Understanding Sociological Perspectives

Each perspective views society from a different vantage point, asks different questions, and reaches different conclusions. Evolutionists focus upon the similarities in changing societies; interactionists focus upon the actual social behaviour of persons and groups; functionalists focus more heavily upon value consensus, order, and stability; conflict theorists focus more heavily upon inequality, tension and change. The conflict perspective has a different take on the family relationships. This society looks at family as miniature class society where dominant groups oppress the weaker sections. Taken alone, any of the sociological perspectives may present a single-sided, distorted picture of society and human behaviour. Although each provides a unique framework for studying society, none is complete by itself. Each sociological perspective clarifies some aspect of society and human behaviour. Sometimes these perspectives complement each other, and sometimes they contradict each other. When integrated, however, these perspectives give sociologists the opportunity to gain the fullest possible sociological understanding.