{"id":1719,"date":"2016-06-13T18:55:12","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T18:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontosociology-waymaker\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1719"},"modified":"2024-04-25T16:46:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T16:46:17","slug":"introduction-to-theoretical-perspectives-on-government-and-power","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/chapter\/introduction-to-theoretical-perspectives-on-government-and-power\/","title":{"raw":"Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power","rendered":"Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power"},"content":{"raw":"<h2 class=\"p1\">What you'll learn to do: describe the varying theoretical perspectives on government and power<\/h2>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/c.pxhere.com\/photos\/35\/68\/agreement_black_business_collaboration_cooperation_deal_diversity_friends-1563077.jpg!d\" alt=\"Four pairs of hands shown from above, connected to each other in a criss cross formation.\" width=\"803\" height=\"535\" \/><\/p>\r\nSociologists use interpretive and theoretical frameworks to gain perspective on data and observations related to the study of power and government. Functionalism suggests that societal power and structure is predicated on cooperation, interdependence, and shared goals or values. Conflict theory, rooted in Marxism, asserts that societal structures are the result of social groups competing for wealth, power, and influence. Symbolic interactionism examines a smaller realm of sociological interest: the individual\u2019s perception of symbols of power and their subsequent reaction to the face-to-face interactions of the political realm.","rendered":"<h2 class=\"p1\">What you&#8217;ll learn to do: describe the varying theoretical perspectives on government and power<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/c.pxhere.com\/photos\/35\/68\/agreement_black_business_collaboration_cooperation_deal_diversity_friends-1563077.jpg!d\" alt=\"Four pairs of hands shown from above, connected to each other in a criss cross formation.\" width=\"803\" height=\"535\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Sociologists use interpretive and theoretical frameworks to gain perspective on data and observations related to the study of power and government. Functionalism suggests that societal power and structure is predicated on cooperation, interdependence, and shared goals or values. Conflict theory, rooted in Marxism, asserts that societal structures are the result of social groups competing for wealth, power, and influence. Symbolic interactionism examines a smaller realm of sociological interest: the individual\u2019s perception of symbols of power and their subsequent reaction to the face-to-face interactions of the political realm.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1719\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of hands. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: pxhere. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pxhere.com\/en\/photo\/1563077\">https:\/\/pxhere.com\/en\/photo\/1563077<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cc0\">CC0: No Rights Reserved<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: OpenStax CNX. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/AgQDEnLI@10.1:lA3mBOAb@2\/Theoretical-Perspectives-on-Government-and-Power\">https:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/AgQDEnLI@10.1:lA3mBOAb@2\/Theoretical-Perspectives-on-Government-and-Power<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power\",\"author\":\"OpenStax CNX\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/AgQDEnLI@10.1:lA3mBOAb@2\/Theoretical-Perspectives-on-Government-and-Power\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Image of 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