Sociological Theories Essay - 1185 Words

Sociological theory creates ways to understand the social world by having different theories to explain understand social life. It aids to make sense of this social world. It draws together a wide range of perspectives to help provide the fullest picture. (Macionis Plummer p.36) It shows that one theory can explain something that another cannot. My aim is to answer this question with reference to both functionalism and conflict theory. This will be done by comparing and contrasting both theories in relation to their perspectives on both suicide and gender discrimination as social issues relevant to this day and age. Functionalism and conflict perspectives are both macro theories. This means that they focus on the big picture, for†¦show more content†¦(Turner, p.112) Functional analysis established itself as a way of ‘bringing to light the significance of the institutional order and connecting it with the unintentional consequences of social action. (Turner, p. 121) On page 35 of Back et al. it states that Durkheim’s argument is that classification is a process of ‘marking-off’, of showing things that are related, but have distinct points of difference to another. Functionalism assumes that society’s social institutions perform important functions to help ensure social stability. Rapid social change threatens social order, but slow social change is desirable. Durkheim believed that the individual has no way of limiting passions, so the moral authority of society must do this. Individual aspirations are limited two ways, by socialisation and social integration. Socialisation helps us learn the rules of society and the need to cooperate. Social integration allows us to integrate into society and reinforce our respect for its rules. These both, as stated by Durkheim create a strong collective conscience. Suicide, as an example of a social issue, is explained with the functionalism perspective by not focusing on the individual unhappiness, but instead on the group rates of suicide resulting form external forces. This may be caused by normlessness, which may result from periods of rapid social change, and people find it hard and unclear about how to deal with problems in their life. This frustrationShow MoreRelatedClassical And Contemporary Sociological Theories1898 Words   |  8 PagesAngelica Rhyman TUT0006 angelica.rhyman@mail.utronto.ca 1003965079 Applying Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theories Sexual harassment is a negative aspect that society would like to forget about. However, there has been a lot of talk about the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the sexual harassment allegations (Ravelli and Webber 2016). 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