How this will be accomplished will be by comparing and contrasting their assumptions. Then I will state my opinion on which of the two better fits my personal sociological views. Functionalism and the conflict theory are sociological perspectives that present different assertions of studying the society and how the resultant perspectives of the society are enhanced. The functionalist perspective perceives the society as a system and on a large scale. The functionalist perspective presents social moulding of an individual rather than use of force to the individual in order to carry out societal roles.
Theories and Perspectives in Sociology, Understanding sociological Theory In the study of how society works, sociologists use theories, to help explain human behaviour. Within sociology, there are several theories and perspectives used to do this. These are divided into three main theories structural functional, Conflict and social action theory. The social action theory is micro a study of society, this theory looks at individual’s behaviour and how individuals interact with each other. As stated in Giddens, sociologists who support this theory see individuals as not created by society but as the creators of society.
Structuralist Perspective Society is viewed as a complex system of structures that interact to perform various necessary functions. It is perceived that change is disruptive and gradual. This perspective uses macrosociology as it looks at society from a distance. Functionalism The functionalist perspective, also called functionalism, is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. It has its origins in the works of Emile Durkheim, who was interested in how social order is possible or how society remains relatively stable.
Functionalists look at society like the human body; both human parts and parts of society have certain needs that need to be met if they are to survive. Functionalism is similar to Marxism in the way that it too is a macro sociological theory; functionalism also looks at society in the ‘bigger picture’. Families are a group of individuals related by
Functionalism is a macro, structuralist theory. This means they see human behaviour being shaped as an influence of social forces. It is also seen as a consensus theory, as functionalists’ argue that, individuals are socialised into a shared value to ensure conformity and social order. However, this functionalists approach is criticised by action theorists, as they argue that individuals create society through their interactions. Unlike other functionalists, Parsons argues that individuals are integrated through socialisation and social order.
For example the nature vs nurture debate. Talcott parsons (1902-79) were a key functionalist thinker. He saw society as a system made up of interrelated institutions (like the human body) He thought the main role of an institution was to socialise individuals so they behaved in acceptable ways. He argued that socialisation is the key to understanding patterns of human behaviour. Our behaviour is controlled by the rules of society into which we are born; the result is we don’t have to be told that what we are doing is socially unacceptable- we already know and feel uncomfortable if we don’t conform to social norms.
One person who played a vital role in the development of Functionalism as a Sociological Approach was Talcott Parsons (1902-1979), a sociologist who saw society as a system made up of interrelated factions contributing to smooth operation and continuity within society itself. He stated that the main role and function of the particular factions of society were to develop individuals to enable them to socialise effectively by understanding the underlying values of their society ensuring they behaved in acceptable ways and that there was order within society. When looking at the Functionalism Approach it is important to consider the role of the family in establishing the order and stability in society and the social system. In 1949, George Murdock (1897-1985) created a study of the family by examining over 250 societies, ranging small communities to large industrialised societies, and he found some form of a family function within all of them. When looking at all societies Murdock claimed that the families were composed of four functions: * The
Introduction The Sociological Imagination written by C. Wright Mills wherein his main goal was to try to reconcile and differentiate between the two intangible concepts of societal actuality which is basically the "individual" and the "society." In simpler words, Mills tries to distinguish between personal troubles and issues that arise in society. In this essay, what exactly is sociological imagination as well as various aspects which occur in individual and societal lives will be addressed. The aspects that will be discussed herein are namely, unemployment, crime, suicide, and child abuse in the light of Mills’ observations. The way these issues are interlinked with each other will also be addressed respectively.
Assess the Usefulness of Micro Sociology to Our Understanding of Society Assess the usefulness of micro sociology to our understanding of society (33marks) Micro sociology focuses on the actions and interactions of individuals and is a bottom-up approach. Such micro approaches, see society as shaped by its members, who possess agency, in other words, the ability to act as free agents. Micro approaches, also known as action theories, include social action theory, symbolic interactionism, phenomenology and ethnomethodoly. However, macro sociologists take a deterministic approach, as they believe that our actions are determined by society. Macro theories include Functionalism and Marxism, who see individuals as puppets, under the control of social structures.
Functionalism and Marxism are both different sociological perspectives that state theories about society, these theories attempt to explain how society influences people and how people influence society. These two ideologies however are very different. Functionalists see society as based on value consensus, this means agreements. They believe society is held together by a shared culture. Sharing the same culture integrates individuals into society by giving them a sense of solidarity with others.