SOCIOLOGICAL THINKERS

Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann – Contribution to Phenomenology

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LGBTQ+ Rights Movement in U.S. Society: A Sociological Perspective

Introduction on Phenomenology The development of phenomenological sociology owes a significant debt to Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann, two scholars who bridged the gap between philosophical phenomenology and empirical sociology. Their groundbreaking work “The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge” (1966) redefined the way social scientists understand reality, knowledge, … Read more

Alfred Schutz – Contribution to Phenomenology

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American Family Structures: Tradition and Change

Introduction on Phenomenology Alfred Schutz (1899–1959) was an Austrian social scientist and philosopher best known for developing the phenomenological approach in sociology. Drawing upon the works of Edmund Husserl and Max Weber, Schutz attempted to bridge the gap between philosophy and sociology by examining how individuals create and maintain the social world through everyday experiences. … Read more

Harold Garfinkel’s Ethnomethodology: A Sociological Perspective

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Harold Garfinkel’s Ethnomethodology: A Sociological Perspective

Harold Garfinkel, one of the most innovative figures in twentieth-century sociology, developed Ethnomethodology as a new way to study everyday social life. Emerging in the 1960s as a response to the limitations of traditional sociological theories, ethnomethodology focuses on how people produce and maintain a sense of social order in their daily interactions. Rather than … Read more

Erving Goffman and Dramaturgical Theory: A Sociological Analysis

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Erving Goffman and Dramaturgical Theory: A Sociological Analysis

Introduction Erving Goffman, one of the most influential sociologists of the 20th century, offered a unique perspective on human interaction through his Dramaturgical Theory. Introduced in his landmark book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), Goffman compared social life to a theatrical performance. He suggested that individuals, like actors on a stage, perform … Read more

George C. Homans and Peter Blau on Exchange Theory: A Sociological Analysis

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Gig Economy and Precarious Labor in America

Introduction Exchange theory represents one of the most significant efforts in sociology to explain social behavior through the logic of reciprocity, reward, and cost. Rooted in both economics and behavioral psychology, it views social interaction as a process of exchange in which individuals seek to maximize rewards and minimize costs. Among the pioneers of this … Read more

G.H. Mead and Symbolic Interactionism: A Sociological Analysis

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George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) stands as one of the most influential figures in the development of modern sociology, particularly for his contributions to the theory of Symbolic Interactionism. His ideas laid the foundation for understanding how individuals and societies are interrelated through symbols, language, and communication. Mead’s intellectual legacy transcends psychology and philosophy, profoundly shaping … Read more

Louis Althusser’s Views on Conflict Theory: A Sociological Analysis

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Louis Althusser’s Views on Conflict Theory: A Sociological Analysis

Introduction on Louis Althusser’s Views on Conflict Theory Louis Althusser (1918–1990), a French Marxist philosopher, made profound contributions to social theory by reinterpreting Karl Marx’s ideas through a structuralist framework. While not traditionally classified as a “conflict theorist” in the same vein as Marx, Weber, or Dahrendorf, Althusser’s work nonetheless fits within the broader landscape … Read more

Lewis Coser’s Views on Conflict Theory: A Sociological Analysis

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Lewis A. Coser’s Views on Conflict Theory: A Sociological Analysis

Introduction Lewis Coser (1913–2003) stands as one of the most influential sociologists of the 20th century who reinterpreted the role of social conflict in modern societies. His work, “The Functions of Social Conflict” (1956), presented a strikingly different view from traditional sociological thinkers who saw conflict as a sign of social breakdown or instability. Coser, … Read more

Ralf Dahrendorf’s Views on Conflict Theory: A Sociological Analysis

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Ralf Dahrendorf’s Views on Conflict Theory: A Sociological Analysis

Introduction Ralf Dahrendorf (1929–2009) was a German-British sociologist, political scientist, and liberal thinker whose works significantly reshaped modern conflict theory in sociology. His most influential contribution lies in redefining social conflict within the framework of structural-functionalism and Marxism. At a time when Talcott Parsons and other functionalists emphasized social order, stability, and integration, Ralf Dahrendorf … Read more

Contemporary Neo-Functionalism and Jeffrey Alexander

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Contemporary Neo-Functionalism and Jeffrey Alexander

Introduction In the landscape of sociological theory, functionalism has remained a foundational perspective, though not without criticism and subsequent reformulations. Talcott Parsons and Robert K. Merton laid the groundwork for functionalist thought, emphasizing the importance of social systems, institutions, and values in maintaining order. However, functionalism began to face intellectual decline during the 1960s and … Read more