Sociological Theory Today

An Introduction to Sociology SOCI 1306 Sociological Theory Today Over the years, there has been a notable change in each of the three fundamental methods that form the basis of contemporary sociological theory: symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, and structural-functionalism. Up until the 1960s and 1970s, structural-functionalism was the most popular theoretical framework in the post-World War II era. It saw society as a complex system with interconnected pieces that cooperated to support stability and social order. This viewpoint placed emphasis on the roles that norms and social institutions play in preserving the balance of society. However, sociologists started to criticise structuralfunctionalism for failing to sufficiently explain these dynamic transitions when the United States saw fast social change in the 1960s and 1970s, including the women's movement and the Civil Rights movement. It was believed that the theory's emphasis on cohesiveness and stability was unable to handle the new societal tensions and changes. In reaction to these criticisms, conflict theory became more well-known. Conflict theory, which has its roots in Karl Marx's writings, emphasises the ingrained power conflicts and injustices in society. It asserts that dominance and power, as opposed to agreement and compliance, preserve social order. Conflict theory gained popularity because of its focus on identifying and resolving structural injustices pertaining to gender, racism, and class. During this time, critical theory emerged, especially from the Frankfurt School, which attempted to use sociological ideas to bring about social change. Critical theory gave rise to feminist theory and critical race theory, two important subfields that focused on the structural oppression of women and racial minorities, respectively. These ideologies attempted to support transformational social behaviours in addition to analysing societal inequities. The advent of public sociology was prompted by the heightened emphasis on the application of sociological discoveries in real-world contexts that these new theoretical methods brought about. By making sociological research approachable and applicable to everyday situations, public sociology aims to close the gap that exists between the academic community and the general population. In order to solve social challenges and advance social justice, it urges sociologists to interact with communities, legislators, and other stakeholders. This shift towards applied sociology and the goal of applying sociological knowledge to bring about constructive social change are reflected in the field's larger tendency towards public sociology. In the 1960s and 1970s, symbolic interactionism—which had been well-known after George Herbert Mead's research in the 1920s and 1930s—saw a decrease in its impact. Symbolic interactionism is concerned with the meanings people ascribe to the small-scale interactions they have with one another. It investigates how people's daily interactions shape, preserve, and alter social reality. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, symbolic interactionism had a resurgence despite its initial downfall. Constructivist viewpoints, which emphasise how reality is socially produced and how individuals shape their social environments, have gained popularity, and this comeback can be partly attributed to them. Postmodern social theory, which challenged the conventional macro-level methods of sociological study, arose as a major new perspective in the 1980s. Postmodernism emphasises the fragmented, diversified, and subjective aspect of social reality rather than the idea of a single, overarching narrative or truth. Grand theories like conflict theory and structural-functionalism, according to postmodern thinkers, are unable to adequately account for the diversity and complexity of modern society. They support a more complex, regional, and deconstructive method of comprehending social processes. Constructivist perspectives within symbolic interactionism, which emphasise the interaction between social systems and individual agency, gained prominence at the same time as postmodernism. Sociological theory has developed during these years, taking into account the shifting social settings and difficulties of various historical eras. Sociology has been enhanced by the interactions of structural-functionalism, symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, and critical theory as well as postmodernism and critical theory. Together, these theoretical vantage points give a complete framework for comprehending the intricacies of social life, while also providing distinct insights and analytical tools for social phenomena. Sociologists still refer to these basic beliefs in the modern day, but they also include fresh viewpoints and methods. The dynamic character of sociology and its reactivity to new social concerns are shown by the field's continual evolution. Sociologists' theories to interpret and explain these shifts will also evolve along with society. The field is still heavily influenced by the contributions of structural-functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism, even as new theoretical developments and innovations continue to influence how sociological research is conducted in the future.