Macro Sociological Perspectives - 844 Words

The conflict perspective views society less as a cohesive system and more as an arena of conflict and power struggles. Compare and contrast the main tenets of the functionalist and conflict perspectives. â€Å"The conflict perspective views society less as a cohesive system and more as an arena of conflict and power struggles†. This perspective was founded by sociologist Karl Marx (1818-1883) and serves to introduce the concept that â€Å"inequality and specifically inequality under capitalism† exists between two main â€Å"classes† in society namely the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The functionalist perspective – another major sociological theory – was founded by Auguste Comte (1798-1857) and also includes contributions by Herbert Spencer†¦show more content†¦The expected patterns of behaviour are imposed on the individual through the socialisation process. According to Durkheim, â€Å"Social facts† are â€Å"ways of acting, thinking and feeling, existing outside the individual†. Parsons believed that a social system must fulfil four prerequisites in order for it to function. These are Adaptation, Goal Attainment, I ntegration and Latency. Similarly, the conflict perspective seeks to explain change in society. This concept, however, highlights a Capitalist view, where two â€Å"classes† exist in society namely the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie. The founder of the conflict perspective, Karl Marx, believed that social change can only be attained through conflict that will arise once the working class or proletariat realised the state of â€Å"false consciousness† that they were subject to by the bourgeoisie and developed a state of â€Å"class consciousness† which recognises that all individuals within a society are equal. Thus, the inequalities that exist with respect to the distribution of wealth, power and the resources will now be eliminated since â€Å"classes† will no longer exist. â€Å"Marx saw conflict relations as being characterised by conflict in intergroup relations, borne out of the relationship between the forces of production and the relations of pro duction. Conflict between these two processes in Marx’s view, provided the catalyst for socialShow MoreRelatedSociological Perspective Essay978 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this paper is to construct an essay and define the sociological perspective. To be able to explain how my knowledge of the Sociological Perspective has helped me to understand the social world on both a macro and micro level. This essay will include the definition, discussion and application of specific sociological terms, concepts and theories. The study of sociology brings people to view topics in a unique way than others. The way we see the world, human behavior, as well as itsRead MoreScociological1136 Words   |  5 PagesMajor Sociological Paradigms There are three sociological perspectives that shape the structure of society as a whole. Functionalist perspective, symbolic interactionism and conflict theory. Sociologists develop these theories to explain social phenomena. In this essay I will explain the origins and evolution of the three main sociological perspectives and listing the sociologists that made major contributions to these disciplines. â€Å"The functionalist perspective is a sociological approachRead MoreThe Core Concepts Of Sociology1578 Words   |  7 PagesThe core concepts of sociology are a combination of original theories with improved sociological approaches that build upon them over time. Sociology utilizes three main theories to approach the study of society with different focus points that result in different outcomes. 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Sociological theories are very useful in the study of criminal behavior because unlike psychological and biological theories they are mostly macro level theories which attempt to explain rates of crime for a group or an area ratherRead MoreSociology WA11747 Words   |  7 Pagesterms of various perspectives. Using the analysis of sports as a model, analyze the role of television from the functional, conflict, and interactionist approaches. The approach one takes to study a particular subject is called a perspective. There are many subjects to be studied and discussed in the field of Sociology. Perspectives name different ways in which different people choose to analyze a subject, and how they look at a society as a whole. The three different perspectives are the functionalist