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structural vs social action - Coggle Diagram
structural vs social action
what are structural approaches
macro approach to research
structural consensus approach = functionalism
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structural conflict approaches = marxism
structuralism makes the assumption that the behaviours values and identities of individuals are formed by external forces, social institutions: families, education, workplace, justice system, media, religion, politics, economy
therefore to understand people we must study the system , overall structure of society the institutions and the relationships between the institutions
Research = positivist, quantitative, large scale. Thoughts and experiences are simply a result of the forces so not worthwhile.
what are social action approaches
micro approach to research
social action approaches = symbolic interactionalism (labelling theory, goffmans dramaturgical theory)
Social action approaches say the social structure and institutions are socially constructed – the creation of individuals.
Emphasis is placed on free will and individual choices.
Therefore, to understand people we must study them: their individual thoughts, feelings, experiences, meanings and interpretations.
Research = interpretivist, qualitative, small scale. You should study and interpret the meanings people give to their lives.
social action approaches
Key sociologists = Mead and Blumer
They explained social action in terms of symbols and interactions with others.
People attach meanings to these symbols and act towards others accordingly. These meanings develop and change.
We develop a conception of ourselves by understanding how others see us, what Cooley called the ‘looking-glass self’.
Labelling theory – best associated with Becker. This suggests individuals are labelled in particular ways which can have consequences for them. E.g. in education: teacher attitudes, stereotyping, streaming can influence educational achievement and lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. In crime, how police stereotype, label, target and deal with the working class and black communities can lead to increased arrests and poor attitudes regarding those targeted.
Goffman’s dramaturgical theory – Goffman compared the interaction process to actors on a stage. People act out performances to create an impression of themselves to try to convince others of the identities they wish to assert
What is ethnomethodology?
Ethnomethodology rejects the view that society has any social order or structure outside of individuals’ consciousness.
The task of sociologists is to try and uncover how individuals make sense of the social world by shaking up their taken-for-granted assumptions that enable them to apply a sense of order to life.
Social order only appears to exist because we make assumptions that it does.
what are integrated approaches
take a mixed approach to research
Integrated approaches assume you need both forms of study – both structuration and social action to gain a full understanding.
Institutions are the product of people but are so deeply embedded in society they now provide the framework which make interactions between individuals possible. People can make choices and change these.
Therefore, to understand people we must study the social structure as well as individuals.
Weber believed people could act to change social structures, but recognised the structures of inequality influence people’s ideas and life chances, limiting the choices available to them. Hence, he did not reject structural research but combined the two approaches.
Gidden’s (late modernist), believed the same as Weber – that the best social research combines both structural and action approaches.
Structures exist only as long as people take action to support them.
Change can occur, and does occur – eg the introduction of the NHS; educational changes; law changes; family structure changes etc but only through the actions of individuals.