PI: W1360577
Christopher Conway
TMA04 – Introduction to Social Science
Question: Compare and contrast two social science views about the ordering of
social life
Understanding social order is central to social sciences as it largely determines human behaviour and allows individuals live together, sharing a common space.
As a concept, social order can be interpreted as a social condition in which stability and consistency are maintained through a set of rules of conduct, often implicit, inducing people exercise self-control within life situations. It differs over time and place, and tends to be restored immediately when it is breached
I looked at the main differences and similarities between the two theorists Michel Foucault and Erwing Goffman? If we now compare and contrast Goffman’s and Foucault’s explanations of how social order is made and remade.
I looked at Goffman’s theory, he believes social order is produced through actions of individuals and their practises through living there lives. (Cited Goffman in Silva 2009)
Foucault believes that social order is produced through discourse and the power of knowledge) in disciplining individuals. (Foucault cited in Silva 2009)
These two theorist whilst asking the same question of how social order is made and remade, they drawn upon different ways of gathering evidence and the end outcome is two completely different theories that even though they are quite different ,both explain the connections between society and how individuals make and remake social order.
The differences of these two theorists are very contrasting in that Foucault uses Macro social experiences in where large scale structures, patterns or systems and discourse affect the ordering of social life. He focuses with the historical side of social order and why, how and by who these interactions are authorized through power and knowledge. (Silva 2009)
Goffman however uses a Micro Social experiences in where it’s the small...