Eastern Star Academy, Inc.

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Grade Level: Grade 12 Learning Modality: Modular Distance Learning

Subject: DISS Subject Teacher: Jhener Nonesa, LPT

Most Essential Learning Competencies

Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the major Social Science theories:
a. Structural-functionalism
b. Marxism
c. Symbolic Interactionism
Duration: Week 2 (September 7 to September 11), 3 hours

LESSON 2: BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE MAJOR SOCIAL

SCIENCE THEORY.

Learning objectives:
1. Identify the basic concepts and theories of the social sciences.
2. Applying the theories with true to life situations.
3. Valuing the importance of the major social science theory.

INTRODUCTION
Is the term 'social science' an oxymoron?
The social sciences study human beings – their behavior, societies, cultures – in all their variety,
across time and space. Since it is about people, how can it be scientific? People aren’t atoms, gnus,
sulfides, earthquakes, or quasars. Nonetheless, we are trying to be objective, systematic, and
principled in our study.
In this section, we present brief overviews of a few illustrative theories from different social science
disciplines. These theories explain different types of social behaviors, using a set of constructs,
propositions, boundary conditions, assumptions, and underlying logic. Have a happy learning
HUMANISTA!

ACTIVITY 1 –
Instruction: We have here the word “THEORY”. What comes in your mind if you
saw, hear or read about theory? Give every letter a meaning.
T–
H–
E–
O–
R–
Y–
 BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE MAJOR
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORIES:

A. Structural Functionalism
The primary concepts within Functionalism are collective conscience, value
consensus, social order, education, family, crime and deviance and the
media.

Functionalist sociologists like Parsons and Durkheim have been concerned with
the search for functions that institutions may have in society. However, another
functionalist sociologist R. Merton has adopted a concept of dysfunction – this
refers to the effects of any institution, which detracts from the conservation of
society. An example of a function which helps maintain society is that of the family,
its function is to ensure the continuity of society by reproducing and socializing new
members. Another institution which performs an important function is religion
functionalist sociologists believe that it helps achieve social solidarity and shared
norms and values, however it could be argued that it fails to do this as a result of
increasing secularization in recent years and therefore it creates a divide between
members of society rather than binding them together (moral glue).

1. Collective conscience and value consensus

Functionalists believe that without collective conscience/ shared values and beliefs, achieving social
order is impossible and social order is crucial for the well-being of society. They believe that value
consensus forms the basic integrating principle in society. And if members of society have shared
values they therefore also have similar identities, this helps cooperation and avoids conflict. Value
consensus also ensures that people have shared: – Goals, Roles and Norms. Norms can be
described as specific guidelines of appropriate behaviour; for example, queuing when buying things.
R. Merton suggested that institutions like religion and the family can be replaced with alternatives
such as ideologies like communism and he argued that they would still be able to perform the same
functions in society.
2. Social Order
Functionalists believe that there are four main basic needs that an individual requires in order to exist
in society. They also believe that these four basic needs are essential for maintaining social order.
They are: food, shelter, money and clothing.
3. Functionalism and Education
Durkheim believes that education transmits society’s norms and values. Education brings together a
mass, and changes them into a united whole which leads to social solidarity. Parsons (1961) believes
that education leads to universalistic values and that education performs a link between family and
the wider society which in turn leads to secondary socialization. Education also allows people to train
for their future roles in society.Schools instill the value of achievement and the value of equality of
opportunity. Education helps match people with jobs suited to them.
4. Functionalism and Family
George Peter Murdock believes that the family provides four vital functions for society: sexual,
reproductive, economic and educational. The family is the primary point of socialization in that it
provides children with values and norms. Family also stabilizes adult personalities. A family unit
provides emotional security for each person in the relationship.

5. Functionalism and Media

The media operate in the public interest by reflecting the interests of the audience. It portrays
public opinion. The media understands that society has a wide diversity of culture and this is shown
by the different amounts of stories it covers.

6. Functionalism and Crime and Deviance

Durkheim shows us that there is such a thing as society, and that it is this entity called society that
creates crime and deviance. Crime and deviance are socially constructed – they are not natural,
obvious, or theologically inspired categories. They are concepts that were brought into the world
solely by humankind. Moreover, Durkheim goes beyond this and shows us how socially
constructed definitions of crime and deviance are linked into a wider social structure.

