Sociological Perspectives in the Work field
One position that I have filled in society is being a crew member at a Wendy’s fast food restaurant. I want to show just what functional analysis, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory are, and how they fit into this role.
Functionalism is the idea that every part of something has a purpose. Whether this be society as a whole, a motor to a car, or, in this case, a job, functionalism gives purpose to every individual. Functionalism is important as a fast food employee because it shows how each person must operate properly in their role for the restaurant to run smoothly. At Wendy’s, some of the major roles that need filled are grill, fries, front register, back register, and sandwich …show more content…
Thus, we find that there are certain manifest functions in a system. This restaurant has planned positions that the manager chooses people to fill each shift. The restaurant knows that to function properly, it will need to fill these specific positions. There are intended to help the efficiency of the restaurant and so each worker takes on one of these roles, or functions, and works to make the restaurant as efficient as possible. Not all functions are intended, though, and you will find latent functions in a fast food restaurant as well. Latent functions are what make a machine well-oiled. These roles are not planned but become filled when needed. When an individual fills this role, it leads to a positive outcome for the system. In fast food, you will often have the need for latent functions to be filled. Oftentimes, you will have to leave your station to help someone else that is getting overwhelmed with work or to grab something for that person before they run out. For example, you may get hit with a large order of fries and you are about to run out, but you are too busy to go get more. The person on grill may be slow so they can afford to leave their intended function to help you get caught up and get back into an efficient rhythm. These latent functions are what keep a system balanced and …show more content…
Each person benefits most when they fill their role, but when there are better roles to be had, they become dissatisfied with their role in an effort to attain a higher position or pay. There are a limited number of roles in a restaurant and not everyone can take the highest role. Crew members will want to be managers and make more than minimum wage. Conflict theory in fast food is not as strong as some fields because there is a constant flow of workers and positions often open up. Nevertheless, there will always be competition. My fast food experience is that, as crew members, there are positions that are coveted more than others. So, while pay might not be the issue, what task you are assigned will cause you to compete with others and even cause conflict if you don’t get your desired station. There are inequalities in the workplace, but you can’t complain about something you are not willing to work for. There are inequalities in positions, but a good manager assigns workers in their strong points, so you may not like your position, but you are operating in the function that best suites you. There will always be competing interests, but in a job, you can’t all be at the top of the chain without harming the rest of the
One position that I have filled in society is being a crew member at a Wendy’s fast food restaurant. I want to show just what functional analysis, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory are, and how they fit into this role.
Functionalism is the idea that every part of something has a purpose. Whether this be society as a whole, a motor to a car, or, in this case, a job, functionalism gives purpose to every individual. Functionalism is important as a fast food employee because it shows how each person must operate properly in their role for the restaurant to run smoothly. At Wendy’s, some of the major roles that need filled are grill, fries, front register, back register, and sandwich …show more content…
Thus, we find that there are certain manifest functions in a system. This restaurant has planned positions that the manager chooses people to fill each shift. The restaurant knows that to function properly, it will need to fill these specific positions. There are intended to help the efficiency of the restaurant and so each worker takes on one of these roles, or functions, and works to make the restaurant as efficient as possible. Not all functions are intended, though, and you will find latent functions in a fast food restaurant as well. Latent functions are what make a machine well-oiled. These roles are not planned but become filled when needed. When an individual fills this role, it leads to a positive outcome for the system. In fast food, you will often have the need for latent functions to be filled. Oftentimes, you will have to leave your station to help someone else that is getting overwhelmed with work or to grab something for that person before they run out. For example, you may get hit with a large order of fries and you are about to run out, but you are too busy to go get more. The person on grill may be slow so they can afford to leave their intended function to help you get caught up and get back into an efficient rhythm. These latent functions are what keep a system balanced and …show more content…
Each person benefits most when they fill their role, but when there are better roles to be had, they become dissatisfied with their role in an effort to attain a higher position or pay. There are a limited number of roles in a restaurant and not everyone can take the highest role. Crew members will want to be managers and make more than minimum wage. Conflict theory in fast food is not as strong as some fields because there is a constant flow of workers and positions often open up. Nevertheless, there will always be competition. My fast food experience is that, as crew members, there are positions that are coveted more than others. So, while pay might not be the issue, what task you are assigned will cause you to compete with others and even cause conflict if you don’t get your desired station. There are inequalities in the workplace, but you can’t complain about something you are not willing to work for. There are inequalities in positions, but a good manager assigns workers in their strong points, so you may not like your position, but you are operating in the function that best suites you. There will always be competing interests, but in a job, you can’t all be at the top of the chain without harming the rest of the