Features, strengths and weaknesses of structural and action perspectives

Features of Structural Perspectives

Structural perspectives view society as a system that’s defined by underlying patterns or structures in social organisation.
They propose macro-level approaches to understanding society, meaning they focus on large-scale phenomena or whole societies.
Institutions such as family, education, religion, and the state are considered the foundation of social life, perpetuating specific social orders or structures.
They usually focus on the way these elements of sociocultural systems maintain stability and societal equilibrium.
Examples of structural perspectives include Functionalism and Marxism.

Features of Action Perspectives

Action perspectives, sometimes referred to as social action theories, highlight the importance of individual actions and interactions in shaping society.
They propose micro-level approaches to understanding society, meaning they focus on individual or small-scale phenomena.
They place great emphasis on the role of individual motivations, interpretations, and actions.
They believe that society is a product of its members’ interactions, and not just a set of structures.
Examples of action perspectives include Symbolic Interactionism and Phenomenology.

Strengths of Structural Perspectives

They provide holistic overviews of society, thereby giving a comprehensive understanding of social phenomena.
They are efficient in analysing the impact of institutions and societal structures on large groups of individuals.
They offer a broad understanding of social order and stability.

Weaknesses of Structural Perspectives

They often underestimate the power of individual agency and downplay the significance of meanings created through human interactions.
They may overemphasise social stability at the expense of understanding social change.
They often neglect the diversity and variation within societies, sometimes leading to an oversimplified view of society.

Strengths of Action Perspectives

They illuminate the complexities of social behaviour by emphasising individual interpretations and meanings.
They provide insight into how individual interactions contribute to the larger structure of society.
They are keenly attuned to the nuances of social phenomena and are particularly effective in studying small scale social phenomena.

Weaknesses of Action Perspectives

They often struggle with providing a comprehensive overview of society as a whole due to their focus on individual interactions.
They might overlook the influence of larger social structures and systems of power that constrain individual action.
It can be challenging to aggregate the findings of micro-level studies to larger populations or structures.