Five Major Perspectives Of Sociology

In Sociology, society can be viewed in multiple ways. There is no one straight way of studying human behavior for it is a complex and multi dimensional concept that is better understood with various angles of interpretations. Although there is no one approach that’s correct by itself, Sociologists are still able to draw on multiple understanding of sociology to better understand of social behavior and human groups. With the following information on the five major perspectives of sociology, one will be able to better understand that sociology can be viewed from multiple angles that can either be similar or different from one another. It will compare the similarities and differences amongst functionalism, conflict theory, feminism, queer theory, …show more content…
Although both functionalism and conflict study large societies, they do not align on their view what society is. Conflict theorists believe that individuals are shaped by having power, being pressured, and forced by authority. Conflict does not mean individuals are violent, but have disputes over resources, housing, and food or tension between groups competing for political positions, controversial social stances, and war involvement. In addition to the Karl Marx view of inevitability of the struggle between social classes, sociologists have realized that conflict is not just a single phenomenon, but is part of everyday life in all societies (Schaefer 14). Conflict is not only in social competition, but also in economic standing that demonstrates the inequality of a capitalist economy that unfairly privileges the rich, who have the power to control the system and use it to their advantage resulting in stratification of a low class society who have none to little power of improving their circumstances. Inequality is not only seen in social competition or economic standing, but in gender biases of the feminist