all theory

value free: objectivity

• durkheim: study of suicide

• used official statistics

• HOWEVER: Atkinson disagrees, durkheim’s statistics are not objective

• HOWEVER: durkheim not objective, enlightemnent project

committed sociology

• must help to improve society

• must help the powerless, underdogs

• becker - ideal pupil (w/c less likely, m/c more likely) speaking up for the marginalised

value laden: subjectivity

• weber: sociology is inherently value laden

• we only pick in terms of what we regard as important

• e.g. feminists value solving gender inequality + focus on researching how women are oppressed

• HOWEVER: weber argues being value laden is not a problem, just have to be upfront about our values

values conclusion

• funding bodies: have their own priorities, own values

• e.g. government departments → education, pension, health

• doesn’t matter how objective the researcher is, funding body values will still influence research

feminism

• view of social policy → supports patriarchy

• party most likely to implement → conservatives bring the most partiachal policies

• policies that support their view → marriage tax allowance

• policies to achieve their social goals → equality act: better conditions for working mums

• criticisms of this view of policy → has made progress (equal pay act) - still not equal

marxism

• view of social policy → supports capitalism

• party most likely to implement → conservative (marketisation)

• policies that support their view → deregulation of business

• policies to achieve their social goals → classless society (communism)

• criticisms of this view of policy → unachievable

new right

• view of social policy → over generous welfare state

• party most likely to implement → new labour

• policies that support their view → child benefits, ema

• policies to achieve their social goals → abolish welfare state

• criticisms of this view of policy → reduce welfare, H: causes more deprivation

social democratic

• view of social policy → government creates poverty

• party most likely to implement → conservatives

• policies that support their view → marketisation - skimming

• policies to achieve their social goals → meritocratic

• criticisms of this view of policy → expensive, no immediate results

what type of theory is functionalism?

• structural; norms and values determine our experience of society

• consensus: everyone in society shares norms and values

how is social order maintained? (functionalism)

• social solidarity

• value consensus

social solidarity

• shared knowledge and values, makes people people united and belonging

• durkheim - totemism

• however, irrelevant in post-modern society, ignores secularisation

value consensus

• we all know the same norms and values, taught through socialisation

• parsons - primary socialisation; family teaches norms and values that help prevent conflict in schools

• however: increasingly more children start reception without toilet training

how does social change happen? (functionalism)

• evolutionary change: small adaptive change to keep a moving equilibrium and prevent anomie

• e.g. women changed roles in the family → being in the workplace

what are the problems with the functionalist view?

• assumes there is a value consensus in society

• ignores the difference in power (marxism - ruling class, feminism - men)

what is the functionalist methodology?

• durkheim (positivist)

• gained objective data, can uncover and measure patterns of behaviour

• repeatable (reliable) can establish cause and effect for social problems

how relevant is functionalism in the 21st century? YES

• outdated

• shared curriculum

• ethnocentric, partiachal, middle class based

how relevant is functionalism in the 21st century? NO

• relevant

• family policy: section 28

• encourage heterosexual nuclear families

what type of theory is marxism?

• conflict: society is divided by social groups + different power amounts

• structural: individual behaviour shaped by structure of society

how is social order maintained? (marxism)

• teaching ruling class ideology

• maintains social hierarchy

teaching ruling class ideology

• zaretsky: family socialises children into rci

• docile, obedient workers who do not question

• however, not everyone is obedient

maintain social hierarchy

• leach: most bishops (80%) are privately educated + unmotivated to help the working class

• however, justin welby, archbishop of canterbury

how does social change happen? (marxism)

• revolutionary

• must go against the r/c → isa, rsa

• inevitable

• thesis (capitalism), antithesis (communism), synthesis (socialism)

how are neo-marxists different?

• paul willis

• trad marxists assume everyone blindly accepts the rci

• everything in society works to support capitalism, rci is taught in schools

• boys put different meanings on going to work: expression of masculinity, not supporting capitalism

what are the problems with the marxist view?

• ignores other social divisions (gender, ethnicity, age)

• assumes everyone accepts being controlled by powerful structures (ruling class, super structure)

what is the marxist methodology?

• marx (positivist)

• during his analysis of historical materialism and alienation

• he argued he was objective and used reliable methods

• HOWEVER, not objective, part of the Enlightenment project, had a motivation

how relevant is marxism in the 21st century?

• people’s assembly (2013)

• against austerity (tax increase, budget cuts) through protest

what type of theory is feminism?

• structural: individual behaviour is shaped by the structure of society

• conflict: society is divided by social group + different power amounts

how do they explain patriarchy? (liberal feminist)

• gender role socialisation

• ann oakley - toy canalisation; teaching gender roles through toys

• stanworth: limited girls’ aspirations, ‘PA at best’ (1980s)

• HOWEVER, teacher attitudes changed from the 80s

how would they solve patriarchy? (liberal feminist)

• political change (laws) - equal pay act 1970

• cultural change → WTSE; women in science and engineering

how do they explain patriarchy? (radical feminist)

• violence: physical manifestation of patriarchy

• almost 1 in 3 women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime

how would they solve the patriarchy?

• matriarchy (supremacy feminism)

• men and women live separately (separatist feminist)

• abolish gender (androgynous feminist)

• HOWEVER, radical change will never happen; unrealistic solutions

what are the problems with the feminist view?

• marxist: too much focus on gender inequality

• difference feminism: essentialism

what is the feminist methodology?

• power imbalance between researcher and participant

• allow P’s to ask questions to the interviewer

• Ann Oakley: shared own experiences while interviewing

how relevant is feminism in the 21st century?

• is a metanarrative; not as impactful as ideology

• change in girls attitudes

• university population, more women than men

what type of theory is social action?

• social action: society is built up from interactions between people

• take an individual, small view of society

• micro approach → from the individual’s perspective

how do they explain social order? (social action)

• social order is created through symbols

• social order is deliberately created by others

social order is created through symbols

• george herbert mead

• game playing and role taking: we learn meanings during childhood through game playing

• taking the role of the other: learn the meanings through the interaction

social order is deliberately created by others

• goffman - dramaturgical model

• society is like a play

• by using scripts, props and costume we are able to create the person we want the audience (other people) to see

• presentation of the self

how do they view social change? (social action)

• society experiences a change in meanings

• ideal body: marilyn monroe → heroine chic

how is phenomenology different?

• schutz

• typifications influence the meanings we apply to our meanings

• atkinson: coroners → location of death, mode of death; influenced by typifications

what are the problems with social action theory?

• feminists and marxists argue: symbolic interactionism fails to explore power differences between groups

what is the social action theory’s methodology?

• interpretivists

• want to achieve verstehen

• e.g. covert participant observation

• weber argued verstehen should be the main focus of research

how relevant is the social action theory in the 21st century?

• police typifications

• Theresa May (2013) review of stop and searches

• required officers to cite reason for search and report search

modernity: establishment of capitalism

• family becomes the unit of consumption

• factories built to accelerate consumptions

post modernity: consumption in all aspects of life

• beliefs

• family relationships

• global capitalism

modernity: nation state

• nation: borders, state: government

• law: children must go to school

post modernity: globalisation, international organisation

• diversity, family structure

• NATO, UN, EU

• e.g. UN conventions on the right of the child

modernity: science

• questioning charles darwin theory of evolution

• rise of political ideology

• secularisation

post modernity: decline of metanarrative

• religious diversity, fundamentalism

• question science: vaccines, nuclear warfare, global warming

modernity: life course

• predictable

• girls become housewives, no further education

• men go into the workplace

post modernity: life course

• unpredictable

• given more choice

• laws; contraception