10/11/2015 Sociological Theory Family Sociology Montclair State University.

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Sociological Theory

Family Sociology

Montclair State University

Sociological Inquiry

Individuals or families do not exist in isolation

Rather, they react to and influence changes in the social world around them

In this class, we will focus on how families are influenced by the larger social structure Social structure: is a stable framework of social

relationships that guides our interaction with others

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The Sociological Approach

Macro Level

Micro Level

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The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level

Family sociologists examine how these social institutions interact and how they influence behaviors, attitudes, and opportunities in families

Economy

Families

GovernmentEducation

Religion Healthcare

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The Sociological Approach – The Macro Level

Example:A macrolevel analysis of a woman who

feels the tension of balancing work and family would focus on this as a social problem

Solutions might be implementing a family leave policy at the federal level or corporate level

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The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level

Micro level deals with issues of social life at the level of individuals or small groups

At the micro level we focus on patterned behaviors of people that are due to the social conditions in which we find ourselves

We act differently in different settings and places

Micro level analysis focuses on personal choices

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The Sociological Approach – The Micro Level

Example: A microlevel analysis of a woman who

feels the tension of balancing work and family would focus on this as a personal problem

Solutions might be focus on her personal choices -- she should find a way to improve her time management skills

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Social Science Research

How do we know what we know? Most of us understand the world around us through

our personal experience -- the people and situations we have been in or have seen

This personal experience leads to our conclusions about the world

While there is nothing wrong with these ways of knowing -- social scientists are skeptical about relying ONLY on these sources because:

An individual’s experience of those around them is not representative of the broader society

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Social Science Research

How do we know what we know? Social scientists use a systematic and more scientific mode of

investigation Social scientists rely on:

Observations of the social world based on representative samples

Example: If we wanted to study why people in the U.S. get married, we should not just survey college students

We avoid the error of overgeneralization: i.e. using what we know about a small group of people to conclude something about all people

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Sociological Theories

Social science theories explain or help us make sense of patterns in social life

Theories shape and direct research – they point us in a direction

That direction influences what we look for, what we find, and how we explain it

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Sociological Theories

Theories about families and relationships are made up a set of statements that explain why certain relationships occur

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Macrolevel theories

Macrolevel theories focus on: a whole society or a large part of it the BIG PICTURE

Examples: Are marriages less stable in the U.S. compared to

Japan? Compare U.S. divorce rates to Japanese divorce rates

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Macrolevel theories

Macrolevel theories focus on:

a whole society or a large part of it the BIG PICTURE

Examples: How has the decline in “real” male wages influenced

husbands’ and wives’ involvement in the paid labor force Research might examine cost of living and

employment rates by gender and compare data from 1968 to 2008

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Sociological Theories

Theories used to explain relationships at a more personal level are micro level theories

Examples:A researcher wants to know how often

husbands and wives argue on a weekly basis They might observe a husbands and wife in their

home – or tape their conversations over the week

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Major Sociological Theories

Structural Functionalism Operates at the macro level Structural functionalists view society as a social

system with interacting parts The functionalist perspective views society as a

vast organism whose parts are interdependent or interrelated

Think about how social institutions interact: families and the economic system

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Major Sociological Theories

Structural Functionalism Operates at the macro level Structural-Functionalists focus on how social institutions

like families meet the basic needs or functions of a society. The family as a social institution is analyzed from two

perspectives:1)    How does the family contribute to the maintenance of the larger social system ?2)    And, in what ways does society and other social institutions (like education or economic system) affect families?

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Major Sociological Theories

Conflict Theory (based on Marxist Theory)

Operates at the macro level Focuses on inequality, power, and social

change Basic form of interaction is competition not

cooperation Individuals and groups compete for

advantage

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Major Sociological Theories

Conflict theorists might ask: How do some family members come to

dominate others? Under which circumstances can the

oppressed reduce or eliminate their disadvantages?

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Major Sociological Theories

Conflict Theory (based on Marxist Theory) Operates at the macro level Inequality generates conflict – may lead to revolution

by the proletariat or “have-nots” This inequality affects the lives of many people while

benefits the powerful few Emphasis is on the economic system Within marriages men may have more power than

women because they earn more on average

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Major Sociological Theories

Exchange Theory Operates at the micro level Similar to economic theories that view humans as rational beings who make decisions about the exchange of goods and services

In doing so, they weigh the costs and benefits of exchanges

Emphasis is on efficiency 

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Major Sociological Theories

Exchange Theory Operates at the micro level In relationships, for example, people have some

resource that is valued by the other person This is when exchange can take place In relationships -- what do women hold of value? How about men? 

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Major Sociological Theories

Gender Theory Operates at both macro and micro level Central concept is gender—the social and cultural

characteristics that distinguish women and men in society.

Oriented toward power in relationships. Feminist theory argues that differences between men

and women are socially constructed to maintain power of men over women.

Emphasizes culture, rather than biology.

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Summary

Families are one social institution among many

Families are influenced by and influence the larger society

Family theories guide research on families These theories may operate at the: macro level (big picture level) or micro level (more personal individual level)