F soc usic lecture five

Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 5 - Society

LECTURE FIVE


Contents

1. Review of Lecture Four2. Positivism vs. Interpretivism 3. Feminist Perspective4. Feminist Theories5. Conclusion6. Homework

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Review of Lecture FourLast week we discussed why the natural and social sciences are different:•People and societies are dynamic or in constant changeWe reviewed the six steps of the scientific method for conducting social research:1.Define your terms2.Be objective3.Follow a logical method4.Use tested theories5.Use reliable data6.Offer reliable explanations

We learned that it is important to study societies and people because they change, to learn what causes them to change but equally why aspects of social life and social institutions stay the same.We also discussed the role of theory and methods for conducting social research.



Positivism vs. InterpretivismComte the founder of Positivism argue that:• Social research can be conducted in the same manner as natural research leading to explore universal laws. (Epistemology)

• Findings laws that govern human societies could help people shape their lives and improve the welfare of humanity as a whole. (the idea of progress)

• Social sciences should be concerned only with observable things that are known directly through experience, therefore, knowledge about society should only be drawn from observation, comparison and experimentation. (Methodology)

•Comte regarded sociology as the last science to be developed but acknowledged the complexity of studying societies.



InterpretivismIn contrast to Positivism, Interpretivism or Anti-Positivism holds that: the social domain may not be subject to the same methods of

investigation as the natural world, rejecting the application of scientific method when conducting social research.

Different people in different situations understand, or interpret, the social world in different ways.

Interpretivist methodologies are based on the rule that social behaviour can only be understood subjectively, by understanding how people interpret situations and, by doing so, giving them meaning.

Sociologists therefore can only describe reality from the viewpoint of those who create and define that reality.



Positivist vs. Interpretivist Methods

Positivist Focus: Pure objectivity, using terms

such as ‘cause’, ‘effect’, ‘law’ or ‘fact’ to convey the idea that human behaviour is controlled by external factors other than the individual (structuralism)

Interpretivist Focus: Highlighting the subjective

nature of human behaviour, the idea that people are different from objects because they have a conscious, an ability to think for themselves and agency; the capacity to act independently and make their own choices (agency perspective)



The interpretivist nature of human behaviour

Source: Adapted from Brodeur, J.-P. (2010) The Policing Web, Oxford: Oxford University Press7

Crime Law and Other Statutes Police Legalised Authority

Murder Lethal Force

Assault and battery Reasonable use of force

Kidnapping Arrest and detention

Robbery Use of force to make seizure

Sexual assault Body searches

Theft Seizure

Trespass Enter and search of premises

Invasion of privacy Electronic surveillance

Drug offences Sting operations

Harassment, stalking, intimidation Physical surveillance, interrogation

Violations of traffic regulations Rapid response, chasing suspect


Interpretivism in Research

Interpretivist thinkers such as Max Weber (1864-1920) and George Simmel (1858-1918) pioneered the interpretive approach toward social science.• Interpretivism involves an outside observer attempting to relate to

a particular cultural group from their own point of view as opposed to interpreting the groups’ actions through the researcher’s viewpoint.

• Interpretivist argument: sociology cannot predict the behaviour of conscious human beings in the same manner that physics can predict changes that affect inanimate objects.



Consider Interpretivist logic when interpreting the meaning of a handshake for instance.

Among people in Southern California in America this action is a means of greeting someone.

However in the Szechuan Province in China this may have a different meaning (intrusion of personal space).

Hence the same action is interpreted by people in a different way depending on many factors, including culture, language and geographic location.

• Dependent on the situations people are in at the time• People will react to the behaviours of others based on their

understanding of the social context in which the behaviour takes place.


Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 5 - Society Effective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society

Interpretivism is accused of abandoning the scientific procedures, making it difficult to apply their findings to other similar social situations.

Critics of Positivist approach however argue that social research cannot apply a rigorous scientific method because people and societies are in constant change, unlike objects that remain the same. It also neglects to take into account how universal laws are not feasible when researching people and societies

Critics of Interpretivist and Positivist approaches :



Feminist Perspectives I


• Largely ignored by early sociological thinkers of the 17th and 18th centuries.

• Durkheim argued that men are products of society, women are products of nature and have different identities, tastes and inclinations.

• Karl Marx argued that women were seen as ‘private property’ owned by men through marriage, believed women could only be freed from financial dependence by overthrowing capitalism and social class structures

• Contemporary sociologists disagree with Durkheim’s view on gender which minimized women’s identity to that of natural objects that cannot change or adapt to society.

• However they also struggle to agree with Marx since social class is not the only factor shaping social divisions which affect relations between men and women; among others are ethnicity and cultural background.


Feminist Perspectives II


Feminist Perspective address a broad range of approaches dealing with male-female relationships from the female perspective.

