SOC224H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Manifest And Latent Functions And Dysfunctions, Individualism, Class Conflict
Document Summary
Chapter 2: classical sociological approaches to education o. Theories are conceptual tools that provide perspective and illumination. Different sociologists will use different types of theories to get different types of answers. Macro theories (also known as grand theories) are the most abstract theories, attempting to understand entire societies across time and geographic space. Interested in the transitions from pre- modern to modern societies, specifically the shifts in economics, cultures anddemographics. Look at different meaning systems and cognitive frameworks across space and time to understand how cultural definitions evolve and become legitimate. For example, the rise of science over last 300 years. Middle-range theories are geared to specific times and places, examining more proximate causes of modernity. For example, the organization of peer groups in schools. Micro-level theories are concerned with face to face interactions among people, only partially looking at broader social forces.
