The document provides an overview of the three major sociological perspectives: structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. It discusses the key concepts, assumptions, originators, levels of analysis, and criticisms of each perspective. It also provides an example of how each perspective could be applied to the sociology of sports to analyze the functions of sports, conflicts in sports, and social interactions in sports.

1. Sociological Perspectives
Lecturer: Ayesha Yaqoob

2. Sociological Perspective
o PERSPECTIVE - A way to look at things.
o SOCIOLOGICAL -The study of human social behavior.
o As a whole; a sociological perspective is a broad assumption about society and social
behavior that provides a point of view for the study of specific problems.
o Example: A busy shopping street

3. Importance of Perspective
Why begin your study of Sociology with a discussion
of perspective?

4. Uses of Sociological Perspectives
o Enables you to develop the Sociological Imagination.
Example: Divorce; Imagine Sociologically

5. Level of Analysis in Sociology
o What is level of analysis?
o Major level of analysis;
 Macrosociology
 Microsociology

6. Major Approaches
1- The Structural Functional Approach
2- The Conflict Perspective
3- The Interactionist Perspective

7. Structural Functional Approach
Level of Analysis- Macrosociology
According to John. J. Maccionis;
“ a complex system whose parts work together to
promote solidarity and stability”
Examples;
 Working of different social institutions
Comparison between societies and living organisms

9. Who Were The Originators?
Herbert Spencer
Durkheim
Robert Merton

10. Assumptions of Structural Functionalism
The parts of a society as an integrated whole.
Societies tend to return to state of stability.
society exist to promote the society’s survival
and welfare.
Finally, according to functionalism, there is among
most members of a society a consensus on value

11. Contribution of Function
According to Robert Merton, society contribute through,
Manifest functions
Latent Functions
Does all elements make positive contribution?
Merton’s idea of Dysfunction

12. Criticism
There are legitimate criticisms of the functionalist
perspective: It tends to legitimatize the status quo, and it
neglects social change.
This approach study society in larger structures.

13. Social Conflict Perspective
Level of Analysis- Macrosociology
According to John. J. Maccionis;
“Society is an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change”.
Example:
 Marx idea of conflict

14. Who Were The originators?
• Karl Marx
• C. Wright Mills
• Ralf Dahrendorf

15. What are the Assumptions of Conflict
Perspective
This approach highlights inequality and change.
Conflict approach sees how social pattern benefit some people while hurting
other instead of the idea that social structure promotes the operation of
society.
Conflict approach look at the ongoing conflict between dominant and
disadvantaged categories of people.
This approach not just to understand society but to bring about social
change that would reduce inequality.

16. Criticism
Because this approach focuses on inequality, it largely ignores
how shared values and interdependence unify members of society.
Many critics claims that this approach pursue political goals not
scientific objectivity.
This approach paint society in broad strokes.

17. How are the Assumptions of Conflict Theory Often the
Reverse of the Functionalist Perspective?
Functionalism emphasizes a basic agreement on values within a society,
concentrating on the ways people cooperate to reach common goals. Conflict
theory, in contrast, focuses on the disagreements between various groups in a
society or between societies.

18. Which is the Better Perspective Functionalism
or Conflict?
Each perspective emphasizes certain aspects of social life.
Each perspective has captured an essential aspect of society’s
nature.
Both functionalism and conflict theory deal with large social units
and broad social processes.

19. Symbolic Interactionism
Level of Analysis- Microsociology
According to John. J. Maccionis;
“It’s the broad focus on social structures that shapes society as a whole”
Example
Students at cafe

20. Symbolic Interaction
This perspective focuses on the actual interaction
between people.
 Basic to the symbolic interactionist perspective is
the concept of a symbol.

21. What are the Assumptions of Symbolic
Interactionists
 Herbert Blumer, outlined three assumptions central to this perspective
First, according to symbolic interactionism, we learn the meaning of a
symbol from the way we see others reacting to it.
Second, once we learn the meanings of these symbols, we base our behavior
on them.
Finally we use the meanings of symbols to imagine how others will respond
to our behavior.

22. Who Were The Originators?
• Max Weber
• Charles Horton Cooley
• George Herbert Mead
• Erving Goffman
• Herbert Blumer

23. Criticism
• Being a micro sociological theoretical perspective, symbolic
interactionism sometimes fails to take the larger social picture into
account.
• Social interaction in everyday life is sometimes affected by
societal forces beyond the control of individuals.

24. Applying the Approaches…
The Sociology of Sports

25. The Functions of Sports
Recreation
Getting a physical shape
Building social relationships
Competition
Pursuit of success
Sometimes dysfunction- recruitment on athletic skills rather than academic
skills.

26. Sports and Conflict
The games people play reflect their social standing.
Throughout history, sports have been oriented mostly towards males.
In America, for decades, big league sports excluded people of color.
Finally sports are a big business that provide big profits for a small number
of people.

27. Sports as Interaction
Each player understand the game a little
differently.
The behavior of any single player may
change over time.