interactionist, consensus, conflict

Sample Solution

Those are three terms from sociology that refer to different perspectives on understanding society and social issues. Here's a breakdown:

1. Interactionist Perspective:

• Focuses on how individuals and groups interact with each other to create meaning and shape social order.
• Emphasizes the role of symbols, language, and negotiation in everyday life.
• Considers how social identities and relationships are constructed through interaction.
• Examples: symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, phenomenology.

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2. Consensus Perspective:

• Assumes a generally shared set of values, norms, and beliefs that bind society together.
• Views social order as maintained through cooperation and agreement on basic rules.
• Analyzes institutions and social structures that promote cohesion and stability.
• Examples: functionalism, structuralism, systems theory.

3. Conflict Perspective:

• Highlights power inequalities and competition for resources between different groups in society.
• Views social order as maintained through domination and control by powerful groups over less powerful ones.
• Analyzes how social structures and institutions perpetuate inequalities and conflict.
• Examples: Marxist theory, critical theory, feminist theory.

Comparing the Perspectives:

These perspectives offer different lenses for understanding social phenomena. They are not mutually exclusive, and can be used to complement each other:

• Consensus and conflict perspectives can explain both cooperation and conflict within societies.
• Interactionism adds depth by focusing on how individuals and groups create and maintain social order through their interactions.