Evaluate The Functionalist Theory

In this essay I will be covering Marxist, Interactionist and Functionalist theories of society. I will be examining their strengths and weaknesses. Using the three social theories, the macro approach of Marx that is used to analyse society from a class conflict view between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, the macro approach that Durkheim used when analysing social systems and populations on a large scale and who’s theory views individual’s issues as reflective of wider social patterns and the

Robert Merton’s study of deviance have some similarities with the work of Durkheim in Suicide. Merton developed Strain Theory; its first version was written 1940s. According to him, deviance varies in different societies. Deviance pertains to actions or behaviors that do not follow the social norms. It is affected by social structural and cultural elements. Deviance is not only about faulty communication between the difference in cultural values and/or individual socialization (Dillon 2014:177).

Finally, in The Concepts of the Family Dynamic, Ruth Wienclaw evaluates the Structural Functionalist attitude toward the social problem of divorce. Structural Functionalism is the paradigm that describes social problems as parts of life which are necessary to maintain balance. As Wienclaw writes, structural functionalists see divorce as a challenge, supporters of the conflict theory find that divorce is the result of contradictory opinions of people in the family, and symbolic interactionists think

Social Theory and the Education process Assignment: outline the main theoretical perspectives on education and evaluate their usefulness when analysing current issues Education plays an important part in everyone’s success in life. It provides children with teaching skills that prepare them mentally, physically and socially for the outside world of society. Education is vital to the needs of the modern industrial society, it teaches children from a young age discipline, respect, morals and values

2.) Social classes can be explained as a group of individuals who have a similar position in the economy based on their economic success. Not only are social classes important to social theories, but since the classes are made up of a group of individuals who share a similar economic status, they have been used greatly in the studies of social mobility and for the census. There are four social classes that are recognized all over the world, they are the Upper class, Middle class, Working class

they mean and how they differ. I will then be looking in detail at two Sociological theories - Functionalism and Marxism. Firstly I am going to talk about both functionalist and marxists theories of society and how they believe it functions. After which I have chosen to look at the structure of education and will explain each of the theories views as to why it exists in society. I will then evaluate the two theories views on Education. Common sense is a view imposed on a society which is learnt through

Functionalism In recent years, modern functionalists have taken to claiming Aristotle as one of their own or at the least a great grandfather of sorts. This essay will investigate the extent to which Aristotle was a functionalist, and once this question is resolved, we will evaluate to what degree his view reliably accounts for a valid philosophy of mind. Before we can explore the degree to which Aristotle’s philosophy aligns with that of modern functionalists, we must first account for the philosophy

Conflict theory was originated with the work of Karl Marx in the mid-1800s. The theory suggests that human behavior in social contexts results from conflicts between competing groups (Conley, 2013). During the 1930s America went an era call the Great Depression. During this time unemployed people did whatever they could, like standing in charity breadlines and selling apples on street corners, to feed their families. During this time the majority of people did not have extra money. In order to be

would also be true that religion can also play a part in social change.’ To evaluate whether religion is a conservative force or a force for social change I am going to first look at the different perspectives of what role religion takes in a society. The functionalist perspective on religion examines it in terms of society’s needs and is mainly concerned with the

Evaluate the idea that education reproduces and legitimates social class and inequality. Marxists sociologists, such as Althusser, Bowles and Gintis and Willis argue that education operates in the interests of the ruling class and maintains capitalism. However, other sociologists oppose this by arguing that this is false and education is meritocratic. Althusser takes a theoretical approach to education and states that the ruling class has two ways of controlling the working class, through ideological