Outline and evaluate a sociological theory and its contribution to an understanding of the role of socialization in society.
Functionalism is a sociological theory that first came to light in the 19th century; it was the first attempt to produce a theory that viewed society as a whole system. Functionalism was the dominant theory in the 1940’s till the 1950’s particularly in America. (Haralambos & Holborn 2013) Functionalism is a macro structuralism approach of viewing society and is often referred to as a ‘top-down’ theory as it looks at society as a whole rather than the individuals that make up society. Functionalists see society as a system of interrelated parts/ institutions which all work together to keep the whole system of society …show more content…
These moral codes help to regulate social behavior and what is accepted and what will be punished. For an example the Ten Commandments are reinforced in the legal system (thou shall not steal, thou shall not kill) and in accepted social behavior such as relationships (thou shall not commit adultery). Marxists however see religion as a set of ideologies to fool the working class in favor of the powerful. They argue that religion acts as a means to distract from their exploitation from the ruling class. Religion helps promote the idea that success is a reward from god and poverty/illness is a punishment (Moore et al 2008) <www.sociology.about.com>.
Functionalist theory is good at explaining how socialization occurs and how it benefits a whole society through value consensus. When all parts of society are in balance then social equilibrium is achieved, again through socialization values are transmitted through generations however it is criticized, as it doesn’t explain how social change occurs. Parsons stated that social change is inevitable and once society is unbalanced a reaction occurs to restore it. Marxism better explains social change and how it comes about from the working class challenging the ruling class ( Giddens, 2013; Kornblum, …show more content…
Their view is that the structures of society come from the actions of the people within it. George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) believed that society is maintained by socialization through language and symbols, without these meanings shared by society then communication between its members wouldn’t be possible and society would fall apart<www.boundless.com>. Interactionists see socialization as scripted with roles which makes individuals think about the way they behave. For example boys and girls are socialized at a young age the differences between their gender, the roles that they will adopt (wife, mother, husband, farther) and the behaviors that are expected within them roles
Functionalism is a sociological theory that first came to light in the 19th century; it was the first attempt to produce a theory that viewed society as a whole system. Functionalism was the dominant theory in the 1940’s till the 1950’s particularly in America. (Haralambos & Holborn 2013) Functionalism is a macro structuralism approach of viewing society and is often referred to as a ‘top-down’ theory as it looks at society as a whole rather than the individuals that make up society. Functionalists see society as a system of interrelated parts/ institutions which all work together to keep the whole system of society …show more content…
These moral codes help to regulate social behavior and what is accepted and what will be punished. For an example the Ten Commandments are reinforced in the legal system (thou shall not steal, thou shall not kill) and in accepted social behavior such as relationships (thou shall not commit adultery). Marxists however see religion as a set of ideologies to fool the working class in favor of the powerful. They argue that religion acts as a means to distract from their exploitation from the ruling class. Religion helps promote the idea that success is a reward from god and poverty/illness is a punishment (Moore et al 2008) <www.sociology.about.com>.
Functionalist theory is good at explaining how socialization occurs and how it benefits a whole society through value consensus. When all parts of society are in balance then social equilibrium is achieved, again through socialization values are transmitted through generations however it is criticized, as it doesn’t explain how social change occurs. Parsons stated that social change is inevitable and once society is unbalanced a reaction occurs to restore it. Marxism better explains social change and how it comes about from the working class challenging the ruling class ( Giddens, 2013; Kornblum, …show more content…
Their view is that the structures of society come from the actions of the people within it. George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) believed that society is maintained by socialization through language and symbols, without these meanings shared by society then communication between its members wouldn’t be possible and society would fall apart<www.boundless.com>. Interactionists see socialization as scripted with roles which makes individuals think about the way they behave. For example boys and girls are socialized at a young age the differences between their gender, the roles that they will adopt (wife, mother, husband, farther) and the behaviors that are expected within them roles