Paradigms

Paradigms Sociology is the systematic study of human society, so when sociologists begin thinking about issues and how to connect facts they developed the theoretical paradigm (Macionis 14). Sociology has three major paradigms: the structural- functional paradigm, the social-conflict paradigm, and symbolic-interaction paradigm. The structural-functional paradigm is “a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability” (Macionis 14). The idea is that we have a stable social pattern most of the time, and that social structure gives our lives shape. This paradigm also looks for social functions. Rituals and simple courtesies keep society going (Macionis). The main characteristic of the structural-function paradigm is that society is stable. The conservative side of this paradigm is that we focus on stability even when there is conflict, which also led sociologists to develop the social-conflict paradigm. The social-conflict paradigm is “a framework for building theory that sees society as an area paradigm, society, social, macionis, symbolic-interaction, sociologists, theory, social-conflict, sees, people, framework, building, structural-functional, stable, stability, sociology, side, race, inequality, human, gender, everything, everyday, developed, conflict, 14, world, work, whose, while, try, top, together, time, thus