SOC103H1 Chapter Notes -Manifest And Latent Functions And Dysfunctions, Symbolic Interactionism, Feminist Theory
Document Summary
Sociology and the other social sciences arose out of a desire to explain such differences, and to find patterns in people"s social relations. Sociologists find that using common sense" to understand the world is usually not enough. Common sense" knowledge is that uninspected package of beliefs, understandings, and propositions that people assume to be prudent and sound. This blind assumption often leads to incomplete and inaccurate explanations. Many psychological problems even varieties of mental illness have social origins. Sociologists note that what people get in life is largely the result of circumstances beyond their control. Those born in higher social classes tend to stay there, and so too do people in humbler circumstances. The two main macroanalytical approaches that have emerged in sociology are the functional theory and critical theory, while the major microanalytical approach is symbolic interactionism. Feminist theory and postmodern theory are important additions to and variants of these major forms.
