Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives - Article Example

Fundamental Theories of Society Sociologists study the society in a variety of different ways. Their ideas are diverse but they can still be grouped according to the similarity of their theories which the put forward. In this article Functionalist and Conflict perspectives will be discussed. Functionalist Theory The Functionalist perspective can be classified as a macro approach to the society. This in sociological terms is known as the structuralist approach. Structuralists analyze the sociological phenomenon through a macro approach looking at the structures of institutions and how do they influence people. The main question which is put forward by functionalist sociologists is that how is a society kept close together at all times and how is its order maintained? To begin with functionalists concentrate upon two ideas that are closely related to their idea of how societies are held together. Firstly, how is order maintained in our society, and secondly, what are the major reasons behind the stability which exists in our society. Functionalists do not focus upon the differences found in different parts of the society. They in fact focus on how the shared norms, values and mores help create social solidarity and cohesion. (Browne, 2006) The ideas of functionalists are based on the concept of organic analogy. These ideas were initially discussed by patron sociologists like Auguste Comte and Emile Durkheim. They explained that the society was like a human body. If there was pain in one part of the body it will affect the functioning of the whole society. Therefore, it was necessary for the society to be in equilibrium. Durkheim ("The Rules of Sociological Method", 1895) emphasizes on two concepts. The first concept is of social solidarity. Solidarity is based upon such things as common culture, socialization, basic values and norms. It is these common ideas which bring about social cohesion in the society thereby, giving it the form of a human body. The second concept is that of collective conscience - the "external expression" of the collective will of people living in a society. This represents the social forces that help bind people together (to integrate them into the collective behavior that is society). It can be likened to the "will" of society. The most popular functionalist of America, Talcott Parsons (1951), focused on the behavior of the people while under the influence of social institutions. For Parsons, the key to the survival of the society was the shared norms and values held by its individual members. Deviation from those norms leads to disorganization, and this in turn threatens the survival of the system. For Parsons, family is the most important institution in society. It is not only responsible for the primary socialization of the young but also helps in the stabilization of the adult personalities. Thus, as the family is the key system in society, divorce, teen rebellion, non-marital sex, and single parenthood all threaten the structure or the functions of the family and therefore need to be avoided. The social upheaval of the 1960s led many to criticize functionalism for its inability to deal with change. Functionalists do not see change and conflict as important factors in influencing the behavior of people. Parsons did not see deviant behavior as contributing to positive change, whereas others, such as Merton (1957), did recognize the role of conflict in maintaining equilibrium or leading to a new relationship status. Merton was also important in realizing the role of deviancy in the society. Other writers (Goode 1969) strove to raise the level of theoretical rigor in the discipline. Functionalists have been blamed for over emphasizing the value and existence of social order and social solidarity. They claim that the society is and should always be in equilibrium. They are thereby, criticized by the Marxists because they neglect class differences and change. Conflict is not a major issue according to the functionalists. They also over emphasize consensus and this leads them to themselves avoid conflict. The society is seen as a system with many social institutions. The functionalists assume that the society is a machine with the parts functioning together. They however, neglect the own values of the individuals and the influence they can have on the society overall. Finally, as Pittman (1993) explains, “the presumed moralism allegedly undergirding functionalism with a conservative, consensus based, status quo bias, is almost certainly the product of the period of theory development (1940s and 1950s) rather than inherent to the theory itself” (p. 221). Marxist/ Conflict Perspectives Marxist perspective also has a macro-approach to the society. They are also the structuralists as they lay emphasis on the structures of the society. Marxism has evolved from the work of Karl Marx, who lived from 1818 to 1883. According to Karl Marx the structure of the society and the way in which it functions depends upon the economic system- the ownership of the factors of production (Browne, 2006). The economic system includes the factors of production: land, labor, capital and enterprise. The ownership of the factors of production allows the owners to exploit the workers whom they hire in order to carry out the production process. The basic premise of the theories of Karl Marx is that the working class do not get the full value of their work. (Kirby, 2000) According to Marx there are two major classes in the society: the capitalists/ bourgeoisie and the working class/ proletariats. The ruling class are the owners of the means of production and they own all the factors responsible for production. On the other hand there is a much larger working class which is termed as proletariat. The working class workers are hired by the capitalists and they are exploited in a sense as they are not paid the real value of their work. The exploitations of the working class causes class conflicts. The real reason behind this is the conflict of interests. The workers will always be working towards higher wages while the capitalists will always want the workeers to work more efficiently. This creates a conflict amongst them where both of them are trying to over power each other. ( Stephens, 1998) As the ruling class are the owners of production they tend to influence the state as well and as a result they make sure that they have most of the things going on as they want. The concept of hegemony is also introduced by the Marxists. This means that the culture and ideas of the ruling class are considered as normal and the culture to be adopted by all. This is known as false class consciousness. The masses are made to believe that it is a meritocratic society and the ruling class are moving strongly because of their culture and values which is termed as dominant culture by sociologists. The working class people are socialized in a way that they tend to adopt these cultures and values. Thus, they are in a state of false class consciousness. This means that they are constantly absorbing the culture of the ruling class without being aware of it. Marx ends his explanation stating that the time will come when the working class people will realize the extent of their oppression and exploitation. Thus, whenthe working class people will realize this they will revolt against the ruling class and then group together to overcome the capitalist system and communism will take over. Another Marxist Althusser explains that the ruling class uses a couple of methods to maintain their control over the masses. By using the State and the Law the apply the reppressive apparatus. By influencing through their ideas they use the ideological apparatus. Marxists are criticized for laying a lot of emphasis on control and conflict. They ignore the person ideas and beliefs of the people and consider the society through the macro perspective. References Browne, K. (2006). Introducing Sociology for AS Level. Polity Publishers Goode, W. J. (1969). The theoretical importance of love. American Sociological Review 34: 38–47. Kirby, M. (2000). Sociology in Perspective. Heinemann Publishers. Merton, R. K. (1957). Social Theory and Social Structure. Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Murdock, G. P. (1949). Social Structure. New York: Free Press. Parsons, T. (1951). The Social System. New York: Free Press. Pittman, J. (1993). Functionalism may be down, but it is not out: Another point of view for family therapists and policy analysts. In P. G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R. Schumm, and S. K. Steinmetz (eds.), Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods: A Contextual Approach (pp. 218–221). New York: Plenum Stephens, P. and Leach A., (1998). Think Sociology. Nelson Thornes www.sociology.org.uk Read More