SOC 101 Lecture 3: Complementary Perspectives in Sociology
4 Jul 2018
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Complementary Perspectives in Sociology
In addition to the three theoretical paradigms previously presented, sociologists use many
different models to examine, describe, and understand society and human behavior. Some of the
more popular, which are normally used as adjuncts to the above paradigms, include the cross‐
species perspective, cross‐cultural perspective, statistical perspective, historical perspective,
religious perspective, and feminist perspective. Each of these is limited in its ability to
comprehensively describe society and behavior. Instead, they complement the other, larger,
paradigms.
The cross-species perspective
Obviously, human beings belong to the animal kingdom. The cross species ‐
perspectiveconsiders the similarities in and differences between human social behavior and
that of other animals. A comparison of social behaviors across species can provide valuable
insights into the nature of human society.
The cross-cultural perspective
The study of sociology must address cultural differences and issues. Research studies and social
investigations have determined that beliefs, practices, and values certainly differ considerably
from culture to culture. That which is acceptable to one group may not be to another. Hence,
the cross cultural perspective‐ deals with the comparative nature of customs and standards
of behavior within a community or system.
Remaining alert to cultural differences increases opportunities to challenge gender role‐
stereotypes, or beliefs within a society as to how members of each sex should appear
and act. The cross cultural perspective, then, takes into account the many variations ‐
that exist across societies and cultures.
The statistical perspective
The statistical perspective is based on the frequency of occurrence of an attitude or practice
within a society. Although extremes occur within any group, statistical measurement is
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Document Summary
In addition to the three theoretical paradigms previously presented, sociologists use many different models to examine, describe, and understand society and human behavior. Some of the more popular, which are normally used as adjuncts to the above paradigms, include the cross species perspective, cross cultural perspective, statistical perspective, historical perspective, religious perspective, and feminist perspective. Each of these is limited in its ability to comprehensively describe society and behavior. Obviously, human beings belong to the animal kingdom. The cross species perspectiveconsiders the similarities in and differences between human social behavior and that of other animals. A comparison of social behaviors across species can provide valuable insights into the nature of human society. The study of sociology must address cultural differences and issues. Research studies and social investigations have determined that beliefs, practices, and values certainly differ considerably from culture to culture. That which is acceptable to one group may not be to another.
