Two Major Theoretical Perspectives In Sociology Essay

The three main Sociological Perspectives are Structural Functionalist, Social Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionist, all of which are quite different but also similar in many ways. The study of sociology began when humans began to wonder about human social relationships and institutions during the nineteenth-century revolutions. As sociology has grown in popularity, many different sociologists have developed diverse perspectives on human social relationships and institutions. Structural functionalists study the existence of humans in society as part of sociology and many other social sciences such as relationships, institutions, and roles that make up a society. The main point of structural functionalists is that society works together to build structures and institutions such as education, family, economy, religion, and health care for them to evolve towards increased differentiation, where institutions become increasingly specialized in the functions they perform.

Scientist have been studying society for centuries, sociology can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. Over the years, society have evolved and changed dramatically and continues to do so every day. There are many things that makes up sociology. Sociology is consisted of a few main terms, difference, privilege, inequality, and oppression. Difference is anything that sets an individual apart from the social norms of a culture.

Finally, the three sociological perspectives can be seen. Functionalist can be observed in the way

How might you evaluate the contributions of each or their weakness in regard to an analysis of change? The theorists Marx, Durkheim, and Weber each have a different understanding of social cohesion and change in human society or culture. Social cohesion is the set of characteristics that keep a group able to function as a unit, this definition formed in the late eighteenth century. However, the cause of social cohesion is often debated, whether it be materialist, or idealist approach.

He derived the term known as functionalism which provides a biological representation of society. This term describes society to behave similarly to an organism, which consists of various parts each part with a specific function that contributes to the stability of the society. The components are interdependent of each other and require some form of interaction to elicit smooth functionality of the organism. The institutions refer to education, state, media, police and judicial systems within society each with a different needs to fulfill but interconnection between these entities was necessary to form and shape society. It is a representation of cohesion in society and thus indicates the status of the



Emile Durkheim developed a theory called functionalism, which explained how the individual and society were related and how society changed over time. According to functionalism, society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole. Durkheim believed that society should be analyzed and described in terms of functions. Society is a system of interrelated parts where no one part can function without the other. These parts make up the entirety of society and therefore, if one part changes, society is impacted.

Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx both had interesting theories about societies. Durkheim and Marx found it important to understand society integration. Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx have played profound roles in the understanding of Sociological theory. Sociological theory can be used to explain many things including how society is held together. Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx had different ideas on what held society together but in ways their ideas were also similar.

Karl Marx believed that religion arose out of oppressive conditions and supported the status quo by justifying inequality, consoling the downtrodden, and dulling the pains of daily life. To Marx, religion was fundamentally conservative in that it confirms and reinforces existing social arrangements. It justifies laws that limit people’s freedoms, it validates the rule of the powerful and oppression of the weak and it makes sense of economic inequality and other forms of social disparity. In so doing, religion also suppresses people’s resistance to oppressive systems. To serve these purposes, religion need not take any specific form, posit a god or supernatural beings or embody particular practices.

Due to the fact that religion can be archaic and a bit narrow in certain progressive/scientific ideals, this religious base disagreement can at most times, lead to a greater, far better outcome. Therefore, this makes the claim that consensus and disagreement in religion are both required for robust knowledge in innovations; a better outcome. In many circumstances, it can be seen that religion is related to utilitarianism and () judgments. Religion (overall) is the belief in a superpower; whatever that superpower may be is up to the type of religion.

According to the Dictionary, Sociology is defined as the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. This means that people are willing to study social problems throughout the world and the society that they live in. In my life, I deal with my social class, Gender, Race, Religion, and the time I was born. Because of who I am, I definitely have been a part of a different upbringing and lifestyle that many sociologist may find interesting.

Functionalism- The functionalism theory is a theory that comes from the start of Herbert, Emile, Talcott and Robert. According to this theory “society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for whole.” (google.com 2019) Conflict theory-“Conflict theory is a theory was made by Karl Marx that states that society is in a state of perpetual conflict due to competition for limited assets. It holds that social order is maintained by domination and power,

According to the Collins online dictionary it defines theory as the following; 1. a system of rules, procedures, and assumptions used to produce a result 2. abstract knowledge or reasoning a speculative or conjectural view or idea 3. an ideal or hypothetical situation 4.

Sociology is considered to be ‘the systematic study of ways in which people are affected by, and affect, the social structures and social processes that are associated with the groups, organisations, cultures, societies, and world in which they exist’ (Ritzer, 2012, p. 6) Sociology is the science of society, it aims for one to look on society with a broader view in order to understand human reactions to life. The sociological approach to understanding media as a whole differs from any other method due to the fact that sociology refers to studying the development, structure and functioning aspect of the media. Sociology looks at the place of the individual and that individuals place within society. When studying the sociological approach to

While studying sociology, every individual will have a distinct perspective and depending on the particular subject, not everyone will have the same viewpoint on the topic at hand. With this, Sociology consists of many different approaches, commonly known as “Sociology theories” These theories are distinctive and diverse, providing a different perspective for understanding different situations in society. With there being a wide variety of approaches such as “Feminist,” “Labelling,” and “Critical,” for instance, the top three major approaches representing Sociology are, “Structural Functionalism,” “Conflict Theory,” and “Symbolic Interactionism.” This paper will be comparing the differences and similarities between “Structural-Functionalism” approach and the “Symbolic Interactionism” approach. To start

Dystopia is a world where nothing is perfect. Humans are cruel, ruthless and narrow minded according to historical events such as the 9/11, the holocaust and the slave trade where millions of people mourned. Is Adam and Eve to blame for our current adversities and the dystopia were destined to face? Like governments and dictatorships, religion is a powerful mechanism in influencing large amounts of people. However does religion lead societies into a future of utopia or dystopia?