Functionalism & Interactionism

• What are the institutions?


  Family

  Workplace and economy

  Religion

  Education

  Healthcare

  Government and law
• What is a theory?


  An idea that tries to explain something
• What does a theory need to be?

  Logically consistent

  Factual

  Open to testing by other sociologists
• What is Functionalism?


  A theory that all aspects of a society serve a purpose and are necessary for the long term survival of society
• What is Organic Analogy?


  Comparing society to the human body with the fact that institutions in society perform positive functions to keep social order
• What did Durkheim believe?


  That society shapes an individual and members of society are all influenced by social facts

  Too much freedom is bad for society
• What are social facts?

  Beliefs

  Moral codes

  Norms

  Values
• How is social solidarity achieved?

  Family

  Religion

  Schools
• What is a crisis of anomie?

  A lack of usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group
• What is meritocracy?


  Everyone is provided the chances to succeed but only those who do the best are rewarded for their efforts
• What is social order?


  The way institutions in society work together to maintain harmony
• What is social solidarity?


  The cohesion between individuals in a society that ensures social order and stability
• What is a value consensus?


  Everyone agreeing on our set values and norms
• What is a criticism of functionalism?


  The shared norms and values that we have come from ruling high class white men and do not include marginalised groups or other cultures
• What does a social action theory do?


  Offer an alternative view to social life and how people interact with each other
• What do social action theorists believe?


  Human action is not created by social systems, it's directed by individuals
• What is interactionism?


  A social action theory that focuses on interactions between individuals and groups
• What is the main idea of interactionism?


  Society is like a play and we are all actors playing a role
• What are the factors of people in interactionism?


  Stage

  Script

  Props

  Front stage behaviour

  Backstage behaviour
• What is symbolic interactionism?


  A theory that argues that people work via symbols and labels to process social interactions
• What are the three core ideas of Symbolic interactionism?


  The symbol

  The self

  The interaction
• What is the symbol?


  How we categorise people because don't know everyone personally
• What is the self?


  When we look at our own symbol to define how to interact with others
• What is the interaction?


  The way we choose to interact with others based on the influence of their symbol
• What is the rule of social interaction?


  We look at who we are in relation to other people and that determines our actions
• What is a criticism of interactionism?


  Interactionists have gone too far and human interaction is not as free and flexible as they describe due to factors like anxiety