Attachment Theory

(noun)

Attachment theory describes the dynamics of long-term relationships between humans. Its most important tenet is that an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally.

Related Terms

  • feral children
  • Social deprivation

Examples of Attachment Theory in the following topics:

  • Deprivation and Development

    • Social deprivation theory has had implications for family law.
    • "Tender years" laws in the United States are based on social attachment theories and social deprivation theories, especially the theory of maternal deprivation, developed by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby.
    • Maternal deprivation theory explains the effects of separating infants and young children from their mother.
    • Attachment theory may explain why social deprivation has such dire effects for children .
    • According to attachment theory, an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally.
  • Conflict Theory

    • Provide an overview of conflict theory, including its most prominent theorists.
  • Political Opportunity Theory

    • Describe how and why political opportunities are important to social movements according to political opportunity theory.
  • New Social Movement theories

  • Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

    • Sociologists develop theories to explain social phenomena.
    • Sociological theory is developed at multiple levels, ranging from grand theory to highly contextualized and specific micro-range theories.
    • Putnam's theory proposes:
    • This element of Putnam's theory clearly illustrates the basic purpose of sociological theory.
    • In short, Putnam's theory clearly encapsulates the key ideas of a sociological theory.
  • Theory and Practice

    • Putnam's theory proposes:
    • In short, Putnam's theory clearly encapsulates the key ideas of a sociological theory.
    • Sociologists often work from an already existing theory, and seek to test that theory in new situations.
    • This data may confirm the theory, lead to modifications of it, or disprove the theory altogether in that particular context.
    • When working from theory, sociological observation runs the risk of being directed by that theory.
  • Introduction

    • Sociologists develop theories to explain social phenomena.
    • Putnam's theory proposes:
    • In short, Putnam's theory clearly encapsulates the key ideas of a sociological theory.
    • Sociological theory is developed at multiple levels, ranging from grand theory to highly contextualized and specific micro-range theories.
    • As the dominant theories in sociology are discussed below, you might be inclined to ask, "Which of these theories is the best?
  • Exchange

    • Social exchange theory applies this type of equation to social relationships.
    • The theory is fundamentally oriented around rational choice theory, or the idea that all human behavior is guided by an individual's interpretation of what is in his best interest.
    • Social exchange theory is only comprehensible through the lens of rational choice theory.
    • Several assumptions undergird social exchange theory.
    • Explain how social exchange theory is based upon rational choice theory
  • Continuity Theory

    • The continuity theory proposes that older adults maintain the same activities, behaviors, personalities, and relationships of the past.
    • Maddox and Robert Atchley are most closely associated with the continuity theory.
    • The theory is criticized primarily for its definition of normal aging.
    • The theory distinguishes between normal aging and pathological aging, so it neglects older adults who suffer from chronic illness.
    • The theory also fails to explain how social institutions impact individuals and the way they age.
  • Sources of Social Change

    • Social movement theories seek to explain how social movements form and develop.
    • A variety of theories have attempted to explain how social movements develop.
    • Some of the better-known approaches include deprivation theory, mass-society theory, structural-strain theory, resource-mobilization theory, political process theory and culture theory.
    • This particular section will thus pay attention to structural-strain theory and culture theory, while mass-society theory and political process theory will be discussed in greater detail later in "International Sources of Social Change" and "External Sources of Social Change," respectively.
    • Both resource-mobilization theory and political process theory incorporate the concept of injustice into their approaches.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.