Grand theories attempt to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change. Macro-level theories relate to large-scale issues and large groups of people, while micro-level theories look at very specific relationships between individuals or small groups. Theories vary in scope depending on the scale of the issues that they are meant to explain. Theories can be used to create a testable proposition, called a hypothesis, about society (Allan 2006). A sociological theory seeks to explain social phenomena. Sociologists study social events, interactions, and patterns, and they develop a theory in an attempt to explain why things work as they do. Sociologists develop theories to explain social occurrences such as protest rallies. So, for example, your father may be on welfare, or he may be working class, but you get an education and become a doctor.Figure 1. Intergenerational refers to how much mobility there is from one generation to the next. For example, someone may have very humble origins but they get an education, work hard, and move up the ladder, becoming upper middle class. Basically, intragenerational mobility refers to how much mobility there is within a person’s lifetime.
It focuses upon flow of age cohorts through the life cycle. Macro level theories include age stratification theory. Elderly people are more likely to loose roles than acquire new ones. For example understanding adjustment to getting older. Some examples of micro-leve theories include symbolic interactionism, social phenomenology, and exchange theory. People give meanings to objects then base their actions on these meanings like some people will refuse to wear a hearing aid becuase it symbolizes decrepitude and weakness. For example gray hair is a sign of wisdom in one. Rather, people give them meaning through daily interaction.
George Mead said that objects and events have no meaning in themselves. It says explanations of social life and social structures are to be found at the individual level or in social interaction. Micro level perspectives is the study of small scale structures and processes in society. Conflict perspective deals with macro and some micro levels.Ĭauses of poverty, health disparities, distribution of life chances via, social class, and gender. How do we relate to each other on a day-to-day basis? It focuses upon micro-level. Interpretive perspective says that the social world is created in an ongoing manner, via social interaction. For example structural-functionalism, role theory, modernization theory, and age-stratification. This perspective focuses upon macro-level. Normative perspective says rules and status exist in society to provide socail control or social order. Both micro and macro-leve theories can take one of three perspectives which include: interpretive perspective, normative, and conflict. This approach tends to minimize people’s ability to act and overcome the limits of social structures. For example the effects of industrialization on older people’s status, or how gender and income affect older people’s well being. Macro-level focuses more upon social structure, social processes and problems, and their interrelationships. Some criticize on micro-level theories becuase they focus on what older people do rather than on social conditionsand policies that cuase them to act the way they do. For example the relationship between adult children and their parents, or the effect of negative attitudes on older people. Micro-level focuses on individuals and their interactions. Difference and similarities between micro and macro sociology There are many differences between macro and micro-level theories.
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