The Functionalist Theory: The 100-Analytical Perspective

Theoretical Perspectives The Functionalist Theory is the idea that a society is made up of multiple interrelated parts that work together to maintain stability. If one part fails to do their job, the other parts must pick up the slack in order to keep the balance. To demonstrate this theory, I will be examining the show The 100. The post-apocalyptic show is set nearly 100 years after nuclear bombs destroyed life on Earth. People took refuge in a space station and continued with their lives until 97 years later, when a group of 100 teens were sent back down to Earth to find out if it is habitable again. The teens soon discover that not only is the Earth habitable, but they were those who survived the nuclear bombs and radiation. One group of survivors, known as the Grounders, became immune of the radiation on Earth over time, while another group, the Mountain Men, locked themselves away in a building on Mt. Weather. The 100 are referred to as the Sky People by the other groups and face hostility while trying make home on Earth. I will analyze two episodes of season two of The 100 and how the main characters work together to save their friends from the antagonists.
Once the Sky People touched the ground they endured great hostility from the Grounders.
After winning a battle against the Grounders the Sky People are kidnapped by the Mountain Men. The Sky People are immune to nuclear radiation due to being exposed to the sun’s radiation in space. This makes them and the the perfect subjects to take blood from and use in blood transfusions to make the Mountain Men immune to the radiation as well. The leader of the Sky people, Clarke, is able to escape Mt. Weather, not before discovering that the Mountain Men are taking blood from the Grounders as well. She then forms a pact with the Grounders’ leader, Lexa, to work together and save both of their
people.
They make a strategic plan consisting of four teams, or so parts, to rescue their friends. Team three releases the prisoners from inside, while team 4 escorts the prisoners out through a tunnel. Team one destroys the generators which power the automatic lock on the door to get inside Mt. Weather. Team one destroys the lock to open the door and act as a distraction from the other teams. The whole point of team one's distraction is to avoid killing everyone on the mountain, given that there also children who live in Mt. Weather. Teams two and three complete their mission, while team one still need to get inside the building but are being fired at from a ridge above. Lexa, a member of team one, leaves to flank the shooters, however comes back having made a deal with one of the Mountain Men, allowing only her people to be set free. This leaves Clarke to free her people with the small team she has left. In the end, she is able to free her people, but is forced to kill every member of the Mountain Men, including the children and the other Mountain Men who had helped them, by turning off the backup generator which prevents radiation from getting inside the mountain.
Lexa’s decision to forgo the initial plan, cost many innocent lives. Team two was captured by the Mountain, making two more people that Clarke had to save. The last member of team four, Octavia, continued to find her friends and escort them out but ended up being outnumbered by the Mountain Men. Clarke and the last member of team four, Bellamy, made their way to the control room, watching their friends being tortured and bled out, and Octavia to be another victim. They have no other choice but to pull the lever and let the radiation kill every member of the Mountain.
In the show 100, Lexa’s cooperation was greatly needed in order to avoid killing innocent people. The Functionalist theory strictly states that each part must fulfill their duties in order to maintain a stable society. Lexa was an important part within a part that was needed to defeat the Mountain Men. While Clarke was able to save her people, she was unable to save everyone on the mountain. She and Bellamy will have to live with the consequences of their actions, and it will affect the way they socialize throughout their lives.