Chapter 15 : Sociological theory

Sociological theory

Introduction

• A theory is a set of ideas that provides an explanation for something. A sociological theory is a set of ideas that provides an explanation for human society.
• Patrick Baert and Filipe Carreira da Silva (2010) define social theory as "a relatively systematic, abstract and general reflection on the workings of the social world".
• Critics of sociology sometimes object to the emphasis on theory, suggesting it might be better to let 'the facts' speak for themselves. However, there are no facts without theory.
• For example, in Western society, the generally accepted facts that the world is round and orbits the sun are inseparable from theories explaining the nature and movement of heavenly bodies. In some non-Western societies employing different theories, the view that the world is flat and the solar system revolves around it is accepted as a statement of fact. Thus, facts do not speak for themselves.
• Like all theory, sociological theory is selective. No amount of theory can hope to explain everything, account for the infinite amount of data that exist, or encompass the endless ways of viewing reality. Theories are therefore selective in terms of their priorities, perspectives, and the data they define as significant, providing a particular and partial view of reality.
• Sociological theories can be grouped according to various criteria, most importantly the distinction between structural perspectives and social action perspectives, as well as the distinction between modern and postmodern perspectives.

📌 Exam Tidbits

• Patrick Baert and Filipe Carreira da Silva (2010): Defined social theory as a systematic reflection on the social world.
• "a relatively systematic, abstract and general reflection on the workings of the social world" — Patrick Baert and Filipe Carreira da Silva (2010)

Structural versus social action theories

• Structural…