Theoretical Perspective
In this milestone you will select one theoretical perspective and how that particular perspective would explain the social issue that you have selected. Remember to look at the feedback from your instructor from your journal entry in Module 1 and your short paper in Module 3 before you start this assignment.
Briefly outline your topic and the perspective are you selecting.
Explain how the theoretical perspective would apply your chosen topic.
Include the following in your response:
- How the theoretical perspective would explain your topic. Identify your approach to the topic—how did you select your perspective? Such as, are you interested in the big picture (macro) or how individuals (micro) are affected by the issue? For example, a macro topic could be income inequality and the effects it has on society overall. This would require a different perspective than explaining how individuals are affected by the experience of income inequality, or what it means to be poor when others are not.
- Are there any classic explanations from the perspective you have selected that are addressed in the textbook (pre-1950)? If so, what is it? Who was the theorist associated with the explanation? For example, Conflict Theory could be a useful perspective to analyze poverty. Classic examples of the conflict perspective come from Karl Marx and his writing on the divide between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat and Max Weber’s three components of stratification. These are really important theorists and theories that the modern theories are based upon.
- What is the specific theory/theorist that you feel best addresses your chosen social problem?
- Analyze the strengths and challenges of the theoretical perspective. Include the following in your response:
- What is the strength of the perspective you selected in explaining your topic? What does the perspective do well?
- Where do you think this perspective could be improved in explaining your topic? What exactly could be improved?
- For example, you could discuss the strengths of conflict theory in explaining income inequality. This could include its particular focus on power differences between groups and differences in resource allocation and what those concepts mean. Conflict theory is mostly focused on large groups of people and does not focus much on how individuals make sense of inequalities or how individuals contribute to inequality other than at group levels, though. This is a weakness of this perspective, especially compared to symbolic interactionism, which would be very focused on how individuals make sense of power differences and how interactions reinforce, or, reduce inequalities.
To successfully complete this assignment, view the Milestone 2 Rubric.