Feminist sociological views highlight the effects of patriarchy on gender relationships. Patriarchy refers to a male dominated society.Most nations are at their root patriarchal where the father is considered the head of the household, the breadwinner and decision-maker. Males are given more power in political and economic spheres.Feminists examine the role of women in societies under the idea that the interests of men are always considered more important than those of women. Order and control in society are based on male power.


Feminist Theories I


There are different types of feminist theories and each emphasise different forms of control as a way of understanding male-dominated social order.

Feminist social theory has influenced social policy for many years addressing women’s lack of legal rights in society, lack of representation on their rights to reproduction and the social consequences of living in a patriarchal culture. Feminism is concerned with improving the conditions of women in society, hence feminist theory is about developing ideas, concepts and philosophies that help meet that agenda.Feminist theories challenge the sociological theories that are based on the experience of men and not designed to capture women’s experiences.It also focuses on adding to sociology as a subject and injecting the acknowledgement of women’s female-oriented private sphere of household and families.


Feminist Theories II


Feminist theory is a term covering an increasing range of positions. Here we will focus on the three core feminist views:

1.Liberal Feminism which focuses on the control of women through sexual discrimination.

2.Marxist Feminism which focuses on social class inequality as a context in which females are oppressed, exploited and discriminated against in patriarchal societies.

3.Radical Feminism which focuses specifically on patriarchy as the main system of oppression against women. They argue that under patriarchy women are controlled by men in both the public ( e.g. workplace) and private (e.g. home) spheres.


Liberal Feminism looks for explanations of gender inequalities in social and cultural attitudes.

Unlike Radical and Marxist Feminists, Liberal Feminists do not see women’s subordination as part of a larger system or structure, but other factors mainly sexism and discrimination of women in the workplace, educational institutions and the media.

Their focus has been on establishing and protecting equal opportunities for women through legislation and other democratic means.

In the UK, legal advances such as the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) were actively supported by Liberal Feminists who argued that acknowledging women’s rights in law decrease in discrimination against them.

Critics of Liberal Feminism argue that they are unsuccessful in dealing with the root causes of gender inequality because they do not acknowledge the systemic nature of women’s oppression in society.

Liberal Feminism

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Marxist Feminists focus on the systemic nature of women’s oppression :

• Capitalism as a socioeconomic, political and cultural structure plays a major role in women’s subservience to men because patriarchy has its roots in private property. Freidrich Engles (1820-1895) for example argued that Capitalism intensifies patriarchy by concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a small number of men.

• For Capitalism to succeed it must define people in society, particularly women, as consumers to persuade them that their needs will only be met through the ever increasing consumptions of goods and services.

• Capitalism also relies on women’s unpaid labour at home doing the caring and cleaning for free.

Marxist Feminism



Radical feminism argues that:Men are responsible for and benefit from the exploitation of women through patriarchy; a universal phenomenon that has existed across time and cultures.Concentrate on the family as one of the primary sources of women’s oppression. They agree with Marxist feminists that men exploit women by relying on the free domestic labour that women provide in the home.However, they also add that as a group, men also deny women positions of power and influence in society.They argue that male violence against women is central to male supremacy and that domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment are all part of systemic oppression of women.

Radical Feminism



Radical Feminism


They highlight how daily interactions in life such as non-verbal communication, patterns of listening and interrupting and a women’s sense of comfort in public all contribute to inequality.

The arguments go further to include popular conceptions of female beauty and sexuality that emphasize a slime body and a caring, nurturing, subservient attitude towards men.


Radical Feminism


The objectification of women through the media, fashion and advertising turns women into objects whose main purpose is to please and entertain men.

Radical Feminists do not believe that women can be liberated from oppression and exploitation through gradual reforms because patriarchy is a systemic phenomenon. Gender equality can only be obtained through the abolition of patriarchal order.

Critics of Radical Feminist theory argue that assuming patriarchy exists in all societies does not leave room for historical and cultural variations. Also it ignores the important influence that race, class or ethnicity may have on women’s subordination



Conclusion

In this lecture we reviewed the different sociological viewpoints most commonly discussed and applied in social science research.

We reviewed the Positivist and Interpretivist approaches into the study of social sciences. We also discussed research from women’s perspectives as opposed to conducting research in society assuming that men and women are treated equally.


• Review lecture notes and write down questions for seminar one.

• Read Giddens and Sutton on ‘Theories and Perspectives’ pp.94-95 as well as on ‘Cities and Urban Life’ pp.207-208 (Simmel on mental life of city-dwellers) available on MOLE. This will be a part of your week 5 seminar activities.

Homework


F soc usic lecture five

Education

Transcript of F soc usic lecture five