The Functionalist Perspective: The Grunge Subculture

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According to the functionalist perspective, society is like a living and breathing organism, and every individual part of the organism contributes to its overall well being and health (Schaefer 13). Functionalists believe that social cohesion is what holds society as a whole together. For example, the United States government provides quality education for families, and in return families help the government by producing a productive and contributing member of society (“Three Major Perspectives in Sociology” 1). Many sociologists believe that the functionalist perspective is the best sociological approach to explain how society works as a whole. This essay will look into my life course through the functionalist perspective, and look into how …show more content…
Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, not only paved the way for many alternative musicians, but was also one of the key figures within the underground grunge scene. The grunge scene was a counterculture subculture composed of young rebellious teenagers against the American pop culture. Later on, I became a part of the heavy metal subculture, known for its even heavier guitar riffs and “metalheads”. Bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin created this counterculture subculture, and greatly influenced my personality and behavior today. Although these subcultures greatly influenced who I am, many other social agents, like my family, peer group, and workplace, have also contributed to my personal …show more content…
In my earlier years of life, my family affected my views tremendously. For example, my family taught me at a very early age how to be independent by making me walk home from school. As I grew older, however, my peer group started to affect me more than my family. Throughout my adolescent years, I started to socialize with others who were around the same age as me with similar social statuses and interests. However, I mainly associated myself with the less popular counterculture subgroups, which also taught me how to be more independent. As I matured, my workplace started to greatly influence my social behavior. Currently, I work at Taco Cabana as a cashier, trying to pay my way through school. As a cashier, it is my job to know Spanish and English, so I can communicate with my customers. However, my primary language is English, so I have to learn Spanish for my job. Currently, I am experiencing a culture shock, where I am confronted by an unfamiliar culture—the Mexican culture. This situation is very similar to the 1990’s iconic film, “Dances with

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