A theory is a model of how something works, based on years of research and data. For example, the theory of evolution helps biologists explain the enormous variety of evidence about the living world, from the fossil record to questions about DNA. The theory of plate tectonics in geology explains how the Earth formed and why there are volcanoes, based on decades of experiments and data analysis from earthquakes, underwater geysers, and even moon rocks.

As you should recall from Chapter 1, the sociological imagination helps us better understand personal problems, like gender dysphoria, by placing them within the context of larger social systems, like hetero-patriarchy. Sociologist C. Wright Mills coined the term in his 1959 book The Sociological Imagination to explain how a scholar of society should research and consider behavior (Mills, 1959).

Similar to how scientific theories explain the world, sociological theories provide us with a way to explain the social world around us. The sociological imagination allows us to ask questions about how societies work and about the kinds of processes that drive social change. There are many different theories in sociology, with their own way of looking at how humans think and behave. Sociologists use macro-level analysis (macrosociology) to look at trends among and between large groups, institutions, and societies. They use micro-level analysis (microsociology) to study small groups and individual interactions. Figure 5.2 provides an overview of the levels of analysis in sociology.

Figure 5.2. Levels of Analysis in Sociology: The Micro-Macro Continuum. Jennifer Puentes and Michaela Willi Hooper, Open Oregon Educational Resources. CC BY 4.0.

5.2.1 Macrosociology

Macrosociology studies the interaction of systems with either individuals or with another system. An example would be the criminal justice system. On an individual level, sociologists might look at how difficult it is to restore your right to vote after completing a felony conviction. On a systemic level, sociologists might look at how the public education system interacts with the criminal justice system by having resource officers as school employees.

Sociologists who use macro-level analysis look at trends among and between institutions and societies. Macro-level analysis emphasizes the influence of structures, institutions, and systems. In other words, levels of analysis in social sciences refer to the size or scale of the target research population. A sociologist conducting macro-level analysis might research how gendered language such as “Miss”, “Mrs.”, and “Mx.” has changed over time through the use of social media. Another example is how household labor is divided between genders with more women entering the workforce and the impact on the economy. These are the aspects of society that are larger scale and exist over extended periods of time that can tell us about where society has been, and where it might be headed in the future (Collins, 1981).

5.2.2 Microsociology

The definition of a micro-level theory is a theory that focuses on individuals and their daily relationships. It can also focus on small groups and the connections between these groups. This is important as most people tend to spend most of their time in small groups, so it can be beneficial to observe the interaction and understand why certain behaviors are taking place at this level. Micro-level theory also examines a person throughout all of the stages of their life and studies how these stages differ from one another. The roles people play tend to be more in the ”little picture” as opposed to ”the big picture” of the life of individuals.

Microsociology places a strong emphasis on context, meaning-making, and interactions. It involves analyzing “what people do, say, and think in the actual flow of momentary experience” (Collins 1981). For example, a micro-level study might look at the accepted rules of conversation in text messaging between genders, or studying language use between male and female partners in hetrosexual relationships vs homosexual relationships would be another example of microsociology research.

5.2.3 Social Stratification

Stratification refers to a system in which groups of people experience unequal access to resources (Benokraitis, 2019). This is a macrosociological topic, though it can be researched at the micro level, through the examination of specific experiences. There is a long history of gender stratification in the United States. In examining the past, society has made some great strides to abolish many blatant forms of gender inequality as shown in the timeline that follows. However, the underlying effects of male dominance still permeate most aspects of society.

• Before 1809—Women could not execute a will.
• Before 1840—Women were not allowed to own or control property.
• Before 1920—Women were not permitted to vote.
• Before 1963—Employers could legally pay a woman less than a man for the same work.
• Before 1973—Women did not have the right to a safe and legal abortion (Imbornoni, 2009).
• 2022—Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sociologists use these prior understandings of stratification in their framing of research. On a micro level, individuals or small groups may be impacted by daily microaggressions, or they may view the world through a stratified lens. On a macro level, we must incorporate past historical marginalizations (stratification systems) within our research, as they have and still do impact many large institutions and groups.