Structural Functionism and Conflict Theories

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Discuss the following sociological theories, showing their practicability In Kenya: • Structural functionalism • Either Conflict theory or Symbolic interaction theory. Back ground A theory is a set of instructions that provides an explanation for something. It is a statement of how and why specific facts are related. A sociological theory is set of ideas that provide an explanation for human society. A sociological theory explains social behaviour in the real world. To evaluate a theory, sociologists gather evidence through different research methods. Through research, they are able to confirm some theories, reject or modify other theories. In conducting their study, sociologists are guided by two questions; what issues should we study? How should we connect the facts?. To answer these questions depends on their theoretical ‘road map’ which is a basic image of the society which guides thinking and research. Sociology is based on three major sociological theories: 1. Structural functionalism 2. Social-conflict theory 3. Symbolic interaction theory. STRUCTURAL FUCTIONALISM THEORY This is a framework for building a theory that sees the society as a complex system whose parts work together to establish stability of the whole society. This theory points to social structure and the social functions of the social structure. Different elements of the social structure fit together harmoniously for the operation and success of the society as a whole. Herbert Spencer compared society to the human body, where each body part has a specific function and works inter-dependently to help the person survive. It is the same way that the social structures work together to preserve the society. Structural functional theory organizes social observations by identifying various structures of the society and investigating their functions and relationships
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