Theoretical Perspectives in Social Anthropology and Material Culture

Term 1 only
Description
An introduction to social theory including functionalist models, Marxism, structuralist
approaches to social structure/kinship and to conceptual organisation/communication;
phenomenological theory in anthropology, agency and structure, post-modernism and
post-structuralism, post-colonialism, globalisation and cognitive approaches within the
discipline.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/studying/undergraduate_degrees/course_list/ANTH2
006
Structural functionalism, or simply
functionalism, is a framework for building
theory that sees society as a complex
system whose parts work together to
promote solidarity and stability. Two
theorists, Herbert Spencer and Robert
Merton, were major contributors to this
perspective. Important concepts in
functionalism include social structure, social
functions, manifest functions and latent
functions. Let's examine this perspective
deeper and take a look at a few examples.
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/structural-functional-theory-in-sociology-
definition-examples-quiz.html#lesson

The symbolic interaction perspective, also
called symbolic interactionism, is a major
framework of sociological theory. This
perspective relies on the symbolic
meaning that people develop and rely
upon in the process of social interaction.
Although symbolic interactionism traces its
origins to Max Weber's assertion that
individuals act according to their
interpretation of the meaning of their
world, the American philosopher George
Herbert Mead introduced this perspective
to American sociology in the 1920s.
http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm

Definition
Social conflict theory is a macro-oriented
paradigm in sociology that views society as
an arena of inequality that generates
conflict and social change. Key elements in
this perspective are that society is
structured in ways to benefit a few at the
expense of the majority, and factors such
as race, sex, class, and age are linked to
social inequality. To a social conflict
theorist, it is all about dominant group vs.
minority group relations. Karl Marx is
considered the 'father' of social conflict
theory. Let's examine this perspective
deeper and take a look at a few key
definitions.
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/social-conflict-theory-in-sociology-
definition-lesson-quiz.html#lesson

Definition: A theoretical perspective is a
set of assumptions about reality that
underlies the questions we ask and the
kinds of answers we arrive at as a result.
Examples:
Sociology is a theoretical perspective
based on the assumption that social
systems such as society and the family
actually exist, that culture, social
structure, statuses, and roles are real.
Theoretical perspectives are important
because assumptions direct our attention
and provide frameworks for interpreting
what we observe. Within sociology, there
are several theoretical perspectives,
including the conflict perspective,
interactionist perspective, functionalist
perspective, and ecological perspective.
http://sociology.about.com/od/T_Index/g/Theoretical-Perspective.htm