Sociological theories are broad and can often be applied to all different aspects of a society. TV shows, books, movies, holidays, sports, they can all be looked at through the lens of a sociologist. The popular TV show Survivor can be examined through multiple theories such as structural functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. These theories allow one to view the manifest and latent functions of the show, and see how it fits into and interacts with society. Structural functionalism can be traced back to the roots of sociology. This theory, by Herbert Spencer, views societies as living organisms that grow and evolve over time. In functionalism there are two main assumptions; first, society is a stable system made up of
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Survivor maintains the balance of the network’s shows, without it, CBS would have to find a new show to put into the Wednesday night time slot. The show has maintained stability for the past twenty-nine seasons as well, it has always been on Wednesday nights with the two-hour finale taking place on a Sunday. The show has grown and changed over time, newer seasons have had themes such as the current one, Blood vs. Water, which features pairs of loved ones competing against each other. In its twenty-second season, the show introduced Redemption Island, a way for competitors voted off to get back into the game. Survivor has been a staple of CBS for almost fifteen years now and has had little …show more content…
The theory focuses on struggles over power and the competition for resources, while arguing that conflict is the engine that drives social change. Karl Marx inspired conflict theory, he proposed the idea that society consists of two groups, the proletariat, or the workers, and the bourgeoisie, the owners that were always at conflict with one another. Marx envisioned a classless society, where the proletariat would rise up against the bourgeoisie and each person contributed to and benefited from the public good. For Marx, the conflict clearly arises because all things of value to man result from human labor. According to Marx, capitalists exploit workers for their labor and do not share the fruits of these labors equally. This exploitation is what allows the owning classes to dominate politically and to impose their ideology on the workers of the
Survivor maintains the balance of the network’s shows, without it, CBS would have to find a new show to put into the Wednesday night time slot. The show has maintained stability for the past twenty-nine seasons as well, it has always been on Wednesday nights with the two-hour finale taking place on a Sunday. The show has grown and changed over time, newer seasons have had themes such as the current one, Blood vs. Water, which features pairs of loved ones competing against each other. In its twenty-second season, the show introduced Redemption Island, a way for competitors voted off to get back into the game. Survivor has been a staple of CBS for almost fifteen years now and has had little …show more content…
The theory focuses on struggles over power and the competition for resources, while arguing that conflict is the engine that drives social change. Karl Marx inspired conflict theory, he proposed the idea that society consists of two groups, the proletariat, or the workers, and the bourgeoisie, the owners that were always at conflict with one another. Marx envisioned a classless society, where the proletariat would rise up against the bourgeoisie and each person contributed to and benefited from the public good. For Marx, the conflict clearly arises because all things of value to man result from human labor. According to Marx, capitalists exploit workers for their labor and do not share the fruits of these labors equally. This exploitation is what allows the owning classes to dominate politically and to impose their ideology on the workers of the