Introduction
Sociologists use different theoretical perspectives when studying society and human interactions. There are three prominent theories in sociology: functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory. This paper will introduce theorists of each of these three perspectives and the tenets of their theories. Further, qualitative and quantitative research methods will be defined, and an explanation will be offered regarding these research methods being approached from different sociological perspectives.
Introducing Sociologists and Their Perspectives
The first sociologist is Emile Durkheim, whose views adhere to the structural-functional theory, also called functionalism. Functionalism views society as comprised of different elements that serve to meet people’s various biological and social needs (Smith-Hawkins, 2020). According to the structural-functional perspective, all parts of society, such as family, government, and education, contribute to the entire society and maintain its stability (Griffiths et al., 2015). Durkheim believed that society functioned as a whole because people in it were connected by a common language, values, and symbols (Griffiths et al., 2015). Consequently, in order to study sociology, researchers should look beyond individuals and explore larger structures, such as laws, religion, and fashion.
One way in which Durkheim applied the structural-functional perspective to research is by studying social factors affecting suicide rates. He hypothesized that suicide rates could be influenced by differences in religious affiliation and, after reviewing the suicide statistics, he found that his hypothesis was confirmed (Griffiths et al., 2015). His findings showed that, although suicide was considered an individual phenomenon, such social structure as religion affected it, with Catholics being less likely to end their lives than Protestants (Griffiths et al., 2015). Thus, functionalists look at how larger social structures affect the lives of individuals and society as a whole.
The second sociologist is Karl Marx, who is considered the developer of the conflict theory. This theory posits that society represents “a competition for limited resources” (Smith-Hawkins, 2020, p. 4). Marx believed that society was comprised of people of different social classes who competed for scanty resources, such as employment and housing (Griffiths et al., 2015). Some individuals managed to obtain more resources, which put them in a position of power and allowed them to maintain the inequalities in society. According to Marx, social inequalities would become extreme one day, and it would force the disadvantaged classes to revolt (Griffiths et al., 2015). Whether Marx’s predictions are true or not, they demonstrate the major argument of the conflict theory, namely, that social changes are the result of conflicts in society. In addition, Marx believed that the economic structure determined the other elements of social structure (Griffiths et al., 2015). For example, in capitalism, the social conflict stems from the inequalities between the working class and the bourgeoisie, and it is assumed to lead to social change in the future.
The third sociologist is Herbert Mead, who is a representative of the symbolic interaction theory. While functionalism and conflict theory apply to the macro-level of society, symbolic interactionism analyzes society at a micro-level. This theory pays attention to the relationships among individuals in society (Smith-Hawkins, 2020). It is particularly focused on the patterns of one-on-one interaction between individuals. Symbolic interactionism also puts much emphasis on communication because this theory suggests that people make sense of the social world by means of language and symbols (Griffiths et al., 2015). Among symbolic interactionists, Mead was interested in studying the development of the mind and the self in the process of social interactions (Griffiths et al., 2015). He argued that people shaped their views of themselves depending on their social contacts with others. Mead also distinguished between the significant others, that is, specific people influencing the individual’s self, and generalized others, that is, the social group related to the individual (Griffiths et al., 2015). Thus, the symbolic interaction theory posits that society is created by means of meaningful contact between individuals.
The Research Topic and Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
The research topic proposed for the evaluation from the three sociological perspectives is the dropout rates in higher education institutions in the GCC region. The topic can be approached using two different research methods: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative studies in sociology collect data using statistical methods such as surveys (Griffiths et al., 2015). They study a large number of participants and apply statistical data analysis to reveal whether the human behavior under exploration follows a certain pattern (Griffiths et al., 2015). Qualitative research methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews, observation, and textual analysis (Griffiths et al., 2015). This type of research aims to delve into people’s experiences and perceptions and, thus, understand human behaviors. Hence, qualitative and quantitative research methods differ in that the former relies on numerical data and large samples, and the latter uses non-numerical data and investigates special cases of human behaviors.
Approaches to the Study from Different Sociological Perspectives
The three sociologists would approach the topic of dropout rates differently. Durkheim, the representative of the structural-functional theory, would research this topic from the perspective of the interaction among structural elements of society. For example, the functionalist researcher could explore how religious affiliation affected students’ dropout rates. It would also be possible to study how other social institutions, such as government, family, or the economy influenced students’ decision to quit higher education. Such a study would apply the quantitative research method, just as Durkheim did in his research into the association between suicide and religion. In order to study dropout rates in higher education institutions, functionalists could review statistics and analyze them using statistical methods to identify patterns in students’ behaviors. Qualitative research methods are unlikely to be used by adepts at the structural-functional theory because this theory is focused on macro and middle levels of analysis, while qualitative research is suitable for a micro-level investigation.
Marx, the adherent of the conflict theory, would explore the issue of students’ dropout rates from the perspective of social conflicts, namely, socioeconomic inequalities. He might hypothesize that students from the lower social classes were more likely to quit higher education than those from the higher levels of society. He could base his hypothesis on the evidence that education had long been an indicator of a higher socioeconomic status and a privilege of the wealthy (Smith-Hawkins, 2020). Like functionalists, the adherents of the conflict theory would use quantitative research methods based on the use of statistics and large sample sizes. This is because the conflict theory is designed for a macro-level analysis.
Finally, Mead, a symbolic interactionist, would search for patterns of interactions among individuals to explain the issue of dropouts from higher education. The symbolic interactionist could hypothesize that students who quit universities were raised in an environment where higher education was not considered essential for personal and professional development. Or, such a researcher could test the hypothesis that poor communication with peers contributed to students’ decision to drop out. In order to conduct a study, symbolic interactionists are likely to use qualitative research methods because they aim to understand the patterns of one-on-one interaction and their influence on individuals’ behavior. Therefore, Mead could use the qualitative methods of participant observation or in-depth interviews to test the hypothesis about students’ dropout rates.
References
Griffiths, H., Keirns, N. J., Strayer, E., Cody-Rydzewski, S., Scaramuzzo, G., Sadler, T., Vyain, S., Bry, J., & Jones, F. (2015). Introduction to sociology (2nd ed.). OpenStax College, Rice University.
Smith-Hawkins, P. (Ed.). (2020). Introduction to Sociology (AUBH Bahraini ed.). Unpublished manuscript.