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Conflict  theory
Seminar1
Activity1
conflict theory and functionalism
Similarities: macro scale, emphasis the importance of macro ‘social structures’ and advance a comprehensive ‘model’ to explain how society works, both view society as a system, acknowledge inequality in society.
Differences: conflict theories reject the notion of consensus and highlight the role of conflict, conflict theory includes micro-level theory, functionalism tends to support the status quo and power structure while conflict theory advocates for social justice
Activity2
Marxist hopes to create a socialist or communist society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the workers, rather than by the capitalist class.
Seminar2
Activity1
On a macro level, women are still underrepresented in leadership roles in many countries around the world, including in politics, management positions, public figures, and experts on TV.
On a micro level, the division of labor between men and women in households varies widely depending on cultural and societal norms, as well as individual situations.
Activity2
feminists and Marxist
Similarities: both parts of conflict theory, address oppression and inequality in society
Differences: Feminism focuses on gender-based oppression, while Marxism focuses on economic and class-based oppression,Feminism analyzes the ways in which gender intersects with other forms of oppression, such as race, class, and sexuality, while Marxism primarily focuses on economic class.

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seminar 1

In sociology and psychology, functionalism generally emphasises the significance of the roles played by social institutions, cultural norms, and human behaviours in preserving social order and stability.

The core tenet of functionalism is that cultural norms and social structures exist in order to preserve social stability and order.  According to this viewpoint, social issues are viewed as breakdowns or dysfunctions in the social system that can be fixed by locating and resolving their root causes.

Functionalism also emphasises how all facets of society are interconnected and how they cooperate to uphold social order.  It implies that social changes may have unforeseen consequences since they may have reverberations throughout the entire system.

Overall, functionalism is valuable because it can be used to understand how social institutions and cultural norms contribute to societal stability and order as well as to pinpoint the root causes of social issues.

seminar 2

Functionalism places too much emphasis on social structure and order, on social stability and coherence, while ignoring the role of social change and conflict. The assumption that a consensus of values does not necessarily lead to social order exists. Society is seen as an organic whole, with less emphasis on inequality, conflict and social change.

Functionalism therefore has limitations in explaining social change and social conflict.

Functionalism has a deterministic view of human behaviour and ignores the individual and diversity; it emphasises the functions of social structures and organisations at the expense of the needs, rights and diversity of individuals, which can lead to a disregard for individual needs and rights.

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What is symbolic interactionism?
- It is a micro-level theory that concentrates on the symbols and meanings associated with spoken and non-verbal human interaction.

The early 20th century concept of symbolic interactionism is still significant for social scientists today.

The theory's basic notion—that symbol-based communication is what gives us social interaction—is how it received its name.

-Goffman’s 1956 dramaturgical theory holds that individuals perform different roles in different situations, managing their own image or impression, and must ‘stay in character’

-Actors aim is to be accepted and recognised with their roles, and a successful interaction depends on an acceptance of the nature of the situation.

-It highlights that we do not have a true stable identity and that the self takes form through interactions.

THE KEY CONCEPTS ARE:-

-A Symbol (which is something that represents something else)

-Interaction (the process of people engaging and communicating with one another.)

-The Self (the ability to view oneself, as it arises through the social process)

-An act (a single instance of human conduct)

> Society > Symbols > Establish meaning > Develop views > Communicate >

Symbolic Interactionism Principles

1. Humans possess the capacity of thought.

2. This is shaped by social interaction.

3. Through social interaction people are provided the opportunity to learn meaning and symbols.

4. Distinctly human interaction and actions are able to be carried on through symbols and meaning.

5. Based on a person’s interpretation of a situation, they can modify the meanings and symbols used in an interactions .

6. People are capable of these alterations because they’re able to examine possible courses of actions and assess possible advantages and disadvantages, based on their ability to interact with themselves.

7. Groups and societies are made by intertwined patterns of actions and interactions.

Why do we study Symbolic Interactionism?

This is a major theory.

Provides insight into how social roles are assigned, and how they can be shaped by others’ expectations and perceptions.

Provides a framework for explaining human interaction d communication.

As the world becomes more interconnected, this theory becomes more relevant.

Four basic components

1 individual actions take place in response to the meanings that gestures or objects have for them

2 all the interactions take place within already defined and categorized social context. All social institutions are already provided with meaning in terms of a shared classification that is well understood by all who share they common social setting,

3These meanings emerge from the continued interactions that person in the society have with each other and with society at large

4meanings are not static and new meanings may be imparted and old ones discarded as a part of social in interaction with others

Vagueness
Symbolic interactionism is often criticised for being vague and imprecise. Every social element can only be viewed in reference to other elements and therefore it is hard to predict future behaviour or make normative and ethical judgments about society. It is also difficult to provide a firm basis for theory and research.

Downplaying social structures
Symbolic interactionism has been criticised for its tendency to downplay or ignore large-scale social structures. By focusing on the micro level of social activity, it loses sight of macro-level institutions and issues (e.g. the role politics, history and class play in social structures).

Too subjective for testing
While it provides a general view of how humans interact with and ascribe meaning to symbols around them, it is often too difficult to test because it is based on subjective interpretations of the world. It may be hard to draw any conclusions, since symbols can be interpreted incorrectly or differently among different groups of people.

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Definition:  explain how the unequal distribution of resources leads to conflict between those who possess and control valuable resources on the one side, and those who seek to increase their share of these resources on the other.
Society is not one, but composed of groups with contradicting interests and is currently unfair, and fosters struggles for changes. The conflict beings are common and persistent - it isn't rare, nor temporary.

