Contemporary Theory

chicago school

american, theory, method, micro sociology, ethnography, symbolic interactionism

harvard & ivy league

american, grand theory building, structural functionalism

frankfurt school (& columbia)

european, american, philosophy & theory (early), critical theory (late)

albion smaliln

department of sociology founder for the chicago school.

george herbert mead

member of chicago school and symbolic interactionist

focus of chicago school

small scale dynamics and symbolic interactionist perspectives. qualitative research and ethnographic methods

polish peasant experiment

experiment conducted by WI Thomas and Florian Zaniecki. it focused on the experiences of peasants and migrants. Thomas said that ‘if men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences”. This means to not discredit what people think is real because what people experience might be real for them.

ethnographic research

you are no longer merely a studier but also an active participant in the study

pirirm sorokin

the mentor of talcott parson’s who worked with him to create grand theory building perspectives

AGIL theory

a grand theory created by parsons that outlines the basic functions that must be preformed by a social system to maintain stability. key framework is involved in structural functionalism. parsons was interested in how society continues to function if something goes wrong

“a” in AGIL theory

adaptation - response to or manipulation of external environment

“g” in AGIL theory

goal attainment - definition and achievement of primary functions

“l” in AGIL theory

latent pattern maintenance - cultural patterns that sustain and refresh motivation and action

“i” in AGIL theory

integration - oversight and coordination of component parts or functions

structural functionalism

all aspects of a society such as institutions or norms serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for the long term survival of the society.

telelogical approach

term coined by parsons. means that social structures exist because they serve a function for the stability or maintenance of society

shift towards marx and critical theory

attributed to the limitations of structural functionalism as well as the limitations of conflict theory and its inability to disconnect from functionalism and grand theorizing

is conflict theory a fully marxist approach?

it is not

role of inequality according to a functionalist

it is just a mere part of society and does not need to be changed. it happens naturally.

focuses of the frankfurt school

authoritarianism, alienation, and social control

the goal of frankfurt school

understand the causes of oppression and authoritarianism, and social alienation in capitalist societies

conflict theorists

society is organized in a way that disadvantages some groups over others

critical theorists

society is structure and organized in a way that is unequal and should be altered to better suit the needs of social changes