DOMINANT APPROACHES AND IDEAS

IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
Identifies the key IDEAS AND
ASSUMPTIONS as well as the key
theoretical and methodological
issues associated with each
approach.
 Appreciate more the varied ways
of THINKING.
 COGNITIVE INTERESTS
According to Jurgen Habermas, it refers
to the human concerns that causes a
particular intellectual discipline, that
human’s study and the manner about
studying is determined by human interests
and purposes.
3 TYPES OF COGNITIVE INTEREST
Empirical-analytical disciplines
are associated with the technical interest of
understanding nature, forming and making
predictions.
Historical-hermeneutic disciplines, data are
generated by understanding human meanings
and not through observation of neutral facts.
Empirical-critical disciplines,
governed by emancipatory interests.
EMANCIPATORY INTERESTS are
human interests that involve
reflecting on social, cultural and
political injustice, why and how it
comes to exist.
 2 LEVELS OF APPROACHES
MICROLEVEL APPROACH use the social
the individual as level of analysis
(interactions)
MACROLEVEL APPROACH use the social
aggregate as level of analysis (institutions,
structures, political and economic change)
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
A framework for building a theory that sees
society as complex systems whose parts works
together to promote solidarity and stability.
Developed by Talcott Parsons under the
influence of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber.
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
Social Structure, any relatively stable
pattern of social behavior. (family,
government, religion, education and
economy)
Social Functions, the consequences of any
social patter for the operation of society as a
whole.
 SOCIAL EQUILIBRIUM
A theoretical state of balance in a social
system referring to both internal balance
between interrelated social phenomena
and to the external relationship the system
maintains with its environment.
 TYPES OF SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC
CONCEPTS
MANIFEST FUNCTION the recognized
and intended consequences of any social
pattern
LATENT FUNCTION the unrecognized
and intended consequences of any social
pattern
SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION is
any social pattern that may
disrupt the operation of society.
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL
APPROACH PREMISES…
Within every social structure or system, each
member of the system has a specific function.
Those functions can be small or substantial,
dynamic in nature and work toward the same
purpose.
Change is evident within any society or system.
To maintain the equilibrium of
the system, Talcott Parsons
identified the four imperatives
for the society to survive, the
AGIL.
4 FUNCTIONAL IMPERATIVES
• Acquiring and mobilizing sufficient
Adaptation resources so that the system can survive.

Goal • Setting and implementing goals.

Attainment
• Maintaining solidarity and coordination
Integration among the sub-units of the system.

• Creating, preserving and transmitting the

Latency system’s distinctive culture and values.
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
CRITICISMS
Lost its credibility in 1960’s.
Unable to explain phenomena such as social
change, disagreement with social and political aims
and influential underpinnings of wealthy.
Emphasis on the general rather than specific.
(Focus on the social stability and social order and
ignore inequalities that cause tension ad conflict in
the society.)
GROUP ACTIVITY – ROLE PLAYING
1. Family
2. Church
3. School
4. Government
5. Media
1-3. Types of Cognitive interests
4-7. Functional imperative
8-9. Levels of approaches
10. A theory that sees society as complex
systems whose parts works together to
promote solidarity and stability.