SOAN 2120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Symbolic Interactionism, Émile Durkheim, Contemporary Sociology

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology and Anthropology
• Course: SOAN 2120
• Professor: David Walters

Document Summary

Key elements of conflict theory: conflict between competing groups, class struggle, equality of result. Key elements of functionalism: functional they serve a purpose, consensus , equality of opportunity. It is not important that everyone is equality but what is most important to keep it function is to allow everyone the same opportunity. Equality of result versus equality of opportunity from a functionalist. 90 percent of university professors in the natural sciences are male. 50 percent of the population is female. In the end gender distribution should be equal. But 90 percent of prison population is male. Their opportunities should be the same: functionalist response. Theoretical perspectives ways of viewing the world: conflict theory versus functionalism at the extremes: na ve. Key elements of symbolic interactionism: focus on the individual level, interpretative school, meanings behind people"s behaviour want to know why people do what, perceptions of reality they do. Contemporary sociology is about research: mostly about conducting research.