Theories of sociology essay PDF

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Sociology paper number 1. Online class at GCU....

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Lauren Foster SOC-102 January 26, 2020 Professor Maas Theoretical Perspectives There are three sociological theories that explain different ways to view the world. Structural Functionalism views society as one unit that has a system of mutually interdependent parts (John H. Chilcott, 1998). Changes in one part of culture will then cause corresponding changes to other aspects of culture. Some of the major structures of society include politics, religion, education, family, and economics (Our social world: An introduction to sociology, 2015). Structural Functionalism centers its attention on stability and equality. Conflict theory on the other hand views society as different groups of people always fighting for power over one another. This theory is based off of the fact that people are constantly wanting more power and wealth in life, so groups are constantly battling resulting in no societal stability. Conflict theory focuses on competition, inequality and exploitation. Symbolic Interactionism is the third theory which views society as a collection of relationships (Our social world: An introduction to sociology, 2015). Unlike Structural Functionalism and Conflict theory which have a macro approach, Symbolic Interactionism has a micro analysis. Out of the three different sociological perspectives my personal outlooks on the world align closest to the Conflict Theory. In every aspect of my personal life there has been a competition of some sort. I grew up playing both soccer and basketball very competitively, so I was constantly competing with others for playing time and recognition by coaches and college scouts. I am currently a pre nursing major who is competing with hundreds of other students to

get into the GCU nursing program this upcoming Fall term. Conflict Theory does not just align with my personal life, but also with popular culture. Searching for a great job or any opportunities in life also comes down to beating other people. Money and fame are two things in life that make people feel powerful. Both power and fame help get people out of bad situations and those people always end up getting the benefit of the doubt. For instance, there are special jails for famous and rich people to go to avoid brutality. These self-paid jails cost about $45-$175 per day and can include cell phones, computers, and work release programs (Clarke, n.d.). Lindsey Lohan is an actress who pleaded guilty to two cocaine charges, and two DUIs. Lohan was sentenced to one day in jail, 10 days of community service, 3 years of probation, and was required to take an alcohol abuse class. Lohan did not attend an alcohol abuse program but instead of having her privileges complexly revoked she was just put on probation for another year. In some cases, famous people were able to pay to have private guards at their house instead of having to go to jail. Fame and money directly correlate with power which is why I view the world through the Conflict Theory. Nothing in this world is equal, there are always going to be people in the world who will constantly receive special privileges. Symbolic Interactionism focuses on the fact that society is constantly changing due to interactions with different members of society. Symbols are a very important quality for humans. “Symbols allow us to remember and reminisce, to evaluate and plan, to coordinate, to communicate abstract thoughts, to think about the future, and to consider alternatives and outcomes” (Redmond, p.5, 2015). Symbolic reactions include when people base their decisions on other people’s and react symbolically. Understanding people’s actions, emotions, and interactions is very important. Interactions and actions are dependent off of culture and society. Children for example learn how to behave based off of what they watch their peers doing.

Children who are raised in a Christian home with good morals will be more likely to raise a family in a similar way compared to someone who was raised in a home with parents who are alcoholics or that make bad choices. Structural Functionalism views society similar to a complete organism that has multiple different systems. Studies based on structural functionalism focus on benefitting society as a whole. Societies can be affected both negatively and positively. For example, when the economy drops, and many people lose their jobs this effects society as a whole. All of the different structures of society all adjust based on changes to keep the society stable. In Structural Functionalism the good always outweighs the bad. Both Symbolic Interaction and Structural Functionalism can be commonly perspectives to use while viewing society. Personally, I think that the Conflict Theory describes the way I view the world and society.

References Clarke, M. (n.d.). Prison Legal News. Retrieved from https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2010/jul/15/celebrity-justice-prison-lifestyles-ofthe-rich-and-famous/ Grand Canyon University. (Ed.). (2015). Our social world: An introduction to sociology. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/grand-canyonuniversity/ 2015/our-social-world_an-introduction-to-sociology_ebook_1e.php John H. Chilcott. (1998). Structural Functionalism as a Heuristic Device. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 29(1), 103. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohostcom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.3196104&site=eds-live&scope=site Redmond, M. V. (2015). Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved from https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=engl_reports...