structural theories

• objective social structure that acts on passive individuals and groups - one objective reality experienced by all
• top down approach - macro shapes micro
• all behaviour is a product of objective social forces - objective social structure

  eg. born then socialised and turn out like this
• behaviour is predictable and ordered - general laws, it’s formulaic
• behaviour is quantifiable, mechanical (sets of variables), reliable patterns
• no free will, passive to structure - all behaviour is meaningless
• eg functionalism - consensus structure

  marxism - conflict structuralism

  • positivism - empirical - deductive logic