theory

Examples of theory in the following topics:

• Conflict Theory

  • Provide an overview of conflict theory, including its most prominent theorists.

• Political Opportunity Theory

  • Describe how and why political opportunities are important to social movements according to political opportunity theory.

• New Social Movement theories

• Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

  • Sociologists develop theories to explain social phenomena.
  • Sociological theory is developed at multiple levels, ranging from grand theory to highly contextualized and specific micro-range theories.
  • Putnam's theory proposes:
  • This element of Putnam's theory clearly illustrates the basic purpose of sociological theory.
  • In short, Putnam's theory clearly encapsulates the key ideas of a sociological theory.

• Theory and Practice

  • Putnam's theory proposes:
  • In short, Putnam's theory clearly encapsulates the key ideas of a sociological theory.
  • Sociologists often work from an already existing theory, and seek to test that theory in new situations.
  • This data may confirm the theory, lead to modifications of it, or disprove the theory altogether in that particular context.
  • When working from theory, sociological observation runs the risk of being directed by that theory.

• Introduction

  • Sociologists develop theories to explain social phenomena.
  • Putnam's theory proposes:
  • In short, Putnam's theory clearly encapsulates the key ideas of a sociological theory.
  • Sociological theory is developed at multiple levels, ranging from grand theory to highly contextualized and specific micro-range theories.
  • As the dominant theories in sociology are discussed below, you might be inclined to ask, "Which of these theories is the best?

• Exchange

  • Social exchange theory applies this type of equation to social relationships.
  • The theory is fundamentally oriented around rational choice theory, or the idea that all human behavior is guided by an individual's interpretation of what is in his best interest.
  • Social exchange theory is only comprehensible through the lens of rational choice theory.
  • Several assumptions undergird social exchange theory.
  • Explain how social exchange theory is based upon rational choice theory

• Continuity Theory

  • The continuity theory proposes that older adults maintain the same activities, behaviors, personalities, and relationships of the past.
  • Maddox and Robert Atchley are most closely associated with the continuity theory.
  • The theory is criticized primarily for its definition of normal aging.
  • The theory distinguishes between normal aging and pathological aging, so it neglects older adults who suffer from chronic illness.
  • The theory also fails to explain how social institutions impact individuals and the way they age.

• Sources of Social Change

  • Social movement theories seek to explain how social movements form and develop.
  • A variety of theories have attempted to explain how social movements develop.
  • Some of the better-known approaches include deprivation theory, mass-society theory, structural-strain theory, resource-mobilization theory, political process theory and culture theory.
  • This particular section will thus pay attention to structural-strain theory and culture theory, while mass-society theory and political process theory will be discussed in greater detail later in "International Sources of Social Change" and "External Sources of Social Change," respectively.
  • Both resource-mobilization theory and political process theory incorporate the concept of injustice into their approaches.

• Activity Theory

  • Activity theory proposes that successful aging occurs when older adults stay active and maintain social interactions.
  • The theory assumes a positive relationship between activity and life satisfaction.
  • The theory predicts that older adults that face role loss will substitute former roles with other alternatives.
  • The theory was developed by gerontologist, or, scholar of aging, Robert J.
  • Havighurst's activity theory is at deliberate odds with what some perceive as the pessimism of disengagement theory.