Three Sociological Perspectives

A problem that faces many college students face is college debt. This social problem is a continual problem with more students registering at colleges and universities. A social problem is defined as “any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed (Barkin 6).” Members of the Seton Hall University community along with other students worldwide experience this. Based on people I know, they use loans to pay for school because they can’t afford to pay for it themselves or their parents can’t afford it. Along with that, I know from personal experiences, I have two very close friends who are paying for school

The study of sociology brings people to view topics in a unique way than others. The way we see the world, human behavior, as well as its connection to society from an outside point of view is called social imagination or perception. The sociological imagination “searches for the link between micro and macro levels of analysis,” a concept that basically says that a person lives

The Sociocultural Lens is a group of theories and perspectives that are based on sociology and sociological theory. They focus on broader aspects of society and how these affect human behavior. The premise is that social workers need to understand individuals within their environmental context. C. Wright Mills asserted that most sociological theories reflect the sociological imagination, a term used to describe the relationship between an individual’s personal experiences and the wider society. Sociological models help social workers think more comprehensively and offer a more balanced approach to their work (Rogers, 2016).

Growing up, my life was somewhat sheltered compared to the lives of other people my age. I was raised by both my mom and dad in a Christian household, in which I was taught morals based upon our faith. As a result of this upbringing, my parents and I made the decision to enroll me in a private Christian school in sixth grade. In this setting I was protected from the influences of the outside world. All of the language, violence, and temptations were around me, which I began to recognize as I entered my freshman year of high school. Even the walls of the highly respected establishment could not keep the real world out.

In today’s tumultuous world, a person can benefit from different ways to make sense of all the things that happen around them to add perspective and reason. One of these ways is to use a sociological perspective to achieve a greater understanding of both cause and effect. The three major sociological perspectives include: the functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionist perspective. In response to the news article NYC Police Officers Turn Their Backs on Mayor, each of the sociological perspectives will be discussed in relationship to the civil unrest between the New York City police department and mayor’s office in the shooting deaths of two officers during protests.

[Today conflict theorists find social conflict between any groups in which the potential for inequality exists: racial, gender, religious, political, economic, and so on. Conflict theorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and

After reading the Three Main Sociological Perspectives, I developed a brief understanding about sociology. Out of all three perspectives, I have witnessed numerous examples that represent functional perspective. There are two parts that make up the functional perspective. The two parts are manifest function and latent function. One event that I witnessed that demonstrated a latent function was when Carmen Farina opened schools after a severe snow storm. In the winter of 2014, Carmen Farina made the decision that required all New York City schools to open. On the previous night, New York City endured a snow storm accumulating multiple feet. Her reason to open schools was due to the unintentional or latent function it provides to many individuals.

Symbolic interactionism is the first of the three theoretical perspectives in Sociology. This avenue of examining sociological factors looks at more personal interactions than the other two perspectives. Sociologist observe patterns and behaviors of these smaller interactions to define, or redefine, the use and evolution of symbols in society. Some sociologist see this approach as being too focused on one person’s view and take on society rather than trying to understand society as a functioning whole (Turner, "Symbolic Interaction Theory”). One example of symbolic interactionism put forth by Erving Goffman (1974) uses Roger, an engineer, as an example. Even though he and his parents believe that Roger is an amazing engineer, their perspective would not take into account that Roger’s boss found his skills to be insufficient and fired him. Without combining these two perspectives, that of Roger and his parents and of his boss, there is not a complete understanding of Roger and his skills, or lack there of. The following two perspectives in Sociology examine society at a larger scale.

The book disuses three different perspectives of the socialization process, functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interaction. The functionalist see the socialization process as a way for society to set up roles. This perspective looks at people and the environment as influences on people and their self-images. According to the functionalist perspective, social equilibrium is based on conformity. The conflict perspective is different because available opportunities are the bases of the idea, instead of internalized expectations. The Symbolic interaction perspective is similar to the conflict perspective. Roles are shaped by the society the person lives in. The difference between the two is that the conflict perspective used pressure

Sociology allows for each individual to have varying opinions and results based off of their own perspective. There are three main categories by which people follow and live their lives by, almost like a predestination of sorts. The sociological perspectives are structural-functional, social conflict and symbolic interactions. All perspectives differ in the approach taken as well as the success rate for each, but without these classifications society would not function as a whole.

Essentially, the sociological perspective is an approach that exceeds what is considered to be the obvious and questions the truth of generalization; it regards individuals as part of a larger society, and therefore it investigates behavioral patterns within its broader social context (Basirico, Cashion, & Eshleman, 2014). Furthermore, the sociological perspective critically and objectively examines and analyzes common sense assumptions regarding society and human behavior (Basirico, Cashion, & Eshleman, 2014). The sociological perspective is divided into two levels of analysis that varies by the size: macro sociology and micro sociology.

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 is the study of the social lives of human beings and how humans live culturally and socially develop relationships. It is crucial to understand the society that humans live in and a series of social behavior that humans undergo. The three major ways you could view sociology, Structural Functionalism, Conflict theory, and Symbolic Interaction. Not everyone will have the same sociological perspective because the different perspectives are truly based on what you believe this world runs on.

The conflict perspective views society less as a cohesive system and more as an arena of conflict and power struggles. Compare and contrast the main tenets of the functionalist and conflict perspectives.

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. Sociological theories help us to explain and predict the social world in which we live.