Sociological Theory: Positivistic, Interpretative, and Critical

For the purpose of this assignment I will consider how I have already started to develop as a ‘Critical Practitioner’. By this statement I would put forward how I am being ‘open minded’, use a ‘reflective approach’ that takes account of ‘different perspectives, experiences and assumptions’ (Glaister cited in the reader pg 8). I will discuss how my practice has developed and has been influenced by K315 course materials such as Barnett’s three domains of critical practice, action, reflexivity and analysis (Barnett

Everyone in the world has a theory about why something happens or how it happens, but in sociology there are many different types of theories that often contradict each other. Theory is defined as “a statement of how and why specific facts are related” (Macionis, 2013). Most theories explain why people act in certain ways and explains why a person in a group may act different than someone that is alone. When building sociological theories most sociologist ask their selves two different questions: “What issues should we study?” and “How should we connect the facts?” (Macionis, 2013). By answering these questions the sociologist is led to a road map, or a theoretical approach. Theoretical approach is described as “a basic image of society that

In life people values and choices are put on the line because of peoples moral beliefs. I will be talking about three sociological theories that relate to my personal life and seen in a societal perspective and also to situate my experiences systematically within a larger context. The three sociological theories I will be talking about is the strain theory, feminist theory, and labeling theory. All these theories have been made long ago by great sociologist and are still used today but more modified.

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.

Critical pedagogy is a philosophy that aims to foster more than just dialogue between the educators and students. It encourages “exploration, to help students move through the process of discovery by talking with them, asking questions and generally keeping up the momentum of exploration” (Elmborg, 2002, p. 458). This then effectively resolves the issue of a stagnant pedagogy, one that does not keep up with the times and needs of the students. Additionally, critical pedagogy serves to place some, or perhaps a lot of autonomy on the students’ part, attributing the means to the realization potential to them as well as the educators. As such, the only way for the educator to come to a better understanding of their students’, as well as their own

The first step is to separate what one believes from that one knows, and to separate what is from what must be. (Hinchey, 5) By doing this, one is able to begin to deconstruct the assumptions about the system in which we operate, which allows the individual to see the system as custom instead of irrefutable law. The next step in critical theory is

In sociology, a few theories provide broad perspectives that help to explain many different aspects of social life. These theories are so prominent that many consider them paradigms. Paradigms are philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them. Three of these paradigms have come to dominate sociological thinking because they provide useful explanations: structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.

Identify the four major sociological theoretical paradigms. For each, what are the key tenets? How does each explain how society works?

What are the three major sociology perspectives in regards to social issues? They are Symbolic Interactionism perspectives, Functionalism perspectives, and Conflict Theory perspectives. These perspectives offer sociologists abstract examples for explaining how society affects people, and vice versa. Each perspective individually theorizes society, social forces, and human behavior.

Sociological Perspectives and Theories Sociologists try to explain how society orders itself but there are many different theories for this, which often conflict with one another. Some of these classic theories include Marxism, Functionalism, and Interactionism. There are also more modern or contemporary theories such as Feminism. Each sociological perspective has different beliefs.

The theoretical works of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber still influence sociological theory. Though their works are decades old they still are a major part of what sociology is today. Though their theories can seem very different, there are some similarities. To become a great sociologist one most learn and understands how to use all sociological perspectives. To do this one must understand and use the different theoretical perspectives created by Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.

In most case, critical thinking usually draws assumptions that relates on the same guidelines of critical theory to analyze the social, ideological, and economic structures of society and the impact on individual problems. I know you stated in your post about the mother work and earn enough money to support her family, and with this case that a plus, because normally it the other way around

In the essay Traditional and Critical Theory, Adorno Horkheimer introduced the term critical theory in contrast to the traditional theory. ‘Critical theory’ or critical theory of society is defined as a social theory which aims to both critique and changes the society by providing a normative and descriptive basis for the ' emancipation' of the society. In fact, an emancipation of the oppressed (similar to the Marxian emancipation of the proletariat from the shackles of bourgeois) is the core concept of the critical theory. Horkheimer expands the theory as a human emancipation “to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them”. For this reason, he further elaborates, unlike the traditional theory which only explains the

An employer is an individual or organization who employs one or more person (employee) for wages or salary, while an employee works for an individual or organization (employer) for wage or salary. The wage that is earn is used to cover expenses by the employee, in the form of bills, to cover health, housing, food, utilities, all seen as a necessity.

Sociology includes three major theoretical perspectives: the structural-functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionist perspective. Each perspective offers a variety of explanations about the causes of and possible solutions for social problems (Rubington & Weinberg, 1995).