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Unit 10: Sociological PerspectivesLearning Outcome, A: Understand how sociological concepts and perspectives
area.
P1: Explain how sociological perspectives are applied to the understanding of health and social care.
M1: Analyze the contribution of sociological perspectives to the understanding of society, health and
social care
The sociological perspectives state that our social backgrounds have an impact on our views, behaviors, and life
opportunities. We are not just individuals in this aspect, but social beings strongly entwined with society. The
sociological viewpoint is a method of looking at a phenomenon that is widespread in sociology. It entails preserving
objectivity, which entails accepting what may come as a surprise or even a disappointment based on the evidence
offered (Universal Class, 2021).
Understanding the Sociological Perspective | UniversalClass
P1/M1- Functionalism
The study of human social relationships and organizations is known as sociology. Sociology covers a wide range of
topics, from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from racial and social class divisions to shared cultural
values, and from societal stability to drastic upheaval in entire societies (UNC, 2021). The functionalism
perspective, which is a part of a structuralism approach, was created by Talcott Parsons. He believes that everyone
has a set of core beliefs and conventions that are passed down through generations. This is known as value
consensus, and it occurs when people agree on how things should be run. Without consensus, society would
disintegrate into anarchy, with no one able to agree on how individuals should behave. Parsons saw society as a
collection of interconnected elements. Each component serves a purpose; if one fails, the others will not be able to
function. Parsons were more concerned with the social system than with the individual. He believed everyone
needed to agree on how things should be run. There would be no fighting, and everyone would be able to live in
peace. Each institution must work together to ensure the seamless operation of society. They're all reliant on one
another. Individuals are influenced by society, according to him. Parsons gave the impression of society having a
complex system whose components work together to generate solidarity and stability. This method examines
society from a macro-level perspective, meaning it looks at society at a general level, focusing on the social
institutions that shape society as well as looking at both social structure and social functions. Parsons analyses
society as things having to be run together as without this, conflict arises causing increased level of issues for
people. He believes in individuals working right with each other due to knowing that this will cause individuals to
live in harmony and with satisfaction. Additionally, Parson highlights the fact that individuals are programmed to
behave a certain way by society’s environment and because of this, we inherit the behavior we have today.
What is Sociology? | Department of Sociology (unc.edu)
P1/M1- Marxism and Health
Another sociological viewpoint is Marxism and health. Instead of focusing on unanimity and concord, this
viewpoint emphasizes social differences. It identifies inequities in society between the wealthy and powerful. It
also covers the difficulties and tensions that exist between the rich and the poor, the employer and the employee,
and males and women. Karl Marx popularized this viewpoint by stating that there are two social classes: the ruling
(Bourgeoisie) and working (Proletariat) class. He felt that society and people's place within it are defined by the
economic system. Marx had the strong belief of both the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat were always in conflict.
This is because the employer would always want a higher profit whilst the employees will demand for more wage
, which eats into the profit. This would result in confrontation, which he believed would lead to revolution.
revolution happening will mean that a political change will happen, and the triumph of communism will be
present. This will overall damage society as there will be higher rates of conflict and revolution causing suppression
of the people which will cause an increase of ideological restrictions on the populace which ultimately leads to
society deteriorating.
P1/M1- Feminism
Feminism may be described as an endeavor to promote equality by opposing patriarchal social institutions from a
sociological standpoint (Cole, 2019). The feminist viewpoint emphasizes social concerns that are frequently
ignored or misunderstood by existing social theories. It examines women's experiences of gender oppression and
pinpoints the root reasons of such oppression. At both the micro and macro levels, it investigates women's social
roles, interests, and experiences (Nancy, 2021). This sociological perspective indicates that there are three types of
feminism being Marxist, Radical and Liberal feminism. Women are oppressed by capitalism and males, according to
Marxist feminism. It also thinks that women create the next generation of workers and care for children's holistic
needs so that they can find employment, therefore boosting profits for the ruling class. They also care for and are
dominated by their working husbands, providing emotional and physical support. Women's major task is domestic
duties since the family would be unable to work if they did not take up this job. Males are viewed as the family's
powerhouse, and radical feminism is like Marxist feminism in that it thinks men rule women. It describes society as
patriarchal, and women are socialized to be housewives and mothers, according to it. Liberal feminists, on the
other hand, think that change has occurred. This is because rules and regulations such as the Equal Pay Act (1970)
and the Sex Discrimination Act have increased equality (1975). It aspires to equal rights with men and believes that
people should be judged on their abilities and efforts rather than their gender.
The Sociologist's Take on Feminism (thoughtco.com)
What is a feminist perspective? - An Overview (sociologygroup.com)
P1/M1- Interactionism
Interactionalism is a theoretical perspective that sees social processes (including conflict, collaboration, and
identity formation) as arising from human contact. Scholars that take this approach look at how people behave in
society and feel meaning that it is created via interactions between people. Gender stratification, according to
interactionists, exists because people act toward one another based on the meanings they hold for one another.
These meanings, according to interactionists, are generated through social interaction and regulated and modified
through an interpretive process that people use to make sense of and manipulate the things that make up their
social environments. A person's sense of their gender role is founded on how society perceives them, according to
Cooley's concept of the "looking-glass self”. Therefore, if society perceives a man as manly, he will perceive himself
as masculine as well (Lumen, 2016).
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/the-interactionist-perspective/
P1/M1- Postmodernism
Finally, postmodernism emphasizes fast change and uncertainty, implying that established institutions do not exist
because nothing remains the same. People and communities are no longer as influenced by institutions as they
were in previous eras in making decisions about how to live. Functionalism and Marxism are no longer useful in
analyzing society as a result of the changes. People and organizations increasingly make their own judgments
about how to live, and institutions no longer have as much influence as they did in previous eras. Classic social
theorists, according to postmodernists, were inspired by the idea that history has a shape - that it "goes
someplace" and is progressive. This paradigm, according to Jean Francois Lyotard, has now crumbled, and there
are no longer any logical ‘metanarratives' — overarching conceptions of history or society. Marxism (together with
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