Sociological paradigm

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Sociological paradigms (or frameworks) are specific 'points of view' used by social scientists in social research. Sociological paradigms are particular paradigms that employ the sociological perspective and the sociological imagination. A sociological paradigm usually refers to the broad schools of thought in sociology that encompass multiple theories from the same perspective. These include:

• conflict paradigm: focuses on the ability of some groups to dominate others, or resistance to such domination, including Marxism
• feminism: focuses on how male dominance of society has shaped social life.
• functionalism: also known as a social systems paradigm, examines what functions the various elements of a social system perform in regard to the entire system.
• interactionism: believes that meaning is produced through the interactions of individals.
• darwinism paradigm: (also known as the evolutionary paradigm) sees a progressive evolution in social life.
• positivism paradigm: Social Positivists believe that social processes should be studied in terms of cause and effect using the scientific method.

References

• Earl Babbie, 'The Practice of Social Research', 10th edition, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Inc., ISBN 0-534-62029-9
• Michael Hughes, Carolyn J. Kroehler, James W. Vander Zanden. 'Sociology: The Core', McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-240535-XOnline chapter summary