Immigration Reforms in the US - Essay Example

The cases of undocumented and illegal immigration have increased in the United States with up to 11 million immigrants. As such, Obama’s administration is pushing for immigration reforms to address this social issue. Various sociological perspectives may help understand and solve such social problems in society. The functionalist theory may provide a lens for further understanding the issue of immigration reforms in American society. The functionalist perspective visualizes society, as a system whereby all the different parts work in unison, even though, the various components may be different. The functionalist perspective of reviewing and analyzing social problems emphasizes the connectedness of the society by focusing on how the different parts of the society related to each other (Knox & Schacht, 2007).

Immigration qualifies as a social issue because it fits into the four stages of social problems. The first stage is to define the occurring problem before it becomes known to the wider public but is already posing a threat to the community. Illegal immigration is a threat to American society it leads to unmonitored crime, non-citizen voting, and imbalance in the workforce. The second stage is the official response when the problem enters the public arena through the media channels. The relationship between illegal immigration and other societal issues is aired on various media channels throughout the country. The reaction to this response is the third stage. The public takes action towards the social issue. Community groups, society leaders, residents, and law enforcement authorities are the immediate responders to illegal immigration. The last stage is the alternate strategies when the public attempts to handle the issue. Reporting cases of illegal immigrants, deporting felons and the government crackdown on illegal immigration at the country borders are some of the approaches outlined in the Immigration Reforms to handle the issue.  

Herbert Spencer was integral in the founding of the functionalist theory. He considered society a living organism with various interrelated components. Some organisms are more adapted to live and adapt to social dynamics. Therefore, they are better adapted to changes in the environment. Talcott Parson is the other functionalist who believed that society is a grand system with many individuals each working to make the system functional. One individual in the system fails, and it all goes down (Holmwood, 2004). The advantage of using functionalist theory to understand immigration issues and reforms is that it provides a wider perspective of viewing the problem. Social institutions are interrelated. The functionalist approach helps understand how societal institutions affect illegal immigration. Such social institutions include income, employment, family, and education. People come into the US hoping for freedom and better opportunities. Various societal factors work together to contribute to illegal immigration. No matter how small the impact is, the functionalist perspective helps understand the butterfly effects of these components on immigration. The immigration reform advocated by the Obama government may be devastating to immigrants who are established in the country.