Sociological Perspectives, Conflict, And Functionalism

There are three main sociological perspectives, conflict, functionalist, and interactionist. I am focusing on the functionalist perspective because I agree with it the most. The definition according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is, “A theory that stresses the interdependence of the patterns and institutions of a society and their interaction in maintaining cultural and social unity” (Merriam-Webster). In more simple words it means that all parts of society come together and provide social order in one way or another. All things good and bad contribute to the social order and functioning of society. This perspective has a lot to do with cooperation and consensus. A few other key concepts in this perspective are anomies, institutions, and social integration. The three major theorists involved are Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, and Robert Merton.
The theory states that social influences shape individual behavior and social integration is maintained from sharing experiences with others. An

According to a journal on early sociological experiments, “One hundred years after its publication, Émile Durkheim’s later sociology of religion continues to exert an enormous influence on religious studies.” (Fournier). I think that society is the biggest factor that shapes behavior. I also agree with Durkheim that social integration is important. If you don’t integrate with other human beings enough you are going to feel lonely. I like how the functionalist theory looks at society as a whole. I don’t want to experience anomie so I am going to try to become more socially active. Sometimes I feel anti-social and would rather be alone than with others. I am going to use the functionalist theory in my life and improve my life. Influence is powerful in our society and I am glad Durkheim and Parsons did what they did. Now we have sociological theories and evidence to advance our society’s