Applying the Sociological Perspective

First, functionalism is simply defined as: how a society works (Ferris and Stein 2016). This is a technique that is used through a

According to Griffiths & et. al (2015), symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society. Symbolic interactionism theory focuses on the way individuals communicate and interact with one another, which help them understand their environment and society. An example of symbolic interactionism can be viewed by what kind of mobile phone you have, what car you drive, or where you went to college. These are all types of symbols that our society uses to symbolize a person status or wealth. Another example is the social networking website FaceBook, which can serve as an online platform for users to create and spread their "symbolic" group with like minded individuals that view the world from the same lens.

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

Symbolic-Interactionist focus more on the microlevel effects of inequality on people's social interactions. Microlevel is a sociological research that focuses on small groups rather than large-scale social structures, opposed to the Functionalist and Conflict perspectives that primarily focus on the macrolevel which examines large-scale social structures. They believe that people act based on symbolic meanings they find within any situation, and thus interact with the symbols forming relationships around them and that our goals of interactions with one another are to create shared meaning. For example; we act towards other people based on the meaning that those other people have for us. Their

Growing up, almost every parent will tell you, “you can be anything you set your mind to!” or “the possibilities are endless”. But from an early childhood my parents were creating an opportunity structure for my life. Through my 20 years, how I was taught, the places I went to, the people I interacted with and the implications of society and societal norms followed me. As with many other families, my parents focused on setting me up for the best possible future. But little did they know, they were contributing to a society where some people are allotted more privileges and opportunities than others. I will attempt to deconstruct this complex social construction by looking at gender, social class, family influences, race, and socialization; which will be discussed in greater detail further along. When analyzing sociological concepts like gender, social class, and race sociologists use a “sociological lens”. Using a sociological lens will allow me to take the experiences I had and look at them on a broader cultural level. Ultimately sociologists use sociological lenses to better understand how personal experiences not only impact 1 person but how they can be applied in a broader context, allowing individuals to relate to others in society who may have had similar experiences.

Functionalism is a theory which allows an individual to understand their place in society, and understands the relationship between physical input and behavioural output. It also believes that society is a system of components that are internally connected and that all the components work together to maintain stability in the society.

The second key stakeholder is the employees. An employer is an individual who works either full-time or part-time under a contract of employment for a business and they are getting paid. The main reason why employees are one of the components for the stakeholder of a company because the business/company provides the employee with a livelihood. If an employer works really well, they are more likely to get promotions and move up from different roles, for example – a sales assistant to a supervisor. If an employee doesn’t get treated right due to issues such as discrimination, they are more likely to not be satisfied with their job and they will not work towards their best potential. They are also more likely to quit. If an employee quits, this will cost the business/organisation more money to find someone else to replace their old employee. The advantages of employees are that this will increase the country’s employment percentage because more people are joining the labour force; this will provide the employees a better standard of living because they are earning more and this will increase the level of staff motivation because this will motivate them to do their best and they can receive promotions and

Functionalism also known as functionalist perspective is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. Functionalism clarifies each part of society in terms of how it contributes and helps the balance of the society as a whole. Each part of society is functional for the

Functionalism is a sociological approach that sees the institutions of society – which are sometimes likened to the human body, as the institutions, such as the police, hospitals, etc, work in union and they make specific contributions to the smooth running of society.

A company’s culture can have a huge impact on employment relations. If the organisation encourages staff to be engaged and involved in how business is delivered, they are more likely to be motivated and productive and retention will be higher. Creating a good reputation outside the business can also help with future recruitment.

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

Symbolic Interactionism – Micro level – This involves using symbols. The symbols generally have the same meaning to society, but may not mean the same thing to an individual. For example, a wedding band is a symbol used to show a person is married and it is generally assumed if a person is not wearing a wedding band they are not married or they are trying to hid the fact that they are.

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.

They would want to earn high wages and keep their jobs. Employee is more of an internal stakeholder.

The author currently consults in employee relations, organization change, and development. His clients include both private and public sector organizations.