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What Is The Contribution Of The Functionalist, Conflict Theory And Symbolic Interactionism?

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Sociology is the study of society, it uses its methods in systematic way, and are usually empirical. Since it is the study of scientific society, human social life, more than aggregate of individuals. In order to understand any issue related to sociology such as race, gender, caste, culture and marriage etc. We need to understand its three main perspectives, functionalist perspective, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. Functionalist Perspective is all about progress in the society through harmony, because society has a system which is interconnected Therefore, we need to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton have largely contributed to functionalism. Conflict Theory views life as competition, distribution of limited resources, power. Its main criteria is to maintain social order by dominance and power instead of harmony. Karl Marx is the one to put forward the conflict theory. Unlike conflict theory and functionalist perspective, symbolic interactionism neither deals with harmony in the society nor with the society with dominance or power. In fact it deals with the interaction that includes gestural communication. Max Weber contributed for the symbolic interactionism. Sociology was first coined in 1780 in France. Then, it was again independently defined by the one of the founding fathers of sociology, Auguste Comte. Comte was successful in bringing scientific

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