Sociology WA1
A) Compare and contrast the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist theoretical approaches to the study of society. How does each approach view society, the individual, social order, and social change? Your textbook analyzes sports in terms 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, conflict, and interactionist perspectives (Schaefer, R. T. 1997). The functionalist perspective looks at a society in a positive manner and sees it as stable, with all the parts working together and views it on the macro-sociological level. Under the functionalist view every social aspect of a society contributes to the society's survival. The macro-sociological level means that a society is studied on a large scale as a whole. The view of the individual in a functionalist perspective is that people are socially molded, not forced, to perform societal functions. Order is maintained when members of a society cooperate with one another. Functionalists view social change as being predictable and positive. The main idea of functionalist perspective is that of stability. When approaching a subject with the functionalist perspective, manifest and latent functions as well as dysfunctions are investigated. A manifest function of an institution is one that is stated and expected. A latent function is one that is unexpected or can show a hidden purpose of an institution, and a dysfunction is a component of a society that can cause instability. All of these are used in analyzing a society in the functionalist perspective (Schaefer, R. T.
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, conflict, and interactionist perspectives (Schaefer, R. T. 1997). The functionalist perspective looks at a society in a positive manner and sees it as stable, with all the parts working together and views it on the macro-sociological level. Under the functionalist view every social aspect of a society contributes to the society's survival. The macro-sociological level means that a society is studied on a large scale as a whole. The view of the individual in a functionalist perspective is that people are socially molded, not forced, to perform societal functions. Order is maintained when members of a society cooperate with one another. Functionalists view social change as being predictable and positive. The main idea of functionalist perspective is that of stability. When approaching a subject with the functionalist perspective, manifest and latent functions as well as dysfunctions are investigated. A manifest function of an institution is one that is stated and expected. A latent function is one that is unexpected or can show a hidden purpose of an institution, and a dysfunction is a component of a society that can cause instability. All of these are used in analyzing a society in the functionalist perspective (Schaefer, R. T.
References: Schaefer, Richard T., and Robert P. Lamm. Sociology--a Brief Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 1997. Print. George Orwell. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgeorwe159448.html Miller, Zeke J. "Dick Cheney on CIA Interrogations Order: 'I 'd Do It Again in a Minute '" Time. Time, 14 Dec. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://time.com/3632875/dick-cheney-cia-interrogations-senate-report/#3632875/dick-cheney-cia-interrogations-senate-report/>.