What is the difference between the general perspectives? How does the work of Ritzer attempt to overcome this problem?
Micro theories examine the processes of face-to-face contact among individuals and personal points-of-view in society; whereas, the macro theories deal with large-scale social events of society - meaning things that have public concern.
The theories that are apart of the micro-level are symbolic interactionism, dramaturgy, ethnomethodology, and exchange theory. Symbolic interaction is an individual-based theory that uses constructed symbols, such as language and gestures, to which people give meaning in their everyday interactions. Dramaturgy, best stated by Goffman (1959), is what actors portray on a the theatrical stage is similar to the way people act in society. Ethnomethodology is basic common-sense used in for general situations in everyday life (Ritzer, 77). Exchange theory is a given relationship is found to be attractive whereas the rewards tend to outweigh punishment (Blau, 1964).
Structural functionalism and conflict theory are two types of macro-theories. Structural functionalism (Perrucci, 1983) has three main ideas: 1) society is a system containing interdependent and interacting parts bound together in time and space, 2) shared values among members of the system are social “glue” that helps hold it together, 3) and systems have a need for stability and therefor attempt the parts working together harmoniously. Conflict theory is the belief that society contains basic inequalities in wealth, power, and prestige (Coser, 1967; Dahrendorf, 1959).
Ritzer, like many other sociologists, wants to disintegrate the split between the micro and macro sociology. Ritzer attempts to do this by “adding on” to Gurvitch’s insights . Ritzer views the micro-macro issue, not by subjective-objective continuum, but the phenomena as subjective or objective; therefore, concluding that there are four major levels of analysis (See Table I) that are a product of dialectical interrelationships (Ritzer, 1996).
Table I - Ritzer’s Major Levels of Social Analysis
MACROSCOPIC
I. Macro-objective
Examples - society, law, bureaucracy, architecture, technology, and language
II. Macro-subjective
Examples- culture, norms, and values
III. Micro-objective
Examples - patterns of behavior, action, and interaction
IV. Micro-subjective
Examples - perceptions, beliefs; the various facets of the social construction of reality
MICROSCOPIC
In row 1, the macro-objective, involves the large-scale basic standards and “material realities” (Ritzer, 359) by which the general populous abides by; whereas as the macro-subjective is the large-scale intangible ideals such as norms and values which shape our everyday lives. In row 2, the micro theories also have the objective and subjective consistencies but on a smaller scale.
Sonia Sotamayor has all the experience needed to be the Supreme Court judge. She has over achieved all the requirement and experience to be on the Supreme Court. CTV news states that she has lived an “American dream”. Which make her life story even more interesting than the next person. She has been actively involved in mainstream politics since the moment her career started. Sonia Sotamayor was born with next to nothing and now she has everything a person could ask for. She is also well known to the citizen of United States. Sotomayor is a Puerto Rican descent born in the Bronx. She lived in the public housing project. “When she was nine years old her father died. Her mother raised Sotomayor while working as a nurse. After her father's death, Sotomayor reportedly turned to books for solace, and she says it was her love of Nancy Drew books that ultimately led her to the law” (Pitney). She went to Princeton on a scholarship and there she won a highly prestigious award and later she attended Yale law school winning a prestigious award on journalism. Sotomayor law career started as an Assistant District Attorney in M...
Sociology is the study of society and the interactions that occur within society itself. There are numerous methods of analyzing societies and the way the function, nonetheless, most methods fall in micro and macro level theories. Micro level theories allow sociologist to study smaller relationships such as individual or compact groups of people. On the other hand, macro level studies permit for larger scale investigations to take place. With both of these theories there are three theoretical perspectives used in sociology. Micro level theories include symbolic interactionism which focuses in interactions done with language and gestures and the means which allow such interactions to take place. Macro level theories include structural functionalism
...hese theories presents a point of view based on differing classification of sociological concepts, they all focus on the role of the decisions of the individual resulting in how society functions and evolves.
In the macro to micro category, each sociological theory concentrated on one major problem of society and then went on to explain what would have to be done within individuals in order to achieve social progress. Durkheim's focus was upon the division of labor being the primary cause of social problems (Berger 123). For Du Bois, the concentration was on racial issues; "I have faith in the power of freedom and democracy to lead these peoples to higher levels of... progress. I see race, not class, as the fundamental cause of the problems societies have faced over the centuries" (Berger 120). Falling also into the macro to micro category were Lenin and B. Webb. Lenin focuses on the exploitation of the working class as a whole, while Webb concentrated on criminal behavior connected to poverty and poor people as an entire group. The sociologists in this category tended towards focusing on the society as a whole, with the occasional correlation to the individual as the focal point; each theorist was concentrated on groups of individuals more so than the individual. Durkheim's idea was that suicide was more of a reflection of the society within which the individual lives, than it was a reflection of the individual. Durkheim did research linking suicides and communities. He found that "organic societies - those characterized by weak links between people and the breakdown of a sense of community" had higher rates than communities that were lin...
