict approaches are referred to as macrosociology (focus on large groups and social institutions as well as on society as a whole) and that the interactionist perspective falls under microsociology (concentrates on the intimate level of everyday interactions between people). When reading over our module overview, I learned that all three sociological theories have one thing in common: our world is socially constructed. I also learned that they define what power is, what meaning is and the functions of a particular institution. I believe that I identify the most with interactionalism. I, too, believe that in order to understand society, we must understand social interaction. I agree that “people act on the basis of their beliefs and perceptions about situations” (Sullivan, 2016). When I personally view society, I view it on an individual level and not as society as a whole. It is actually easier for me to understand concepts of society when I view it on an individual level.

References Sullivan, T. J. (2016). Introduction to social problems. Allyn & Bacon....