SOC101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Manifest And Latent Functions And Dysfunctions, Dynamic Equilibrium, Role Theory
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2 thinking theoretically: we have to draw on theories even to produce a description. Functionalism: society as a social system: this social system tends towards stability and balance over time through continual organizational adjustments between the parts. Society as a functioning system: there is some agreement about important needs. The concept of role focuses attention on typical and expected patterns of behavior, particularly those regarded as appropriate and proper in specified situations (biddle and thomas 1966) Institutions can be thought of as organized collections of interacting roles. An individual role can be thought of as the smallest unit of analysis for social institutions, the level at thinking theoretically 15 which actions of individual people are the central focus. No two individuals ever respond in exactly the same way in similar situations, but nonetheless it is rarely difficult to pick out common patterns. Roles and role expectations are relatively easy to see in formal organizations like schools and businesses.