It have 2 main theories are Marxism and Feminism.
* Marxism (researcher  - Karl Marx) :
*macro theory
* It focuses on the oppression of a large majority, the exploitation of the working class (proletariat), by a small ruling capitalist class (bourgeoisie)
* The critical of capitalism
* Key concept:
* Communism - the classless society which do not have government or private property that means the production will be owned and controlled by the public
* Capitalism - the modern economic system in which private actors own and control the prices of the properties freely
* Exploitation - taking advantage of others to profit from them.
* Oppression - the systematic discrimination of some for the benefit of others
* Marx's and later Marxist's approaches are highly influential in conflict theory but not all conflict theories are Marxist.

* Feminism
*micro theory
* concentrates on gender inequality and domination, where men occupy more positions of power and other privileges
* Type:
* Liberal feminism: equal opportunity
* Radical feminism: gender inequality

Other conflict theories based for oppression - racialization, sexuality, imperialism, globalized systems, symbolisms, intersections, and so on.

Key Criticisms

Underestimating social institutions and stability - conflict theorists ignore how different social institutions come together to provide much needed stability

Overestimating conflict - exaugurated focus on the negative aspects of human interactions and underestimating human ability to cooperate

Criticisms of economic determinism - Marxist ideas assume that economic relationships are the primary or sole explanation of all social and political interactions and behaviour.

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Method VS Methodology
Method: the procedure, system or ways
Methodology: the explanation and justification of the methods being chosen

Three main research strategies: quantitative methodology, qualitative methodology and mixed methods methodology.
1.Quantitative methodology: large scale, aims to collect/analyze numerical data, focuses on explanation
Eg. Surveys, questionnaires, statistics
Uses scientific method: observation, hypothesis, prediction and testing
2.Qualitative methodology: small scale, aims to understand individuals’ experiences and interpretations, focuses on exploration
Eg. Interviews, focus group, observation
3. Mixed method methodology: quantitative + qualitative methodology
It’s complex and expensive.

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seminar 2
Prior to making any decisions, it is important to identify all relevant parties and take into account their requirements and interests.

Multi-angle analysis: After determining the relevant parties, consider the problem from a number of perspectives. Take into account any applicable laws or regulations as well as possible outcomes of certain options.

Aided by ethics: Employing an ethical framework to direct decision-making can help guarantee that choices are made in a fair and just manner.

Think About Bias: It's crucial to be conscious of any biases you may have that could influence your decision-making. Spend some time thinking about your personal values and views and how they might influence your decisions.

Seek the opinions of others: When faced with difficult ethical decisions, it may be helpful to seek the opinions of others, which can provide additional perspectives.

seminar 1
1.Informed consent: Before starting a study, researchers must get participants' informed consent. Participants must willingly consent to engage in the research after being properly told about it and what it entails.

2.Confidentiality and privacy: Researchers need to take precautions to preserve participant confidentiality and privacy. This entails safeguarding their private data and making certain that their identities are kept a secret in any publications or presentations.

3. Risk assessment: Researchers need to weigh the advantages and dangers of their work. This involves taking precautions to reduce these risks as well as taking into account any potential injury or discomfort that participants may feel.

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Seminar 1
From the examples of research strategies such as qualitative, quantitative and mixed method strategies, we can know

- the aim of the study
- data collection method
- how data was anaylzed
- what kind of research strategy is used

We can also recognize the advantages and disadvantages from reading the research examples.

Seminar 2
Social science is a great choice of for my university studies because the subject social science is generic and transferable to other studies such as business and management or psychologists.

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Week 2 - Social Research

What is Social Research?

Social research is the systematic study, in regards to a particular concern, using the careful consideration of materials and sources, in order to establish facts.

Why do we do social research?

Social research provides an opportunity for experts to:

Predict social phenomena’s future events

Understand the world beyond our experiences

Explain how societies function

What are the characteristics of social research?

Accuracy (which is the degree to which a measurement matches up to the true value)

Precision (which is a measure of exactness determined by the closeness of the measurements)

Verifiability (which is the ability to be proven true/correct)

Reliability (which is the degree to which a measurement can be depended upon as accurate)

Validity (which is the degree to which a measurement accurately matches up to the real world)

Measurability (which is the capability to be measured)

Recording/Reporting

Evidence

Research in social science involves the systematic investigation of human behavior, societies, and cultures. Social science research typically follows a cyclical process that includes several key steps.

The methodology of the research must include two things. The first one is a strategy for finding the answer to a specific question. Researchers identify a research question as the foundation for the entire research process. The characteristics of the research question play an important role in shaping the research design and methods. The research question always has to be specific, feasible, original, relevant, researchable, complex, and arguable.  And second one is an explanation for using specific techniques in the research process.

-Shows the steps in social research, which consists of:

> Selecting a topic > Focusing on a question > Designing a study > Collecting data  > Analysing data  > Interpreting data > informing others

-As well as the research cycle;

Theory>concepts>Case selections>data collection>data analysis>research question

>New theory

-Characteristics of a strong research question:-

*original

*relevant

*complex and arguable

*researchable

*focused

*specific

-The difference between primary and secondary research:

Where primary research is the gathering of new data and information

And Secondary research  is the evaluation of existing data, collected  by others.

Things to consider while doing social research

Who is the researcher?

Where is it taking place?

What are they researching?

Why is this a problem that needs studying?

Which methods and methodology did they use?

What are the results of the research?

Who has benefited from the research?

How have they benefited from the research?

Examples of Social research methods

Surveys - Surveys are a series of pre-planned questions that are asked to a pre-selected group of a large population.

Ethnography - An ethnographic approach to social research involves researchers being involved in the participants' social networks and learning about their perspectives on the social environment. It primarily focuses on how individuals perceive themselves in relation to their social group.

Participant Observation - This is a technique for social research in which sociologists monitor people as they interact with their surroundings.

Case Study -  a social research technique that uses interviews, documentation, direct involvement, etc. to understand the situations being researched.