How does sociological theory create ways to understand the social world? Discuss with reference to two sociological theories
This argumentative essay will be written in the formal academic style using material that found in the research process, material that to include and referenced in the correct HARVARD academic style. The required words is 1500-2000.
To use the following three texts to answer the question (these should appear in the essay as in text references):
In addition a minimum of two more references used to augment the material in these texts. You can use other Sociology textbooks, articles from the Library database and for current topics newspaper articles are acceptable.
The topic: How does sociological theory create ways to understand the social world? Discuss with reference to two sociological theories.
This essay gives you the opportunity of understanding the theoretical approaches to Sociology that sociological researchers apply.
Here are some additional resources for you if you are doing the theory essay:
The Sociology of Karl Marx [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115449.pdf
The citation reference for this resource is: The Emergence of Sociological Theory Jonathan H. Turner Leonard Beeghley; Charles H Powers 2007 6th ed. Australia : Thomson Wadsworth 2007
The sociology of Max Weber [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115450.pdf
The citation reference for this resource is: The Emergence of Sociological Theory Jonathan H. Turner Leonard Beeghley; Charles H Powers 2007 6th ed. Australia : Thomson Wadsworth 2007
The Sociology of Emile Durkheim [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115451.pdf
The citation reference for this resource is: The Emergence of Sociological Theory Jonathan H. Turner Leonard Beeghley; Charles H Powers 2007 6th ed. Australia : Thomson Wadsworth 2007
The enlightenment and new ways of thinking [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115453.pdf
The citation reference for this resource is: The Emergence of Sociological Theory Jonathan H. Turner Leonard Beeghley; Charles H Powers 2007 6th ed. Australia : Thomson Wadsworth 2007
Feminist theories [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115456.pdf
The citation reference for this resource is:
Interpretive sociology: action theories [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115457.pdf
The citation reference for this resource is:
Post modernity and postmodernism [electronic resource]
http://ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/login?url=http://onlineres.swin.edu.au/1115459.pdf
Additional Tips:
Background reading for the essay question on theory:
suggest that you start with pages 34 ‘ 50 in the text (Macionis and Plummer 2012) but also try and look at Germov and Poole 2011 (or 2007) Public Sociology Chapters 2 and 4 which has good introductions to both classical and contemporary sociological theorists and theories available online in Swinburen Library).
It is important to keep your essay focussed. Notice that the question asks you to explore ‘two different sociological theories’ not two different theorists. So you need to focus your essay ‘ the question is not asking you to explore all the work and writings of Durkheim or Weber for example. The question is asking you to pinpoint two theories ‘ so if you are interested in Weber’s work, you would need to home in on a particular part of it eg his work on rationality. Some perspectives are very broad and you would need to focus in on one particular example. So, there are many different examples of feminist theory and it would be useful to home in on one. Similarly, there are many examples of ‘conflict theory’ of which you could choose one eg the work of Marx on class. There are many sociologists who have come from a structural functionalist perspective ‘ you might choose to use the work of one as an example eg Talcott Parsons on family or Durkheim on religion.
My advice is that you choose two quite contrasting theories that represent differing perspectives or approaches to investigating the social world. This is because in the process of describing two theories and explaining how they create ways to understand the social world you will also be critiquing them and providing some evaluation of them. Evaluation of theoretical frameworks involves asking questions such as what do the theories offer, what are their strengths, how have they contributed to sociological investigation and been taken up and developed by later theorists or researchers or even in policy or public discourse generally? But also, what do they leave out, what is invisible or silenced from the perspective of these theories? How have they been criticised by sociologists who followed them?
My experience of essays that discuss two theories that come from similar perspectives (eg two symbolic interactionist perspectives) is that you really have to work on the critique section as the two theories will share a focus on many things – eg everyday interaction – and also possibly share weaknesses.
So, I think it is useful to look at two very different theoretical approaches – in doing so you will be able to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both. It is not imperative to find a connection between the two although you might. Part of the learning in sociology is that different conceptual approaches will home in on different things and that part of the ‘gift’ of sociology is to highlight the complexities of the social world and the multiple perspectives needed to understand it (as opposed to a one answer fits all approach!).
There is no one right way to show how the theories you choose actually ‘create ways to understand the social world’ In the past, some essays have focussed on exploring how the theories have contributed different understandings of one or two specific issues, as indicated by the research of the theorists or those researchers and academics who have gone on to apply their work. Some essays have taken the theories and applied them to current issues, showing how the differing theoretical frameworks can contribute in differing ways to understanding the issue. In both cases, references are needed to support your arguments.
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