Introduction
Sociologists develop theories to explain and analyze society at different levels and from different perspectives. Sociologists study everything from the micro level of analysis of small social patterns to the “big picture” which is the macro level of analysis of large social patterns.
Sociologists employ three major theoretical perspectives in sociology today. They are the structural-functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionism. The structural-functionalist perspective is done at a macro level and its focus is on the relationships between the parts of society. The Conflict perspective is done at a macro level and its main focus is on how the wealthy controls the poor and weak.
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He also did studies on education, crime and suicide.
Sociologist Robert Merton (1957) divides human functions into two types. They are manifest functions and latent functions. Manifest functions are intended and the obvious consequences of activities. Latent functions are the unintended, sometimes unrecognized, consequences of actions. The manifest function of going to church is to worship as part of a religious community, but its latent function may be to meet people.
From the structural-functionalist perspective, if an aspect of a social life does not contribute to society’s survival it will eventually disappear (Durkheim 1915, 1964). This may be considered as dysfunctional. Dysfunctions are consequences of structural elements that produce changes in their environing social system. Dysfunctions can also be manifest or latent. Manifest dysfunctions are anticipated disruptions of social life. A manifest dysfunction of a festival might include disruptions of transportation and excessive production of garbage. Latent dysfunctions are unintended and unanticipated disruptions of order and stability. In the festival example, they would be represented by people missing work due to the traffic jam.
One of the strengths of Functional-structural perspective is positive about society. The theorists believe that the family
It asserts that our lives are guided by social structures (relatively stable patterns of social behavior).
Another fragment of functionalism is organic solidarity. In The Real World, Ferris and Stein conclude that organic solidarity are social bondings through work. An example in Wal-Mart would be when co-workers need each other 's help to work a register and they have to communicate with each other. For mechanical solidarity, this a social bonding through rituals as it is explained in The Real World (Ferris and Stein 2016). For this example, one could say when two people meet in Wal-Mart while shopping for the same item, they may carry on a conversation related to the item they are shopping for. Being a part of something bigger than yourself is collective effervescence (Ferris and Stein 2016). Black Friday in Wal-Mart can seem outrageous and fun at the same time, but people coming together to all shop for discounted items all day gives that feeling of being a part of something bigger, would be an example of collective effervescence. With all of this said, it is the process of functionalism, and how every “piece of the puzzle” comes together to support the economy and have a functional, running society.
Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus into which society socialises its members, which enables to cooperate harmoniously and meet society’s needs and goals.
Functionalism, as described by Chris Hunter and Kent McClelland in “Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology” of Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology, edited by Susan A. Ferguson, is the “analogy between society and an organism” (p. 34). Like an organism, a society must aim for survival; each part of society is like a part of an organism: if one part fails to function properly, the entire entity will perish. In Gaines’ excerpt, the suicidal teenagers are seen as the part of society that is not functioning as it should. A normal teenager would do what the society of Bergenfield, New Jersey expects them to do, such as going to school to get an education and contributing to society in the future. However, since the teenagers are committing suicide, they cannot contribute to and create said future and will ultimately lead to a failing social system. In the article by Loe, the organism is Bazooms the restaurant. The girls who work
Functionalists do not give clear explanations of negative behavior and the extreme forms of deviance found in crime and abuse. This makes society destabilized as a whole.
First of all, according to the functionalism, society is a complex system whose part interconnect to promote a stable society. The structural functionalism falls under the macro perspectives, it’s based on the works of Emile Durkheim, who wanted to prove that the social forces can affect people’s behavior. The parts of the society are composed of the social institutions, they are identified with a social purpose and permanence, each one of them has a different objective and role in the functioning of the society. All the institutions depend on each other and if one of them stops doing their job, all the society will be affected. The reason for the existing of social issues is the changes that happens in the society, changes in traditions, changes in norms and values. For example, the rates of suicide increased during the war and economic depression because people found it hard to lose everything during these two events, so they thought that the only solution for this problem is the suicide. Some people find it hard to adapt to these changes; this failure leads to social problems. For example, some people commit suicide because of other people bullying and or cyberbullying. Another reason that may cause one to take
In the world of sociology there are many different ways that humans interact with the world. Although we are all human beings, we do not always see the world the same way that others do. Even though not many are aware of the different ways they can see the world, there are three sociological perspectives. Using structural functionalism, the conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism one will be able to decide which view best represents the way they see this world. When asked about my perspective on the world, I view it using the conflict theory due to the examples that society gives us based on events that happen frequently. Even though all three of these theories are socially correct, the conflict theory defines my view of the world more than structural functionalism and symbolic interaction.
The structural functionalism theory attempts to explain: why society functions the way it does by focusing on the relationships between
Instead, it more concerned with the interactions of the individual (Sullivan, 2016). The main feature of this theory is labeling. Our human nature has seen it necessary to put labels on ideas that we find impactful in our lives (Sullivan, 2016). We create meaning with these labels. For instance, there is a tendency to label those values we look favorably on or negatively.
Suicide, as an example of a social issue, is explained with the functionalism perspective by not focusing on the individual unhappiness, but instead on the group rates of suicide resulting form external forces. This may be caused by normlessness, which may result from periods of rapid social change, and people find it hard and unclear about how to deal with problems in their life. This frustration
"Functionalist Perspectives” also known as "Structural-Functional Paradigm”- “The sociological approach that views society as a stable, orderly system. According to this perspective, a society is composed of interrelated parts, each of which serves a function and (ideally) contributes to the overall stability of the society. Societies develop social structures, or institutions that persist because they play a part in helping society survive. These institutions include the family, education, government, religion, and the economy. If anything adverse happens to one of these institutions or parts, all
Structural functionalism developed from the initial foundation of Emile Durkheim in the late 19th century and expanded upon fully by A.R. Radcliffe-Brown. In looking for the reason a society is held together, Durkheim focused on social ‘facts’ – the facets of society such as customs and values that dictated the operation of the overall system in meeting individual’s social needs. These facts are not derived from
Sociology is the study of the social lives of human beings and how humans live culturally and socially develop relationships. It is crucial to understand the society that humans live in and a series of social behavior that humans undergo. The three major ways you could view sociology, Structural Functionalism, Conflict theory, and Symbolic Interaction. Not everyone will have the same sociological perspective because the different perspectives are truly based on what you believe this world runs on.
Two dominant theories of social problems grew out of the structural-functionalist perspective: social pathology and social disorganization.
Sociology is the study of the behavior of people and groups within society. This helps out how society works and thinks, If people understand how society thinks we can improve it. With this in mind, you can apply sociology theories and ideas to any scenario of daily life dealing with person to person interaction or even to an individual in regards to the society.