7. Functionalism and Religion

Religion contributes to the social structure and well-being of society. It does this by teaching values
and consensus. Emile Durkheim argued that all society’s divide into the sacred and the profane
(non-religious). Durkheim found that totenism was the most basic form of religion with small groups
using symbols such as plants or animals. Durkheim saw social life as impossible to achieve without
the shared values and norms achieved through collective conscience. Religion comes with values
and norms that are shared between groups. This helps strengthen the integration of society.
Parsons argued that religious beliefs provide guidelines and that these guidelines establish general
principles and moral beliefs which provide stability and order for society.

8. Functionalism and Politics

Talcott Parsons believed in value consensus. Power is used to achieve collective goals, e.g.
material prosperity. Everybody benefits from power (a variable sum of power). Authority is usually
accepted as legitimate by the majority as it helps to achieve collective goals.

B. MARXISM
Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after Karl Marx, which
examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development and
argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism. Marxism posits
that the struggle between social classes, specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists,
and the proletariat, or workers, defines economic relations in a capitalist economy and will
inevitably lead to revolutionary communism.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
✓ Marxism is a social, political, and economic theory originated by Karl Marx, which focuses
on the struggle between capitalists and the working class.
✓ Marx wrote that the power relationships between capitalists and workers were inherently
exploitative and would inevitably create class conflict.
✓ He believed that this conflict would ultimately lead to a revolution in which the working class
would overthrow the capitalist class and seize control of the economy.
 C. SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY
Symbolic interaction is one of many theories in social sciences. This theory claims that facts
are based on and directed by symbols. The foundation of this theory is meanings. Symbolic
interaction examines the meanings emerging from the reciprocal interaction of individuals in
social environment with other individuals and focuses on the question of “which symbols and
meanings emerge from the interaction between people?” the way you perceive the world is
unique. Based on your interactions with words, ideas, and events, different objects, or
words, can have different meanings to you.

EG. While it might seem like a big name, symbolic interactionism is how your experiences add
subjective meanings to symbols and letters. For example, the word ‘dog’ is just a series of letters.
Through your interactions with the letters ‘dog’, you see this as a furry, four-legged canine.

But it doesn’t just stop there. Depending on your experiences with dogs, this arrangement of letters
could hold negative or positive meanings. For example, if you were bitten by a dog as a child, then
the letters ‘dog’ could make you afraid. However, if a dog was your best friend growing up, then
‘dog’ might hold a positive connotation.

While everyone knows what the letters ‘dog’ means, a canine animal, the meaning the word holds
for you is subjective. Therefore, your interactions color the symbolic meanings assigned to words,
objects, thoughts, events, and people.

ACTIVITY 2 –
Instruction: I know you were challenged! Let’s find out what you really
understand. Below is the three major theory in the social sciences, what do
you think is the relationship of the three theories? What do you think is the
importance of those theories? Write down your answer on the space
provided. Answer should be in sentence form.

Marxism

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A. Answer the matrix using the structural functionalism. What do you think is
the function of every structures below?

a. b.

FAMILY

c. d.

a. b.

CRIME AND DEVIANCE

c. d.

a. b. a. b.

RELIGION POLITICS

c. d. c. d.

B. Answer the following using the Marxism theory. Explain with all of your
heart. You can use the power of your righteousness, “katuwiran”.

1. If you were given a chance to lead the Republic of the Philippines what is your
first
step?____________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________.
2. How would you treat your people in
general?__________________________________________________________
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3. How would you treat the
capitalist?_________________________________________________________
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4. How would you treat the
workers?_________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________.
5. How will you handle the situation if you are in favor with the capitalist, would you
turn your back for the workers? If yes why? If no why?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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Activity 3 –

A. Instructions: Create your own theory that is positive to human life in the
following aspects: (Put your answer Inside the box.)

1. POLITICS
2. ECONOMY
3. SOCIAL STRATA
4. GENDER
5. SELF-AWARENESS
 JOURNAL
Name: __________________________ Topic: _____________________________
Subject: _________________________ Week #: ____________________
Write your realization, understandings, and all things you’ve learned and experienced in
accomplishing the module. Write legibly.
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Parent’s/ Guardian’s Signature: __________________

Teacher’s Feedback:
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Citations:
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/sociology/theories-in-sociology/concepts-of-functionalism
Courtesy of Lee Bryant, Director of Sixth Form, Anglo-European School, Ingatestone, Essex

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marxism.asp

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82253077.pdf

HAPPY LEARNING!
- SIR JB