One of the fundamental theories in social science is the functionalism concept which was propelled and by philosopher Emile Durkheim. The functionalism theory operates on the understanding that various parts of the society are made up of social institutions, each of the components has a distinct role and is customized to fulfill a particular need with the result being a precise shape of the society. In this paper, we shall focus on how the functionalist theory applies in movies and the film industry.
The film industry plays a notable role in enabling one to understand the application of sociological theories in the real world through entertainment. The film industry in itself is composed of different segments which have separate roles(Crossman 56). Most of the people enjoy watching movies without appreciating the operations behind the creation of movies. Different parts such as screenwriting, editing, casting, shooting and sound recording all perform various roles with the result being the production of a movie.
Let us focus on the example of the movie “For Richer or For Poor” and the application of functionalism theory in the movie. The movie focuses on the Amish community which operates on the understanding that society is described by people who share a similar culture and territory. In the Amish community, people undertake different functions where the elders make decisions, the farmers cultivate and produce crops for feeding the people, women take care of the children and tend to their men, men are tasked with completing jobs, and the children grow up to follow in suit. Based on this film, there is a proper illustration of the use of the functionalist theory where all the different people and functions in the community work together to make the society a whole.
Work Cited
Crossman, Ashley. “Understanding Functionalist Theory.” About Education, 2016.
