Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

Conflict Point of View: Originating from Karl Marx, the conflict perspective focuses on the struggles resulting from tension, competition, and change in society. Marx viewed class struggles as the primary source of conflict and change in society. On the whole, this theory was not accepted in American sociological circles until the 1960s. C. Wright Mills, Ralf Dahrendorf, and Randall Collins refined the conflict point of view. They shied away from prioritizing class conflict as Marx did. They branched out and saw conflicts in many different groups and categories of society. It is this modern definition that encompasses many people groups and stratifications that persists today. According to these sociological theorists, societies are constantly changing; conflict is a given. The conflict perspective is completely at odds with the functionalist point of view because it states that society is in a constant state of conflict. This conflict is not always considered a negative thing; it is often beneficial and instigates positive change. Conflict theorists view the form of society as the product of the most powerful individuals who coerce the rest of the population into their view of what the society should look like. Social order only exists by force or the threat of it. For example, large groups of workers can unite and cause a disturbing turn-out at a picket or rally. Their conflict can engender improvements in working conditions. Interactionist Point of View: Max Weber introduced interactionist perspective , which is a consideration of how the parts of a society act and react. George Herbert Mead later refined the theory. The interactionist viewpoint considers the smaller interactions between people; it does not look at the overall structure of a society like the functionalist theory does, nor does it look at the setup of class structures as the conflict theory does. The backbone of the interactionist perspective is the thought that it is individuals who are always in the process of developing their society. One type of interaction that is common to everyone is symbolic interaction . It is the interaction with items of symbolic value in the society. For example, obeying traffic signals or following the advice of a newspaper article. A symbol is anything that represents something else. There are many viewpoints that reside within the boundaries of the interactionist perspective. Some of them are as follows: Viewpoint Related Sociologists Description Dramaturgical Approach Erving Goffman Life is viewed as a theater where everyone acts out their perceived roles and create their characters based on the reactions of others.

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