Conflict Theory
Jack Joaquin
Intro. To Sociology
Core Perspectives
March 12, 2014 The sociological perspective that I chose to write about is known as the conflict theory, which is a theory that was developed by Karl Marx in order to illustrate how the issue of having conflict and stress within society influence the rate of change among that society. The conflict theory is composed of three assumptions known as competition, structural inequality, and social change. Competition assumes that society is in a state of indefinite conflict due to competition for limited resources, such as money, sexual partners, leisure, and so on, and that social structure is maintained by domination and power. Social inequality assumes that there are different classes of people within society, and the most elite class, or those with money and power attempt to maintain their social status by any means possible, sadly by controlling those less fortunate, otherwise known as the poor. The quick, impactful, and most of the time beneficial change that takes place as a result of the conflict between competing interests in lieu of through adaption is the final assumption, known as social change. The conflict theory is a theoretical perspective that examines how people rise to the top while others end up at the bottom, critically analyzing competition and conflict, and how they impact social change. An example of conflict theory would definitely be found within our educational systems. Firstly, conflict theory can be attributed to the way the education system operates, because not all students start equally. Equality of condition is extremely important, because those from richer and more prosperous families are surely more able to succeed, not because of their natural abilities, but because of their many, and early advantages. This shows that kids from higher income brackets from a very young age have a considerable advantage due to the conflict theory of society being divided into wage classes. This
Intro. To Sociology
Core Perspectives
March 12, 2014 The sociological perspective that I chose to write about is known as the conflict theory, which is a theory that was developed by Karl Marx in order to illustrate how the issue of having conflict and stress within society influence the rate of change among that society. The conflict theory is composed of three assumptions known as competition, structural inequality, and social change. Competition assumes that society is in a state of indefinite conflict due to competition for limited resources, such as money, sexual partners, leisure, and so on, and that social structure is maintained by domination and power. Social inequality assumes that there are different classes of people within society, and the most elite class, or those with money and power attempt to maintain their social status by any means possible, sadly by controlling those less fortunate, otherwise known as the poor. The quick, impactful, and most of the time beneficial change that takes place as a result of the conflict between competing interests in lieu of through adaption is the final assumption, known as social change. The conflict theory is a theoretical perspective that examines how people rise to the top while others end up at the bottom, critically analyzing competition and conflict, and how they impact social change. An example of conflict theory would definitely be found within our educational systems. Firstly, conflict theory can be attributed to the way the education system operates, because not all students start equally. Equality of condition is extremely important, because those from richer and more prosperous families are surely more able to succeed, not because of their natural abilities, but because of their many, and early advantages. This shows that kids from higher income brackets from a very young age have a considerable advantage due to the conflict theory of society being divided into wage classes. This