Lesson 1
This photo represents the theory of structural
functionalism. According to this theory, society is viewed as an ordered system
of interrelated parts, or structures, which are the different large-scale
social institutions that make up society. There are four main structures which
are family, education, politics, and the economy. In this particular photo, the
structure of family is being shown. These structures are important because they
meet the needs of society by performing specific functions for the whole
system.
Gender is an important aspect of our society.
Functionalists on gender believe that there are social roles better suited to
one gender than the other. These societies are more stable when certain tasks
are fulfilled by the appropriate sex. This photo depicts one of the two
genders, the female, doing her makeup. This action is suited to the female
gender because our society has shaped it to be that way. Women are known to be
the ones who focus more on their looks then men, which is why makeup, hair, and
outfits are part of the female gender role.
The women's movement was one of the biggest
milestones for women in history. It was said to have three waves. The first one
was from the mid-nineteenth century to 1920, when women were finally given the
right to vote. This was also referred to as the suffrage movement. In this
picture, the right for women to vote is shown.
Symbolic Interactionism is the interaction and
meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but
are created through interaction. Essentially, we create our own reality through
the interaction we have with others. In this photo, symbolic interactionism is
shown through the shaking of hands when greeting someone.
The quantitative method is used as a very popular research method. It is
data that can be easily converted into numbers. It has a greater reliability
but a lower validity. It is most commonly used in research pertaining to
sociology. This picture is showing the collection of data through reading a
book on sociology.