The Four Perspectives: Functionalism, Feminism, Marxism, Interactionism
Sociologists look at society through different lenses called perspectives. Learn the four main ones, functionalism, Marxism, feminism and interactionism, and how they split into consensus and conflict, and macro and micro, views of the world.
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Different lenses on society
Sociologists do not all see society in the same way. Each uses a perspective, a lens that shapes what they look for and how they explain it. This module introduces the four main perspectives used across the course, and two big ways of grouping them: consensus against conflict, and the wide view against the close-up view.
The four perspectives
Learn the four main sociological perspectives. Each explains society in a different way.
Match the perspective
- Functionalism
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Interactionism
- Society works together for stability, like the parts of a body
- Society is divided by conflict between social classes
- Society is male-dominated and unequal for women
- People create meaning through everyday interactions and labels
Society as a body
Which perspective compares society to a body, with each part working to keep the whole stable?
- Functionalism
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Interactionism
Consensus or conflict?
One way to group perspectives is by whether they see society as based on agreement or on struggle.
Match the grouping
- Functionalism
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Interactionism
- A consensus theory that looks at the whole of society
- A conflict theory based on social class
- A conflict theory based on gender
- A micro approach that looks at small-scale interactions
Wide view or close-up?
Perspectives also differ in scale. Functionalism, Marxism and feminism are macro: they look at the whole of society and its big structures. Interactionism is micro: it zooms in on the small, everyday interactions between individuals, such as how a label can change how someone is treated.
Structural against interactionist
A _____ theory, like functionalism, sees society as working together for stability. A _____ theory sees society as divided by struggle. Marxism focuses on _____ between the ruling and working classes. Feminism focuses on inequality in a _____ society. Interactionism is a _____ approach that studies small-scale interactions.
The macro perspectives
Which of these are macro perspectives, looking at society as a whole? Choose all that apply.
- Functionalism
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Interactionism
- Labelling
Find the conflict theories
Tap the two perspectives that are conflict theories.
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Functionalism
- Interactionism
The close-up view
Which perspective focuses on small-scale, everyday interactions and how people label one another?
- Interactionism
- Functionalism
- Marxism
- Feminism
Thinking like a sociologist
Put the steps of studying a social topic like a sociologist in order.
- Choose a social topic to study
- Look at what different perspectives say about it
- Compare and contrast their views
- Use research evidence to test the ideas
- Reach a reasoned conclusion
Which perspective?
Read each sociological view and choose the perspective it fits.
- A sociologist argues that schools and families exist to teach shared values and keep society stable.
- A sociologist argues that society is run to benefit the wealthy owners at the expense of the workers.
- A sociologist studies how a teacher labelling a pupil as a troublemaker changes how that pupil behaves.
Contrast two perspectives
Choose two of the four perspectives. Explain how each one views society and how their views differ.
- Name the two perspectives you have chosen
- Explain how each one sees the way society works
- Say whether each is a consensus or a conflict theory, or macro or micro