Sociology: Understanding the Social System
Sociology is a science that seeks to explain the social system through how humans interact, groups, and societies. It enables one to understand the societal structure and the dynamic forces. Sociology works with theories and viewpoints that help one understand the social world. Theoretical frameworks are perceived as the contributing factor as to why some fragments of the world team up and work together. This limelight infers that, for a clear understanding of social aspects there is need of familiarizing oneself with these frameworks proposed by numerous sociologists in attempt to define how people relate to society. This essay seeks to compare and contrast functionalism and conflict theories. Correspondingly, these two are the main theories which offer a broad perspective of learning the social world, though their perspectives tend to differ.
Functionalism: Viewing Society as a Whole
Functionalism is one of the major vital theories of sociology which is aimed at disseminating its rich understanding and viewing society as a whole. Emile Durkheim is pointed out as one of the earliest chasers of this theory. This perspective seeks on expounding the interrelationship of humans and the social environment and more so on how the two correlate in working together (Burrell 4). Durkheim believed that every society has some norms, agreed-on principles, and values that govern them. This governing consensus forms a collective conscience. He uses the science of sociology to analyze how people behave in society. Also, he looks at what is right and wrong formed on the elementary needs for society to function well. He believed that if people are given the opportunity to follow their innate interests, there would be obliteration.
Conflict Theory: Macro and Micro Levels of Society
On the other hand, the conflict theory studies the macro and micro levels of society (Burrell 5). Marxist influenced conflict theory. He believed that the different modes of production govern the society and draw a clear distinction between the workers and the owners. Marxists believe that it's the societal economy that provides the infrastructure, base from which everything underlies. It is the economic infrastructure that determines the role and the function of the elementary foundation in society such as religion, family, and media. Both perspectives explain the underlying factors of a society (Delaney 300).
Conflict Role and Societal Growth
Marxism stresses the conflict role between the workers and the owners. Additionally, it asserts that the society is structured under capitalism, in that bourgeoisie goals are maximizing revenue by manipulating the workers. Functionalism believes that all factors contribute to societal growth. It believes that the delivery and the sewer worker contribute to the utility of a complete unit, and without this, the social structure will not function appropriately (Ritzer 80).
Comparing and Contrasting the Perspectives
Theoretically, the two perspectives provide insights that aim at comprehending the societal larger elements such as institutions. Conversely, functionalism assumes that institutions habitually adjust themselves to create stability, whereas conflict theory denotes that institutions such as religion are cast-off by the capitalist to control others. However, despite the difference, the two theories give an overview of reforming individuals together where the social class or symbols. Functionalism uses the rounded argument that appears to be convincing while in the real sense they are irrational. Marxism looks at society as a whole, hence recognizing the conflicting interests of people (Thompson 50).
The Role of Education in Society
Functionalism denotes that education is very vital in maintaining the social systems and transmission of societal norms and values, to promote societal continuation. Durkheim believes that for societal existence, a sufficient degree of homogeneity is very crucial. He claims that the common values and beliefs are taught in part at home and continued in school. He further argues that the education system provides one with the required individual needs since they operate in concrete rules where they are enforced, and punishments taken seriously, guaranteeing harmony and order are maintained in preparations of future laws. He believes that the skills got in education are significant in the industrial society with its progressively complex and specialization of labor (Hatch 9).
However, Durkheim faces critics from the conflict theory, which believes that education is a framework of society. Marxism is concerned with the diverse experiences in the learning world which identify the different abilities, expectations, and interests that are posed by different individuals. He notes that the values transmitted in learning institutions are not always important to all the groups that join the school. Marxism draws the link between the education system and the capitalist society. He points that education fits the young people to prepare them for future jobs. However, the young individuals from rich families benefit more from education than those from poorer people. Both believe that education socializes people formally and informally, and they all view society as a whole. In regards to education, the two perspectives believe that education plays a key role in socializing the society. However, the two do not agree on some aspects where functionalism argues that education systems select specific people to fit in specific roles while Marxism argues that education systems aid in breeding the class structure of capitalists in society (Hatch 10).
Conclusion
Consequently, from the comparison and contrast, we can conclude that Marxism is mainly focused on conflict and capitalism, whereas functionalism views society as togetherness towards complete consensus. The two perspectives help in bringing out the clarity of societal functioning.
Works cited
Burrell, Gibson, and Gareth Morgan. Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis: Elements of the sociology of corporate life. Abingdon: Routledge, 2017.
Delaney, Tim. Classical and Contemporary Social Theory: Investigation and Application. Abingdon: Routledge, 2016.
Hatch, Mary Jo. Organization theory: Modern, symbolic, and postmodern perspectives. United Kingdom: Oxford university press, 2018.
Ritzer, George, and Jeffrey Stepnisky. Modern sociological theory. California: SAGE Publications, 2017.
Thompson, William E., Joseph V. Hickey, and Mica L. Thompson. Society in focus: An introduction to sociology. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.