Te first theory is Constructivism. Constructivism is known that human are meaning makers. We are not neutral with respect to the world. We actively interpret the world and make meaning of something. By interpreting images to mean something we compel and impose its meaningful use. As humans we look at three cause such a physical causes, psychological causes and spirtual cuases. The second thoery is on Development. While we evolve in mental complexity through out lives we have adaptive balances or stages of mental complexity. Starting at infacy to late adulthood. There are six order of conciousness which are zero to five. We will be discussing only he stages two through four. We make meaning different depending of which order of conciousness we are in. The two places of grow are slow or very slow. One will never move backwards. The last thoery is Holding Enviroment which consist of three components. The three components are confirmation,contradiction and continuty. Confirmation is described as holding on, support and encourgement. It appeals to our yearning for belonging. Contradiction is described as letting go, challenege and setting limits. It appeals to our yearning for agency,acheivement and autonomy. Continuty is described as staying out, remaining in place and being there. It appeals to our need for stability and predictability. '' A healthy holding enviroemnt provides an ingenious blen of support and challene and attends to the relationship between a persons mental capacity and the demands placed upon her by the cultural curriculum '' (Kegan;
There are many differences between macro and micro-level theories. Micro-level focuses on individuals and their interactions. For example the relationship between adult children and their parents, or the effect of negative attitudes on older people. Some criticize on micro-level theories becuase they focus on what older people do rather than on social conditionsand policies that cuase them to act the way they do. Macro-level focuses more upon social structure, social processes and problems, and their interrelationships. For example the effects of industrialization on older people's status, or how gender and income affect older people's well being. This approach tends to minimize people's ability to act and overcome the limits of social structures. Both micro and macro-leve theories can take one of three perspectives which include: interpretive perspective, normative, and conflict.
There are three main theories of sociology; functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. This paper will focus on two of those theories, functionalism and conflict theory. The objective is to delineate the assumptions of two out of the three theoretical perspectives and apply these assumptions to an analysis of social stratification. How this will be accomplished will be by comparing and contrasting their assumptions and by analyzing the two theories affect on social stratification. Then I will state my opinion on which of the two better fits my personal sociological views. Functionalism is many people's way to view the world sociologically. It states clearly that the objectivity of the researcher is necessary and can be accomplished. There are three main points, which make up a functionalist theory on sociological expression. The first point is that culture is made up of interacting, interdependent parts. Each of these parts has a function in maintaining the society as a system on the whole. The second point states that shared values and expectations(or beliefs) among the members of the society help hold the society together. The third point states that these systems have a need for stability and a need to try to keep all the parts working together congruously in a sort of system. Social change in this system is uncommon, and when it does happen, it is a very gradual change. Conflict theory is centered on the tension, or struggle that goes on in everyday life. There are many different parts, which make up the conflict theorist's view on the sociological perspective. The first main part is that society promotes general differences in wealth, power, and prestige. Wealth...
In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, there are five systems that ultimately influence an individual. The first system is the microsystem, which consists of the people who have direct contact to an individual. In my own life, my immediate family consists of my mother and I. I am an only child to my mother and since my mother and my father have been separated since I was a baby, he has not been part of my microsystem. In addition, I am also a student at CCP. I have a network of friends whom I keep in close contact with. The people that I encounter at home, school, and work have direct contact with me and thus, they are part of my microsystem.
Theories in sociology sometime provide us with the different perspectives with which to view our social...
Off the five developmental theories, I would like to describe and explain two grand theories, Cognitive theory and Behaviorism.
A structural functionalist would say that society is not working together and that the problem is that we all don’t share the same values and that the bullies who obviously are not socialized property should be removed from society and that would solve the problem. A social conflict theorist believes in nine things society is like a pyramid, The elite are at the top of the pyramid and the masses are at the bottom, those on the top of the pyramid hold all the power, Those with the power determine the values for society, the glue that holds society together is force, societal members learn the values of the powerful through the socialization process, society is always in a state of conflict, different people and groups will always be struggling to gain power, those with the economic and political power will shape society to their advantage. A social conflict theorist would say that this topic proves that society is always in a state of conflict because people don’t get along and that different people and groups will always be struggling to gain power because the different people are the masses which are at the
Social action theories tend to be more small scale in comparison to social structural theories which are more large and complex. One of the strengths of Marxism is that it explains how laws are created and used to protect the current elite social class, however one weakness of Marxism is that it can be too simplistic as society is split into governmental societies and civil societies. One similarity between conflict and consensus theories is that they are both structural theories meaning that they have similar views on society just with a slightly different perspective about
Sociologists employ three major theoretical perspectives in sociology today. They are the structural-functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionism. The structural-functionalist perspective is done at a macro level and its focus is on the relationships between the parts of society. The Conflict perspective is done at a macro level and its main focus is on how the wealthy controls the poor and weak. Symbolic Interactionism is done at a micro and it focuses on the use of symbols and face to face interactions.
This Approach was developed by J. P. Dunlop of Harvard University in 1958. This approach, involves individuals who a part of a continuing independent social system. The behavior, actions, and roles of individuals are based on the culture within. There are three elements the systematic approach, they are; input, process and output. Society and institutions within this society creates the system which influences the process, which then determines the outcome or response of the individuals. This theory is based on the idea that individuals are shaped by society and societal factors (Humanresource.com).
Theories in sociology provide us with different perspectives with which to view our social world. A perspective is simply a way of looking at the world. A theory is a set of interrelated propositions or principles designed to answer a question or explain a particular phenomenon; it provides us with a perspective.