This topic is about understanding how change happens in society. Sociologists agree that people make change. Change does not just happen “naturally”. Marxists are one example of social theorists. They say big groups of working-class people make change by going on strike (stopping work) and protesting. This view of change is known as conflict theory because it is about the different views and needs that large groups in society hold. These groups include women, racial groups, refugees, gay people and working-class people. All of these groups have been involved in making change in Egypt through revolution. Egypt was the focus country for this topic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marxist Dialectic

Adding a new concept: The Marxist Dialectic!!!!

Many accuse Marxism of being “reductionist” – it “reduces” everything to conflict. These accusers are missing a vital part of Marxist theory: the dialectic!

1st, on Functionalism: society functions best under clear social order so equilibrium (harmony between the parts) can be maintained. Proponents favour continuity and gradual/small change rather than sudden/radical change. Inequality is necessary in order to motivate individuals in society.

The “parts” of society make up the whole or “totality” of society. Pressures on one “part” may  cause the part to change and thus the totality (society) changes as well. Quite simple, if you think the parts are neutral and independent of the totality.

Example: Functionalists would see women’s oppression this way: industrialisation pushed women into the workforce. Many couldn’t cope as they also constituted another important “part” of society: the family. So the government introduced welfare payments so women could choose to join the labour “parts” or the family “parts” or balance both.

 

Now to Marxism which was one of the first forms of conflict theory. Conflict theorists say society is structured to ensure the maintenance of inequality. They say this inequality should be challenged.

Inequality leads naturally to conflict, which creates change.

But it’s a little more complex than this: The complexity can be explained by an idea called the dialectic. This iswhat Marxists call their idea that the “parts” in society (which Functionalists say are neutral) are in fact socially constructed to continue the status quo (and maintain inequality). These parts make up a whole (a “totality”) but contradict each other – they clash and make conflict. But the change that happens as a result depends on the particular event. This understanding of the relationship between TOTALITY and CONTRADICTION and CHANGEis called the “MARXIST DIALECTIC”. Those that don’t understand the “dialectic” may think change happens mechanically (automatically) – like dominoes falling.

Example: Industrialism pushed women and children into the industrial working class. Suddenly they had a public life (outside the micro world) But they were pushed back out of the public sphere by Industrialisation’s need for women’s work in the home! These contradictions are part of the “whole picture” and need to be understood “dialectically” – things aren’t just black and white – THEY ARE DIALECTICAL!

 

How do the theories above explain the following?

-Econimic crisis: job losses/ cuts to social spending/ tax-money used for Bank and corporation bailouts / cuts to pension / protest / industrial strikes

- World poverty

-Homelessness

-Inequality (class, gender, indigenous, sexual etc)

-Crime rates

-Wars (imperialism, genocide, massacres, exploitation of land and people, theft, nuclear threat...)

-Colonisation

-Slavery (wage slavery (Marxist concept of...) historical slavery (eg of certain groups, indigenous, Africans)

Test yourself...

 

Sociological problems are subjective    

Subjective means biased            

We should avoid all forms of subjectivity in sociological inquiry 

Subjectivity needs to be understood and explained in sociological inquiry

Social theories contain various values which means they are subjective

Social theorist change/explain/describe the social world

Young people cannot have a theory preference because their life experience is too limited

Structuralists are also known as Social Interactionists

Structuralists are also called determinists

Social Interactionists believe that institutions in society are the key determinant in shaping a persons’ behaviour and experience

Marxists are strictly structural and reject social interactionism

Feminists are conflict theorists

Consensus theorists are also known as functionalists

Conflict theorists more enthusiastically explore social change than functionalist theorists

 

Social Theories Quiz 2 Feb 2013

(Use Edmodo wall to answer the following then discuss answers in groups)

 

1. Spiral of silence theory is:

• A water park ride

• Explains behaviour of deaf people

• Explains fear in people to be the first to speak out against injustice

• A theory that history “spirals” and repeats itself over time

2. Toynbee's theory of Challenge and Response: “Societies are faced with challenges, first posed by the environment and then by internal or external enemies…. The achievements of civilisations are based upon the success of its responses. If the response is ineffective the society will decay…”

3. Which theory is this closest to?

• Evolutionary, because societies may have to change due to the environment representing a challenge

• Conflict, because there will always be pressure between groups in society

• Functionalist – because society and culture are maintained by institutions and organizations in society

• Postmodernist – because the future cannot be predicted since human experience is too varied

4. “Playing video games makes kids more violent” best relates to which theory?

• Cultivation theory

• The Frankfurt School of cultural studies

• Spiral of silence

• Conflict theory

5. Who studies past societies in order to understand humans?

• archeologists

• ecologists

• anthropologists

• sociologists

6. Social control in sociology most likely refers to

• being able to control yourself in public

• individual authority

• the authority of ideas, institutions and organizations over persons and groups

• the patriarchy

7. Pre-modern societies are those that:

• Produced goods in local, small-scale operations

• Believed God determined most events

• Saw a connection between God and their political leaders

• All of the above

• A and B

• A and C

• B and C

8. Structuralists are concerned with structures in society. These are:

• Buildings, bridges, roads

• Ideas, beliefs, values

• Schools, laws, parliament, the church, the police

• Teachers, farmers, workers, lords

9. Another way to talk about social constructs is:

1. Social engineering

2. Conditioning

3. False consciousness

4. 1 and 2

5. 2 and 3

6. 1, 2 and 3

10. Why do functionalists think we need inequality?

• They don't

• Because inequality motivates people to work

• Because it’s natural – in nature there is “survival of the fittest”

• To force people to fight for their rights

11. A meritocracy is:

• Like democracy but in non-western countries

• A society where reward and punishment is considered to motivate human action

• A society that claims to value individual effort

• A and B

• B and C

• A and C

12. Pavlov’s theory explains

• Human evolution

• Social conditioning

• Gender identity

• Dog behaviour

13. Dependency theory claims that:

• We live in an interdependent global economy therefore nations never act alone

• Africa is a poor continent because its people are unwilling to find ways to make money

• Poor countries are forced to depend upon the goodwill and charity of rich countries

• All of the above

• A and B

• A and C

• B and C

14. How could Pavlov’s theory be applied to continuity and change in Egyptian society?

15. Evaluate ONE of the possible causes of contemporary human evolution according to Enriquez. (Evaluate: check meaning in Edmodo library “a glossary of key words”)

16. British PM Margaret Thatcher declared, “Society does not exist.” Which theory did she most likely subscribe to and why?

17. Why would an evolutionary theorist consider OUR society to be “evolved”?

18. How do social structures relate to ideology?

19. How do social structures and ideology condition people in terms of gender?

 

Now read past HSC questions and match them with these questions. Colour code, use numbers or annotate.