Social Theories
There are several sociological theories that explain the systems of society and the interrelationships in these systems. Among these theories are the functionalism, conflict, and interactionism, whereupon, the social institution that best depicts the practicable approach of these theories is family (Jason &Jon, 2009). The family is the basic social unit of any given society. A family plays a crucial role in molding and shaping individuals into responsible and respected personalities in their old age. In this regard, family, as a social unit, is impacted by these three social theories in different ways. My belief is that family as a social unit determines who we become, our personalities , and our future lives in society.
Functionalism
The functionalism approach is a social theory that refers to the belief, in which a society is seen as a complex system where the different components work in harmony to promote and achieve stability and solidarity. Functionalism approach view society in a perspective of the functions of social components and social structure (Panayotis & Kostas, 2010). In this regard, the functional components of the society include customs, institutions, norms, and traditions. Functional socialists suggest that the social unity in which people exist should be satisfied by the institutions of society. The theory argues that society is cemented on consensus, implying that the family is a core social institution. Family is universal, implying that it is found worldwide and therefore, offers an opportunity for performing the functions of functionalists. Some of the functions that the theory posits impacts on family are the sexual, economic, reproductive, and educational functions.
The sexual function of the family is depicted in such a way that an individual lives with one person so that they satisfy each other’s sexual desires, thereby avoiding conflict in society. Additionally, the knowledge alluded in functionalism theory facilitates the provision of economic satisfaction to family members. The theory posits that this helps people to administer shelter and food to family members so that they are kept healthy and protected throughout their lives.
Functionalism teaches individuals to be responsible and play their educational roles satisfactorily. People are able to educate family members on the values, traditions, norms, and customs. This facilitates their incorporation in the society and acceptability in the further education process. The strength of functionalism lies in their impact on the family. The nuclear families perform functions so that every individual in society benefits, thereby, having a gratifying effect.
Conflict
The conflict approach is a social theory that views society as a complex process characterized by conflict and inequality, which facilitates social change. Conflicts among society are experienced everywhere in the world, may it be in politics, workplaces, and social realms. Conflict theory brings about favoritism in the family and society (Mohammad, & Roszaini, 2009). Conflict works in such a way that the dominant member of a particular family or society wins. The family or society in turn, tends to favor powerful and prestigious individuals. Social inequality, which is brought by conflict is experienced in forms of race, gender, and age. These elements further dictate the way family members’ school, acquire power, and amerce wealth. The knowledge of conflict theory is effective in determining the patterns that favor some people while neglecting others. Some of celebrated theorists like Marx tried to understand and provide solutions to reduction of social inequality among families and societies.
Another impact that social conflict brings to a family is poverty. Through social conflict, people are not provided with the same opportunities. Most often, individuals from rich families are given greater opportunities as opposed to poor families. A practical example is a situation where two individuals having the same academic qualifications apply for the same job. The likely hood is that the person from a rich family is given the opportunity, leaving the poor to continue being poor. Social conflict impacts families in a way that an individual who produces more gets an upper hand in the social class and is more privileged than others. This theory thereby paints individuals with a picture of operating to satisfy self interests and maximize on their own reward at the expense of other members of the same family and/or society.
Interactionism
The interactionism is a social theory that believes in the smaller phenomenon that are involved in the daily interactions so as to understand the way people experience, perceive, and come to share a common belief of the social reality. This theory suggests that people come into being through the interaction of their behaviors. The social institutions, family included, are maintained, built, and changed by people interacting socially. Interactionism impacts on the family so that individuals are able to interpret the symbols used in communication as family members interact. The thought focuses on the life experiences and meanings related to the roles that family members play through interaction. Interactionism helps families in creating and improving themselves on a daily basis.
A detailed understanding of family interactions such as experiences of breastfeeding, divorce, family rituals, and interpretation of school symbols by children is as a result of interactionism. The theory also helps cross class and diverse cultural comparison of society and family experience. Furthermore, children’s schooling and general development are explained by interactionist, thereby facilitating family understanding.
