Assess The Contribution Of Structural Functionalism To Our Understanding Of Society
Structural functionalists, or functionalists view society as a whole, where each part such as the family, our education, the government, religion, and the economy work together in order to keep all of society as a whole living a sustainable lifestyle. According to Functionalism, society is a system of linked parts that work together to maintain a state of physical balance for all of society as a whole. Functionalists believe that society works together to promote unity and strength and focuses on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms. Conflict theorists, however, are concentrated on explaining and discussing social interaction as a continuous struggle for power and control
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Conflict theorists view that the underlying causes of crime and deviance are the social, political, and economic power that manage within our society. In conflict theory, deviant behaviours were action that do not conform to the social principles and that there must be some sort of social justice. Karl Marx, who generated the conflict theory, had written and discussed about alienation, one which was amongst workers and the products that they produced, in which that can cause deviant behaviour. Another approach generated by Marx is class consciousness which deals with the awareness of ones place in a system of social classes and the difference in social classes which can create class conflict. A functionalists approach to crime takes all of society into consideration. Émile Durkheim, who is considered to be the founder of modern sociology, argues that crime is inevitable and part of every social life. Crime is present in all types of society because not every member of society had the same shared values and beliefs. Functionalists view that society must have some sort of crime or deviance, for society to be functional. It only becomes dysfunctional when the crime rate his unusually high or low. The public response to crime and social deviance is what makes society functional as it reinforces social unity and unites society
Conflict theorists view that the underlying causes of crime and deviance are the social, political, and economic power that manage within our society. In conflict theory, deviant behaviours were action that do not conform to the social principles and that there must be some sort of social justice. Karl Marx, who generated the conflict theory, had written and discussed about alienation, one which was amongst workers and the products that they produced, in which that can cause deviant behaviour. Another approach generated by Marx is class consciousness which deals with the awareness of ones place in a system of social classes and the difference in social classes which can create class conflict. A functionalists approach to crime takes all of society into consideration. Émile Durkheim, who is considered to be the founder of modern sociology, argues that crime is inevitable and part of every social life. Crime is present in all types of society because not every member of society had the same shared values and beliefs. Functionalists view that society must have some sort of crime or deviance, for society to be functional. It only becomes dysfunctional when the crime rate his unusually high or low. The public response to crime and social deviance is what makes society functional as it reinforces social unity and unites society