Theoretical Perspectives

Theoretical Perspectives Everyone has a different view of the world. Sociologically speaking, there are three different ways a person may view society. There are two sociological theories that takes a look at the world at a macro level. Taking a look at how the entire society works together as whole. One theory takes a look at the world at a macro level or looking at it more individually. Studying all these different perspectives and looking at how they change over time can play a big role in how an individual may view the roles of society within the world. These different theories can also play a part in how social identity is formed. Personally, symbolic interactionism is the closest in relating to my world view. Structural functionalism is one of the macro- level theories, looking at how each role balances out society. It “views the society as a complete unit.” (Claerbaut, 2015). Focusing on how society works together to make sure all needs are met, putting structures as the main part in society. “The parts are studied only in terms on how they function and contribute to the well being of the whole society.” (Claerbaut, 2015). Due to society being so dependent on these different structures, change is extremely common within these societies. They have to work to accommodate in order to create stability. Conflict theory is also a macro theory. Conflict theory looks at society as a whole, and “sees society composed of a number of groups in constant battle over power, prestige, and economic resources.” (Claerbaut, 2015). This theory looks at social order as being held and maintained by domination and power rather than conformity. This allows the rich to suppress the poor and maintain social order between the classes. “The conflict perspective explains various aspects of our social world by looking at which groups have power and benefit from a particular social arrangement.” (Mooney, Knox, and Schacht, 2007). “Looking at society through the lens of competition and discord is a key to understanding conflict theory.” (Claerbaut, 2015). In comparison to structural functionalism, conflict theory is dependent on being flexible due to the changes in power and different outcomes, whereas structural functionalism relies on stability and structures. Symbolic interactionism is the last sociological theory. This theory looks at individuals within society and what their role is within society. This makes it a micro- level theory because it is individually focused rather than taking a look at society as a whole. Symbolic interactionism “Looks at society as emerging from social interaction at the micro level.” (Claerbaut, 2015). This theory states that everyone’s individual experiences alter how they view the world being every action is based from meaning. Individuals build a sense of self identity by the interactions within society. ” These interpretations are often called “definition of the situation” because they just define the situations.” (“Symbolic”, 2015). The biggest difference between the three theories are whether they are macro-level theories or micro-level theories. This all depends on how society is looked at. Symbolic interactionism is the sociological theory that more closely relates to my world view and the one I personally agree with. When taking a look at human behavior, symbolic interactionism can open your eyes to help see that everything has a different meaning for different individuals. An example in my personal life involves my best friend and I. We both decided to go to the spring musical put on by our school and we both had a very different experience. Growing up I was always into musicals and musical theater. It was always my dream to be in a musical. I loved the crazy make up, the extravagant musical numbers and the silly dances. My best friend on the other hand found it extremely boring. Watching the musical was fun for me because I understood what the musical was about and found interest in the topic, but she did not. This is an example of symbolic interactionism because the meaning of the event had different significances to us due to past interactions and exposures. We can see symbolic interactionism within the world today is the never-ending spread of the Corona Virus. As nearly everyone in the United States has been affected in one way or another, symbolic interactionism plays into effect as how people believe that the spread can be stopped. For example, someone who have experience in the medical field or have a compromised immune system may believe that the stay at home order is crucial for stopping the spread. While people who do not understand what all goes into this disease may see it as silly to put laws against leaving and things such as travel or work. Symbolic interactionism plays a huge role on how people form their opinions. Conflict theory and Structural functionalism take a look at the world as a perspective whole, whereas symbolic interactionism takes a look at the individual interactions that lead people to behave in certain ways. Believing that interactions and experiences influence certain behaviors and actions. We can see this not only in our personal lives, but throughout society and the world we live in.