Describe sociological perspectives
Describe the Ecological systems Theory (developed by Uri Bronfenbrenner) and what each of the five different layers are
Describe what a sociological perspective is
Describe functionalism, and how it is applied in relation to health and social care
Describe sym...
Asma Anwar
D1 1.2
Unit 7 Submission date: 11/12/2019
Sociological perspectives
The Ecological systems theory developed by Uri Bronfenbrenner has five layers that explains
the influences on a person and the environment. It has to do with environments that are
known as ecological systems. Each of these systems look at how they influence a person.
The ecological systems theory shows that we encounter different environments throughout
our life that influences our behaviour. There are different systems that explain how different
types of environmental systems affect our development. These include the micro system,
the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macro system, and the chronosystem.
Microsystem is the immediate environment like the home and family environment of a
person. Interactions in the microsystem involve personal relationships. How these groups or
individuals interact with individuals will affect how they grow.
Mesosystem is the interaction of different microsystems. This means that your family
experience may be related to your school experience.
Exosystem is the connection between two or more settings. It may not contain the person
but affect them. This can be parents’ workplaces, extended family members, and the
neighbourhood that the person lives in.
Macrosystem is the most distant part of people and places to a person. It includes cultural
patterns and values and political and economic systems. The macrosystem is the culture of
an individual. This involves the economic status of the person and their beliefs and values.
Chronosystem is the changes in the systems that affects a person over their lifetime. The
chronosystem may include a change in family structure which can be death or divorce,
change in home or change in country.
, Asma Anwar
D1 1.2
Unit 7 Submission date: 11/12/2019
Functionalism
Functionalism sees society as a system that connects them with each other in different ways
to form a society. It looks how social norms and institutions work together to make society
function. It sees social structures such as religion, education and family as important
because they shape society. For example, education helps a person to develop skills and
knowledge and acceptable ways to behave. Criticisms of this approach is that it does not
explain how societies change. It does not account for inconsistencies in society.
Functionalism presents a view of society that works in harmony and ignores conflict like
class conflict. Functionalism does not address areas of conflict in society.
Symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism focuses on the relationships between individuals. Symbolic
interactionism is that we act based on our understanding of the world through social
interaction and symbols. Individuals act according to their interpretation of the meaning of
their world. For example, a teenager that smokes cigarettes. They know the risks of the
smoking but hey think that smoking is cool and that they will be safe from harm. So, the
symbolic meaning of smoking takes over the facts regarding smoking and risk.
Interactionism focuses on small groups and how they influence individual behaviour and
shape society. Social action theorists see individuals being influenced by the socialisation
process but have the power to choose how they actually behave and create their own roles.
They see our behaviour by the way we interpret situations, how we see ourselves and other
people and how they see us.
Marxism
This theory was found by Karl Marx. Marxism explains society in terms of class. The Marxist
perspective believes that capitalism succeed on taking advantage of working class people.
It’s seen as a conflict perspective because it only focuses on the inequality and the misuse
that’s happening within society. He believes that we live in a capitalist society which aim is
to gain capital for the bourgeoisie also known as the ruling class. Marxist says that economic
conflict produces classes such as upper, middle, and lower class, which are the main cause
for conflict. Marxists see the family as contributing to a stable social system and would
regard the family as the servant of the capitalist system. Just as children have limited power
in the family, so people are prepared to be obedient to their bosses at work as adults.
Criticisms of Marxism is that Marxists believe that individual behaviour is the result of the
socialisation with very little individual choice.
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