[11] UCSP - Perspectives of Anthropology and Sociology

• Auguste Comte - father of sociology
• "Society is a social organism possessing a harmony of structure and function." - Auguste Comte
• Talcott Parsons - American contemporary sociologist
• "Society is a system comprised of the interactions of many individuals within a situation through commonly understood cultural norms of generalized symbols and associated meanings." - Talcott Parsons
• G.D.H. Cole - English political theorist and economist
• "Society is a complex of organized associations and institutions within a community." - G.D.H. Cole
• Society according to:

  • Auguste Comte
  • Talcott Parsons
  • G.D.H. Cole
• Edward Taylor - English anthropologist
• "Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law. custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of the society.” - Edward Taylor
• Raymond Williams - Welsh socialist writer
• Raymond Williams - Defined culture as to how ideas and meanings are expressed in ordinary behavior, learning, and art.
• Elements of Culture

  • Symbols
  • Language
  • Norms/Values
  • Artifacts
• Aspects of Culture

  • Dynamic, flexible, and adaptive
  • Shared
  • Learned
  • Relative
  • Patterned social interactions
  • Requires language and communication
  • Integrated and at times unstable
• Anthropological Perspectives on Culture and Society

  • H Holism
  • C Cultural Relativism
  • C Comparison (Comparative)
  • P Participant Observation/Fieldwork
  • H Historical Particularism (Historical)
  • A Anthropological Functionalism
  • C Cultural Materialism
• Holism - studying the interconnected aspects of human life; requires examining multiple facets; holistic
• Cultural Relativism - understanding other cultures from their own viewpoint without judgment; crucial for avoiding ethnocentrism; to appreciate other unique cultural practices and values of different societies; fosters a deeper understanding of why societies function the way they do
• Comparison (Comparative) - fundamental approach that explores both commonalities and differences among humans, cultures, and societies; cross-cultural comparisons
• Historical Particularism (Historical) - each group of people has its own unique culture influenced by its history, geography, and environment; focuses on studying societies and cultures within specific historical contexts
• Anthropological Functionalism - cultural elements and practices are interrelated and interdependent and persist because they have a purpose
• Cultural Materialism - idea that culture is influenced by technology, resources, economic values, and the utilization of things
• Sociological Perspectives on Culture and Society

  • S Structural Functionalism
  • S Symbolic Interactionism
  • C Conflict Theory
• Structural Functionalism - views society as a complex system in which each part has a purpose, contributing to the overall stability and functioning of society; views society as a system with various interdependent parts that contribute to its stability and functioning; analyzes how social institutions maintain social order; society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance
• Symbolic Interactionism - explores how individuals and groups construct meaning through symbols and interactions shaping social reality; words, gestures, and signs; sees culture as being created and maintained by the ways people interact and interpret each other's actions
• Conflict Theory - posits that societal conflicts arise from the unequal distribution of resources, power, and social status; emphasizes role of social divisions, particularly class conflict, in driving social change; emphasize inequalities and power struggles within society
• Conflict Perspectives

  • Feminist
  • Marxist
• Feminist Perspective - analyzes gender stratification through the intersection of gender, race, and class; focuses on disseminating gender inequality and promotion of women's interests
• Marxist Perspective - refers to a method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical perspective to view social transformation; offer distinct lenses through which sociologists analyze and explain the dynamics of society