Sociology provides several theoretical viewpoints to evaluate and comprehend society. These viewpoints form our knowledge of social phenomena and shape our worldview. This paper explores three of sociology’s critical theories: structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Each view offers a different perspective through which sociologists may examine and comprehend society. I will discuss the viewpoint that most closely matches my worldview and analyze the elements that have created my perspective.
Structural functionalism views society as a complicated system that maintains order and stability. It emphasizes how social structures benefit society. This perspective says that society is like an organism and that each part maintains equilibrium. Family, education, religion, and government help society function (Prior-Miller, 2017). The family socializes individuals, but the educational institution provides society with knowledge and skills. Conflict theory claims that society is defined by competition for scarce resources. It examines social inequality, power dynamics, and the struggle between social groups for resources. The conflict theory states that several social classes have different interests (Stepnisky, 2018). These classes compete for money, power, and status. Dominance and power influence institutions and social ties. It examines how power struggles and conflicts perpetuate social inequality and change. On the other hand, symbolic interactionism examines human interaction and meaning via shared symbols and social interactions. It highlights how social interactions impact behavior and perception and how social reality may be subjective. This shows that symbols and social interactions impact behavior. Symbolic interaction studies how individuals generate meaning, identities, and social settings. They study how language, communication, gestures, and symbols influence reality and social relationships.
Symbolic interactionism best describes my viewpoint. Civilization creates reality via symbols and social interactions. Social contexts and symbol interpretation affect human behavior and meaning. Symbolic interactionism fits my view of how people make relationships, communicate meanings, and break social rules. Symbolic interactionism emphasizes how people understand symbols and interactions. It recognizes that connections shape society (Prior-Miller, 2017). Language, body language, and symbols shape how we perceive the world and identify ourselves. My experience has shown me how social interactions and symbol interpretation affect our worldview and behavior. Communication, gestures, and shared meanings affect how we understand and behave in social situations. Symbolic interactionism supports my belief that understanding human behavior requires considering the social and cultural context.
Various factors have formed my adoption of the symbolic interactionist worldview and viewpoint. These include personal experiences, popular culture, media depictions, and intellectual investigation. Firstly, my personal experiences have influenced my outlook. I have become more aware of these processes’ importance in meaning and understanding via social interactions and seeing others use symbols. I have seen that social interactions and symbols affect our viewpoint and conduct. Symbolic interactionism and human behavior are better understood after this encounter. Additionally, popular culture emphasizes social connections and symbols. For example, films and TV use verbal and nonverbal clues, which impact how people interact and see social situations (Funk et al., 2016). I have learned the importance of symbolism in researching human behavior through popular culture’s portrayals of how people interact. The media also shapes our culture and worldview. Online communities, social media, and news outlets routinely report how individuals connect, decipher symbols, and make meaning (Thompson, 2015). Media has taught me how symbols, language, and social interactions shape public opinion and cultural norms. Moreover, sociological writings and academic discussions helped me understand symbolic interactionism. Studying academics like George Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman has extended my comprehension and theoretically grounded my perspective. Throughout my academic career, I have evaluated empirical data, theoretical frameworks, and research publications on symbolic interactionism’s sociological importance.
The global social justice movement is symbolic interactionism. This movement promotes race, gender, LGBTQ+, and environmental justice. Activists worldwide use demonstrations, symbols (e.g., banners, slogans), and social media to question conventions, generate common meanings, and negotiate social change (Dennis & Martin, 2005). Symbolic interactionism emphasizes how people understand symbols and social relationships. The social justice movement uses symbols like raised fists, colors, and slogans to represent its goals. These symbols let activists express their views and garner support. Social connections and meaning-making are crucial to activist organizations. Activists utilize social media to talk, share stories, and establish community. These discussions may shape the movement’s course through negotiating viewpoints, beliefs, and goals. Symbolic interactionism emphasizes language and communication in social relationships. Social justice activists engage in policymaker discussions, public demonstrations, and media narratives (Carter & Fuller, 2015). These communication tools facilitate idea exchange, negotiation, and coalition-building among diverse groups. Symbolic interactionism also recognizes that cultural, societal, and personal backgrounds affect people’s interpretations of symbols and social interactions. The global social justice movement has many symbols, gestures, and actions. The raised fist symbolizes solidarity and resistance in certain cultures, while various expressions have diverse meanings.
Structural functionalism and conflict theory are critical sociological theories despite not incorporating them into my worldview. Structural functionalism views society as a complex, interconnected system that maintains social order and stability (Siregar, 2022). It emphasizes several social institutions’ contributions to society. I did not choose structural functionalism because it ignores power dynamics, social inequities, and conflicts that construct civilization. Structural functionalism assumes that social systems work as intended. Hence society is harmonious. Conflict theory warns that it may not alleviate society’s power inequities. Structural functionalism emphasizes social order and stability by showing how social institutions are interrelated and how they work. Conflict and competition for a few resources define society, according to conflict theory. It addresses power dynamics, social inequality, and competition for resources and control among social groups (Umanailo & Basrun, 2019). Conflict theory provides a critical lens for assessing societal inequities and power. However, I do not use it as my central perspective because it often emphasizes conflict and ignores cooperation and constructive human relationships. Conflict theory ignores the role of shared meanings and social interactions in shaping individual behavior and societal order. Conflict theory highlights power imbalances and social inequities in social inequality and the need for social change.
References
Carter, M. J., & Fuller, C. (2015). Symbolic interactionism. Sociopedia. isa, 1(1), 1-17.
Dennis, A., & Martin, P. J. (2005). Symbolic interactionism and the concept of power. The British Journal of Sociology, 56(2), 191-213.
Funk, S., Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2016). Critical media literacy as transformative pedagogy. In Handbook of research on media literacy in the digital age (pp. 1-30). igi Global.
Prior-Miller, M. (2017). Four major social scientific theories and their value to the public relations researcher. In Public relations theory (pp. 67-81). Routledge.
Siregar, I. (2022). The Relationship between Conflict and Social Change in the Perspective of Expert Theory: A Literature Review. International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies, 2(1), 09–16.
Stepnisky, J. (2018). Types of sociological theory. Core concepts in sociology, 295.
Thompson, E. P. (2015). Customs in common: Studies in traditional popular culture. New Press/ORIM.
Umanailo, M. C. B., & Basrun, C. (2019). Structure of Social Change in Industrial Society. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Riyadh (pp. 668-672).
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