American Patriotism : The Functionalist, Conflict, And Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

In the Webster dictionary the definition for patriotism is: “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests.” An example of it in a sentence is, “He was a great patriot who devoted his life to serving his country.” My definition of a person who is patriotic is, “a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, especially of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.

In his essay, "A Cause Greater Than Self", Senator John McCain writes about patriotism being "a love of country expressed in good citizenship.” He contends that "Patriotism is countless acts of love, kindness and courage that have no witness or heraldry and are especially commendable because they are unrecorded". In other words, he claims that patriotism is an act that is committed without the need of praise. A patriot abides to the country's laws and engages in acts of kindness without acting to one's interest. Before reading the essay, I thought a patriot was typically someone in the military or a government official, someone who willing sacrifice themselves to protect their country. The dictionary defines patriotism as love for

When I was younger I felt like I knew what it meant to be patriotic in America, but as times change I feel like I have no clue what it means to be patriotic in America today. I believe I had a grasp on what it means to be patriotic because, I had grown up in Gallup New Mexico-known to be the most patriotic town in The United States of America. Then Earlier in my life I also had to deal with my brother, who went into a recruiter's office and signed up to be shipped off to Afghanistan the very next day. When he would visit he would have these lectures on how we should show our patriotism. He would eventually force my mother to put up the American flag in the front porch to show respect for the country and those who served it. As I got older

Functionalism is a theory by Durkheim that conveys that all aspects of a society serve a function and are necessary for the survival of that society. In this way, society is like an organism. If all institutions work properly it contributes to the

Patriotism is a part of what it means to be an American. It is a true honor to

The Functionalist sees society as built up and working like the human body, made up of interrelated parts, which function for or contribute to the maintenance of society as a whole. (Cited: Browne.K. 'Introducing Sociology ', 2002). Functionalists are concerned with how the different parts

Functionalism is a macro system theory which sees society as a mega structure of linked social institutions such as school, family and the legal system. Each different institution is functional to ensure the whole of society is maintained. For example primary socialisation takes place within the home where children are taught basic life

Functionalism views society as the stability and assimilation of a range of forces that function within it. While society is a separate entity with a life of its own, there are individual elements contributing to that stability. Functionalism as a sociological theory emphasizes assimilation rather than the dissociation of society. Therefore, the society is seen as a whole that is compromised of parts which give one another their identity and their function. The part, whether that is education, such as a school, or sports, such as a football team, operates in relation to the other parts, and cannot be entirely understood in isolation from the other parts. All the parts are interrelated, and when there is a disturbance in any one of the

Functionalism is seen as a macro-scale approach to society; it sees society as a whole rather than looking at parts of it. Due to this, functionalism sees society as a body (organic analogy), all the institutions work together to make society. This is particularly useful when observing society in order to understand the way in which it functions and the way in which all the institutions (organic analogy: organs within the body) work together to sustain society as a whole. Functionalism being a macro-scale approach is therefore seen as a strength as it allows functionalist sociologists to observe society, and its institutions, as a whole.

Functionalism looks at society in aspects of how it contributes to the steadiness/cohesion of the whole society (Anderson, Taylor, & Logio, P. 18). There are many institutions that are looked at that include the economic system, government, education, religion, health care, and family. All of which have different roles and perform different functions to ensure that society operates in a well-ordered manner. An example of this would be how family reproduces, takes care of children, exposes children to culture and heritage, supports other family members, and shares life experiences. Shared values and social stability are keys to this perspective. When this system breaks down it is because people’s needs are not being covered and shared values are deteriorating. When this occurs, it affects all parts of functionalism and the society must achieve

Functionalist perspective is a macro level of analysis which refers to the bigger picture of the society. “According to functionalism, society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole (Mooney 2007).” The society believes that it is like a clock work. All the gears are well lubricated and aligned with each other so it functions well. Like the example of mechanism in a clock, each person knows what s/he needs to do in the society for it to all work together.

Patriotism is generally defined as loyalty and love for one's country. However, patriotism's definition varies depending on how "loyalty" and "country" are themselves defined. For example, Stephen Decatur's toast indicates a definition that allows for some types of political dissent. When Decatur stated, "Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong," the naval officer meant that dissention with regards to foreign policy can be injurious to national pride, identity, and military strategy. Hence, "in her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right." Yet, Decatur leaves open the possibility for political dissent with regards to domestic policies. If he were alive in the 20th century, for example, Decatur might have supported the Vietnam War while also supporting the Civil Rights movement.

Functionalism is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology which explains how social order is possible or how society remains relatively stable.

Functionalism is a consensus perspective, whereby society is based on shared values and norms into which members are socialised. For functionalists, society is seen as a system of social institutions such as the economy, religion and the family all of which perform socialisation functions.

Linking patriotism and human rights seems like an odd couple but it should go hand in hand. Patriotism is the love of a nation and human rights is the love of mankind. Bringing them together to show that, no matter your background, having a love for your country and of human beings should be treated the same. Finding a connection between the constitutional patriotism, that gives an understanding of both state and politics, and human rights is hard to connect to unpatriotic patriotism.