ABSTRACT
Social theory can usefully be conceived in terms of four key paradigms: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. The four paradigms are founded upon different assumptions about the nature of social science and the nature of society. All theories are based on a philosophy of science and a theory of society. The functionalist paradigm seeks to provide rational explanations of social affairs and generate regulative sociology. The interpretive paradigm assumes that social reality is the result of the subjective interpretations of individuals. The radical humanist paradigm provides critiques of the status quo and is concerned with articulating, from a subjective standpoint, the sociology of radical change, modes of domination, emancipation, deprivation, and potentiality. The radical structuralist paradigm assumes that reality is objective and concrete, as it is rooted in the materialist view of the natural and social world.
