Functionalism, Conflict Theories Of Social Interaction And Critical Thinking
“In sociology, a theory is a way to explain different aspects of social interactions and to create a testable proposition” (Openstax College, 2015, p. 5). Sociologists use theories to explain things based on reason and critical thinking. Without these theories, sociologists would not be able to explain nearly anything in the sociological field. These theories include functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction. Functionalism is the theory that society is a structure with interrelated parts. Like the human body, each person in society contributes to the goals of the whole. Herbert Spencer was the first to describe the theory of functionalism, and he named the individual parts of society social institutions (Spencer 1898).
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Karl Marx founded this theory and saw society as different social classes that compete for social, material, and political resources. According to Marx, “these ‘winners’ use their power and influence to maintain social institutions” (Openstax College, 2015, p. 5). Adding to this theory, Ludwig Gumplowicz stated that cultural and ethnic conflicts led to the formation of states and the declaration of a specific group holding power over other groups (Irving 2007). Other sociologists later added that the inequalities in society were the cause of said conflict and that some conflicts stabilize society (Openstax College, 2015). An example of conflict theory is the government. Only the upper-class elite hold power and make the decisions. Although we live in a democracy, the representatives of each region of the United States are members of the upper class, thus holding all of the power in …show more content…
Each theoretical paradigm helps us understand deviance in a different way. Functionalism shows the relationship between different parts of society. If one part, such as education, fails, then it can lead to deviance; often, students who don’t get an adequate education will end up joblessness and steal to get what they need. This correlation shows how one social institution’s failure can cause deviance and crime. Like a human body, when one part fails it leads to sickness in other
Karl Marx founded this theory and saw society as different social classes that compete for social, material, and political resources. According to Marx, “these ‘winners’ use their power and influence to maintain social institutions” (Openstax College, 2015, p. 5). Adding to this theory, Ludwig Gumplowicz stated that cultural and ethnic conflicts led to the formation of states and the declaration of a specific group holding power over other groups (Irving 2007). Other sociologists later added that the inequalities in society were the cause of said conflict and that some conflicts stabilize society (Openstax College, 2015). An example of conflict theory is the government. Only the upper-class elite hold power and make the decisions. Although we live in a democracy, the representatives of each region of the United States are members of the upper class, thus holding all of the power in …show more content…
Each theoretical paradigm helps us understand deviance in a different way. Functionalism shows the relationship between different parts of society. If one part, such as education, fails, then it can lead to deviance; often, students who don’t get an adequate education will end up joblessness and steal to get what they need. This correlation shows how one social institution’s failure can cause deviance and crime. Like a human body, when one part fails it leads to sickness in other