Functionalism In Sociology

Sociology is the “systematic or scientific study of human society and social behavior” (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 9). The study of an individual society and its behaviors can have contrast due to a 20th century event. In the essay Racism and Research: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the unethical experiment took place in the year 1932 in Macon County, Alabama. This case can discuss the topics of culture, socialization, deviance, and race. All of which can become visible in a society through the structural functionalism lens. This sociological perspective theory is “a way of looking at the world” through a specific lens (Ferris and Stein, 2016, p. 10).

In this essay I am going to compare and contrast Functionalism and Marxism. They are both sociological perspectives which have theories about society and the people that live within it. They attempt to explain how society influences people, and similarly how people influence society. However, the two perspectives are clearly different.

I choose the symbolic interactionism for my theoretical perspective. From sociological perspective, symbolic interactionism most concerned with the face-to-face interaction between members of society. Symbolic interaction reminds us that culture is a human creation.

Explain the three major sociological perspectives of functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Identify which perspectives use a macro level or a micro level of analysis. Apply each perspective to socialization.

Bias, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is an inclination of temperament or outlook, or a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgement. We face bias in our everyday lives when dealing with all aspects of life and not necessarily the criminal justice system. As a part of society, like conflict, bias helps our society function. While not always in a positive sense, bias does have a place in society that helps it function the way we know it today. Bias in society can be compared or categorized under the sociological perspective of Functionalism. The sociological theory of Functionalism is essentially when all aspects of society that are interdependent contribute to the functioning existence of society as a whole. If there was no bias in society,

There is disagreement about whether sociologists should only perform objective research or also advocate for social reform. This lead to the creation of three levels of sociology: basic, applied, and public. The three major sociological theories are symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. While symbolic interactionism is performed at the micro

One approach is increment both the quantity of cops in neighborhoods and increment their association with the influenced territories. Police officers are deemed in such a bad light that I think that if police officers are seen in a sincerer light of being more connected to the community, they will forge a better bond to the community links to the area and help to become a barrier in the war. While justice and police have an important role to play, repression only is counter-productive if not combined with development interventions that look at the drivers of violence.

These theories can help explain and predict the social world at a micro (small-scale) and macro (large-scale) levels (Griffith University, 2014). From these two levels, sociologists have obtained various perspectives, including; the functionalist theory, conflict theory and the symbolic interactionism theory, each with a set of broad assumptions about the nature of society. They provide theory and research to create possible solutions for the issue (SSSP, 2010). Both functionalist and conflict theories believe that a social problem is a product of society. In contrast, symbolic interactionism views a social problem as a ‘symbolic interaction between individuals without the problem and others with the problem, leading the former to act like the latter’ (SSSP,

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.

Symbolic Interactionism focuses on face-to-face communication. It is also micro-level theory; meaning this theory covers very specific relationships between individuals or small groups. Micro level theories are more distinct then other perspectives. Micro theories are more scientifically testable. Symbolic Interactionism researchers are dependent on context and qualitative research methods such as interviews. (OpenStaxCollegeChap1). Social researchers who apply symbolic-interactionist thinking examine for patterns of relationships between entities. Researchers believe that individual’s rely on things such as dialogs, thoughts, ideas, symbols, and language to shape their own reality and social norm (OpenStaxCollegChap1).Understanding symbolic interaction theory helps one gain meaning and understanding of his or her experiences in life, not only their own life, but others as well .” This viewpoint sees people as active in shaping their world, rather than as entities who are acted upon

The three primary theories of Sociology are symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. These theories have their own unique strengths and weaknesses when it comes to explaining society and individuals as a part of society. Symbolic interactionism focuses on people’s perceptions and ideas on a case by case basis. It elaborates symbols and the methodology with which they are interpreted by societies. Functional analysis broadly paints society as a system with working parts. It promotes the concept of human solidarity and independence as well as interdependence. Conflict theory dives right into the problems that arise in a society and is bent on correcting them. It paints a picture of inequity and disparity among societies that no other perspective dares to match. Each offers a distinct lens with which to view society. Sociology as a science has the ability to advance human knowledge. Additionally, it can be used to address societal problems. It is my intent to prove functionalism is the best tool for the advancement of

Modern sociology is characterized by three main theoretical approaches: symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. Personally, I believe that symbolic interactionism is the most logically viable approach to understanding modern society due to its understanding of the meaning people ascribe to everyday concepts. As a theory, functionalism fails to mention those who either deviate from the whole or work against society. Concerning Marx’s conflict theory, for now, the time of competing for scarcities has ebbed; there are other, more pressing factors driving society today such as family and an individual’s aspirations. Nevertheless, symbolic interactionism is not without its faults; the very fact that symbols differ in meaning

The next important sociological framework is the conflict theory. Conflict theories explore the macro level of our society, like functionalism, its structures and institution. The founder of conflict theory, Karl Marx, focused on the conflict base on social class between groups in our society—based on social group, political, social class, race, ethnicity, or gender—and in the conflict, the powerful groups usually succeeds. This perspective doesn’t have a simple solution to social problems and if the system could be reconstructed, it is not likely to happen. “Whereas functionalists argue that society is held together by norms, values, and a common morality, those holding a conflict perspective consider how society is held together by power

This is part of the macro level analysis. It was made from the works of Karl Marx. Symbolic interaction theory is the major groundwork or the base of the sociological theory. This is more focused on micro level analysis. It’s contingent on the figurative meaning that folks develop and rely on through the stages of social interaction.

There are different fundamental themes that take preference over other in contemporary social theory these themes consist of relationship between society and self, nature of social life, possibility, and role of social transformation, structure of social institutions and themes such as class, gender, and race. Contemporary social theory is given importance due to the fact that helps in evaluating the societal features easily. In this paper, the three different contexts that contribute in the development of contemporary social theory are discussed and explained in detail. These aspects include historical, social, and cultural context that is relevant to the development of contemporary social theory.