The gender wage gap can be explained by the statistic; the female-to-male wage ratio of 2010 was 77% (Ferris & Stein, 2014 pg 255). This means that in 2010, the average female made 23% less in yearly earnings compared to men. Ethnicity can also be included to explain the wage gap. This can be explained by the statistic; Asian males make the most money compared to all other racial groups (Median, 2012). The symbolic interactionism view on gender can be explained as “Gender is learned through the process of socialization; gender inequalities are reproduced through interactions with family, peers, schools, and the media” (Ferris & Stein, 2014 pg 247). This theory “Sees interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are
I look at functionalism from the perspective of my career. Working in a doctor’s office takes every department working together as a whole in order to provide the best care for the patients. Functionalism uses a macrolevel of analysis because it takes several different people in several departments to come together as a whole to help the patients sustain their health. If we do not work together the patients will not get the care that they deserve.
Looking at society as a whole with individual units that work together to make society function efficiently is the structural functionalism concept. Each unit has a part and is describe as institutions such as family, religion, education, politics, economy and inequality. Because structural functionalism looks at social structure and patterns of behavior it is able to create values for society. As well as, distinguish between visible and suppressed problems within the social structures that may need to be addressed. For instance, homelessness is indication of dysfunction in structural functionalism system.
In the movie, Stand By Me, by Stephen King, four boys, Gordie, Teddy, Vern and Chris, set out in search of the body of a young boy who had been missing. They had overheard where the body might have been located and went to see if they could find it. The boys endured several different obstacles whether it was a train, sleeping in dark wilderness filled with vicious animals, or older boys who were also intent on finding the body, but they continued on until they found the body. Throughout the movie there were several sociological concepts such as, growing up/coming of age, the idea the people will go to great length to achieve fame, and the idea that people perceive people that may be different then how they actually are. The movie uses all three of the sociological perspectives, but the one that stood out to me most what the symbolic interactionist perspective.
Introduction and thesis: The topic chosen for this essay concerns the relationship between racial profiling and sentencing. It is relevant to the course material because it concerns the ways someone is treated depending on his or her ethnic origins, and it makes it an interesting sociological and criminological phenomena. This is the reason why I chose to write on this topic, and because I find it an important issue in our society. This essay will demonstrates that visible minorities are more likely to be subjects to harsher sentencing than the majority, and more than them.
In many national or even local events theoretical perspectives can be seen. The perspectives are structured functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionalism. Each of these theoretical perspectives are the things that shape how societies and the world function. While watching the “State of the Union Address” given by President Donald Trump, the perspective become prevalent and can be easily observed.
Through sociological perspective, we can view the society by the way it was set up and how it affects us. This paper consists of four different points or section that I saw in the movie that displays social issues and can be compared on how society works in real life. The first section in this paper discusses about the controlling administration which countenances the actions of a person. The second section which is euthanasia shows a system of emitting life when a society observed a single person as functionless.The third section explains how a family became a part of impersonal social group. The last section studies about material and non material culture and the effects of its limitations.
among humans in our daily life. Sex is the biological term that determines the biological and
Sociology is the study of the society and human behavior whereas, the word perspective can be defines as a view of things in their true connection or importance. Hence, the social perspectives provide standpoints used to look at human behavior and interaction as they relate to individuals and groups within society. The social perspective emphasizes that to understand humans for not what is inside of them, but what’s influencing them that should be observed. There are four theoretical perspectives used to understand society and human behavior. The four discussed here are structure functional, consensus and conflict, the gender problem and symbolic interaction.
Structural Functionalism is a sociological theory that tries to clarify why society functions the way it does by concentrating on the connection between the different social institutions that make up society (e.g., government, law, education, religion, etc.). In Animal Farm the first example of structural functionalism is when the boar thinks the ordinances of their society are ruled by the oppressor humans. The second example is when the traditional structure is arranged to keep the animals in captivity. Lastly, the third example is when the arrangement allows humans to always be on the receiving end.
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Max Weber (1864-1920) are widely considered as two of the “founding fathers” of sociology. They are important for their contribution to understanding society. A great deal of their contributions have had a lasting impact into how sociological studies are conducted. The difference between these two sociologist is their theoretical perspectives. Unlike Weber who belonged to the interpretive perspective, Durkheim belonged to the functionalist perspective.
In Social Problems, Anna Leon-Guerrero (2016) she states, “… The functional perspective, examines the functions or consequences of the structure of society. Functionalist use a macro perspective, focusing on how society maintains social order” (13). Society has created expectations on what is viewed as acceptable or unacceptable behavior and this can include criminal behavior. This is any deviation from the social norms that are agreed by the majority of the community and the violation of any existing laws that is passed by legislation. For an example, a single parent losses’ his or her job and are worried whether the rent is covered with his or her last paycheck or whether they will qualify for food stamps.
Due to the fact that society consists of vital parts and systems they work in unison with each other to run smoothly. The people in the society contribute in myriad areas of interest in the process of structural functionalism. David Claerbaut states that these areas of interest, incorporate into society with: religion, economics, education, politics and family. On the other hand of living among each other actively working to create a seamless community we have the conflict theory. Above all the conflict theory shapes society as a greed filled place fighting over power and money. Claerbaut defined conflict theory as
Most fields of science rely on theories to explain centrally important issues, such as social phenomena, that have a wide range of applications. Sociologists attempt to describe human society though their theories, such as the structural-functionalism theory, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionalism. While the three theories attempt to describe how society functions the way it does, all three differ in their views of how humans are related to society and each other.
Structural functional theory is a macro sociological theory that is based on the characteristics of structures, social patterns, social systems and institutions such as education, religion, leisure, media, economy and politics. If all these social institutions are organized and co-operate with one another around a set of core values functionalist theorists assume that the entire social system will function properly and efficiently. Society in structural functional theory has a view that it is an organized system of interrelated parts that are held together by shared values and established social arrangements that help maintain the system to be in a state of balance and equilibrium. Structural functional theory is a broad perspective in sociology and anthropology which sets out to interpret society as a structure with interrelated parts. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions and institutions (Vibha Desai, 2013). From the point of view of Talcott Parsons, structural-functionalism describe a particular stage in the methodological development of social science, rather than specific school of thought.