Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Social Theory

1. Macrotheory vs. Microtheory

- Macrotheory– Looks at large-scale social structures (e.g., societies, institutions). A theory aimed at understanding the “big picture” of institutions, whole societies, and the interactions among societies. Karl Marx’s examination of the class struggle is an example of macrotheory.Macrotheory deals with large, aggregate entities of society or even whole societies.

- Microtheory – Focuses on small-scale interactions (e.g., relationships, group behavior).

2. Paradigms (Major Theoretical Perspectives)

- Early Positivism – The idea that society can be studied scientifically.

- Conflict Paradigm – Society is based on power struggles (influenced by Karl Marx).

- Symbolic Interactionism– Focuses on how people create meanings through social interactions.

- Ethnomethodology– Studies how people make sense of everyday life.

- Structural Functionalism – Views society as a system where different parts work together.

- Feminist Paradigm – Examines gender inequalities and how they shape society.

- Critical Race Theory – Explores how race and racism affect social structures.

3. Elements of Social Theory

- Laws – Universal principles that explain social behaviors.

- Theory – A general explanation of how things work.

- Axioms – Self-evident truths that don’t need further proof.

- Propositions– Statements that link concepts in a theory.

- Hypothesis – A testable statement about relationships between variables.

4. Traditional Model of Science

- Involves theory, hypothesis formation and testing through research.

5. Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning

- Deductive Reasoning – Starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, and tests it with data.

- Inductive Reasoning– Starts with data, identifies patterns, and develops a theory.