Sociology 101: The Three Sociological Perspectives

Sociology 101 There have been many things I have learned this term in Sociology 101. The eight key points that really resonate with me from all the rest are the three sociological perspectives: Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Interactionism; Social Imagination; Stratification; Culture; Race and Ethnicity; Gender, Sex and Sexuality; Power and Authority; Disenfranchisement; and Socialism vs. Capitalism. Sociology 101 has taught me to be more self-aware of what I do in my daily activities and interactions; as my actions and verbiage can truly have an effect on others and how they perceive my character.

The Three Sociological Perspectives (and Social Imagination) There are three sociological perspectives; Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Interactionism;

What is sociological imagination? C. Wright Mills, a pioneer sociologist, describes sociological imagination as an awareness of the relationship between a person’s behaviors and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person’s choices and perceptions. What does this mean exactly? It means we need to be more aware of how our experiences, along with our upbringing of our cultural norms: values, beliefs and behaviors have made us who we are today and how it relates to history and social structure. We need to always be asking ‘why?’ when we observe groups of 2 or more people. Our first sociological perspective is Functionalism. Functionalism focuses on the way each part of society functions together to contribute to the whole on a macro or mid-level of analysis; also