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Examples Of Functionalism In Sociology

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Sociology is unlike any other type of science because it can be looked at from many different points of view. Society and culture are two very complex things that heavily relate to one another. Sociologists have discovered three very distinct theories as to how we should view our society. After many years of observation, sociologists have put together three major perspectives, or ways of viewing our world: the functionalist perspective, the symbolic interaction perspective, and the conflict perspective. These perspectives hold very different and specific characteristics that make them all appropriate to understanding sociology (Cury, Jiobu, and Schwirian 12). The functionalist perspective says that society and its systems work together to maintain stability. This perspective heavily relies on the belief that each part of society affects another. Functionalists believe that “social mechanisms hold society together” (Cury, Jiobu, and Schwirian 12). They focus heavily on how different institutions affect social life. If social institutions fail or work poorly, society will have difficulties and might even diminish (Cury, Jiobu, and Schwirian 12). If things do go well, functionalists believe that society will “produce order, stability, and productivity” (“What is the functionalist perspective in sociology?”). For the most part, the functionalist perspective is a very positive way to view a community. It does not challenge the way things are in a society and it believes that

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