DISS Module 3

DISS Module 3

Major Social Science Ideas

​Overview

​Social Sciences also have theoretical foundations and ideological thrusts. That is why apart from the disciplines, the social sciences have what we call the dominant approaches and ideas that are present within the different disciplines. These are the roots of the discipline, or better yet, the very inspiration of the different social sciences. At the end of the lesson, you will be tasked to do a reflection paper about the topic discussed.

​Objective:

​At the end of this module, you are expected to:

- Apply the major social science theories and their importance in examining socio-cultural, economic,

and political conditions:

a. Structural-functionalism

b. Marxism

c. Symbolic Interactionism

​What do you think are the concepts implied by the images?

Open Ended

What do you think are the concepts implied by the images?

Open Ended

What do you think are the concepts implied by the images?

Open Ended

What do you think are the concepts implied by the images?

​The ideas that you can get from those images will

introduce you to our topic for this module.

​Structural-functionalism

- Emile Durkheim

​- Society is made up of a bunch of moving parts that move together as one.

​- Does not believe in major changes

​

​​Structural-functionalism

Looks at society from a macro level

​- Individuals do not have power

​Manifest functions: things that are put in place intentionally to keep society moving forward.

​Latent functions: unintended consequences from manifest functions

​

​Institutions - are structures that meet the needs of society

​Social facts - these objects have persuasive effects over individuals, yet they can't be influenced by individuals. People do not notice social facts, unless they try to resist them.

​

​Marxism

Karl Marx

​- Conflict theory

​- Political and economical Philosophy

​- Communism - Equal society

​

​- Opposite: Capitallism

​- private owners, big business, profit

​- produces inequality

​Marxism

​- Marx was formulating his theories during the industrial revolution

​- Old feudal system

- Enclosure acts

​ - Industrial Revolution promoted a capitalist way of thinking called capitalist ideology

​ - bourgeoisie, middle-class

​ - proletariat, working-class

​Symbolic Interactionism

George Herbert Mead

​- Herbert Blumer

​- Focuses on individuals (small scale)

​- believed that the development of the individual was a social process as were the meanings individuals individuals assigned to things.

​Symbolic Interactionism

Herbert Blumer proposed 3 tenets:

​1. We act based on the meaning we have given on something;

​2. We give meaning to things based on our social interactions; and

​3. The meaning we give something is not permanent.

​- Capable of explaining how aspects of society can change as they are created and recreated by social interactions

​Activity:

​- Choose one of these major social science ideas and write a reflection about it on what is happening on our society today.

​Format: Tahoma 11, 1.5 spacing, normal margins

​1 page

​Generalization

​In structural functionalism, society is likened to a living organism – a human being in which each part of the human body is linked to all other parts.

​Marxism is a vision of a classless society in which all enjoy more or less equal wealth and power.

​The discussion about Symbolic Interactionism tends to focus on the language and symbols which help a person gives meaning in his life.