Similarities and Differences
One of the differences that occur between the social theories is the level of family examination. Interactionism, as a school of thought, examines families at a micro level while functionalism examines at a macro level. This implies that while interactionism puts its focus on the way people in families recreate and create in everyday level, functionalism focuses on social structures that shape the actions of family members. Furthermore, interactionism are mainly based on the belief that society is built on the premise of interaction. On the other hand, functionalism are based on processes of individual functioning in the family and society. Another difference between the theories is that unlike the functionalism and conflict theories, interactionism sees family roles based on the life experiences and meanings (Gavin & Anthony, 1980). Both the three theories impacts on the family similarly, in a way that they shape the outcomes of individuals. Furthermore, both the theories see society as structured system and that the social structure is within the society. In addition functionalism and interactionism view society in a whole point of view rather than looking at it from an individual perspective.
Views of the Individual
The social theories have varied views with regard to individuals that form part of an institution, and in this case it is a family.
Functionalism
The functionalism theory is based on the belief that every component of society influences the whole society. This theory affects individuals in a way that they are made aware of the functions of the nuclear families so as to benefit society and the individual. This implies that the theory has a positive impact on the individual by showing them the functions they are required to perform in the social institutions. A negative outcome of the theory understanding on an individual is that they tend to focus on the functions they perform in a family and forget their roles to other families and society at large.
A practical example is where schools are depended on by families so that they educate the children , o that they can help bring up their own families in the future. The impact is that the children become responsible and contributes to the growth of society. Overall, an individual affects the family as a whole through their functions.
Interactionism
The interactionism theory views the institution as a place where individuals engage in interactions and act towards a certain situation. In addition the theory helps the individuals in society to interact well with family members so that meanings are better understood and situations well defined. The theory affects the individual in a family to be self reflective and thereby shape their individual behaviors for the common good of society. Individuals are also shaped to be distinct humans through interacting with other members of the family. This is because individuals are not born with knowledge, but they acquire it through interaction.
Conflict
The conflict theories bases its argument on the fact that people or individuals in an institution satisfy themselves first before others. Therefore, the theory proposes that conflicts exist in families and can be solved by determining the source of the conflict and provision of better communication (Jason &Tony, 2008). The individual in a family start realizing that no family lacks conflict and that conflict form the basis for social change and growth. The realization that conflict just, like change, are inevitable helps individuals in families to deal with these differences. The overall impact of the theory is in facilitating individuals in managing conflicts within and outside family setting.
Effects of Social Change
Functionalism
The functionalism is a theory that is consensual and affects how society changes. The theory determines the source of deviance and crime, thereby impacting change of the society. Social theorists believe that the occurrence of crime is beneficial to society as it brings about social change. Some functions in society that are part of social structures perform important part of strengthening the shared values of society and morals. Without functionalism, people in social institutions tend to waste the values that promote positive social change. This means that functionalism reminds individuals of the limits between wrong and right behavior. The theory allows deviance, which brings new ideas, thereby facilitating social progress and change. Another effect of functionalism of social change is by warning the society whenever the progress of social change is not in the proper direction. For instance a rise in social vices such as crime and suicide acts to warm people.
Interactionism
The interactionism theory believes that individuals presume symbolic meanings on people, behaviors and objects . This implies that human social institutions are constructed through interpretations by the people. For instance, family roles, morals and values are crucial to some individuals. Nevertheless, individuals might choose to either reject these values or embrace them in totality. Most often, family values are imposed on us since we tend to relate values with meanings.
In addition to social change, each person poses their own beliefs in a given family and thus they exercise them depending on their personalities. Family as a social institution does not function collectively. Each person in the family has varied values based on their interactions, age and functions. This effect thus implies that a parent can have a different view from that of the child (Victor & Tania,2012).
Conflict theory
The conflict theory views society and family as stratified in which there are significant divisions among the family members. The belief that in society some people are more powerful and important than others arise in this theory. The theory affects social change in that the progressive construction of social structure that we see today is a result of past conflicts. The conflict between the members of society that are rich and those who are poor make it possible for to shape other institutions. These institutions such as family facilitate the construction of capitalism processes. The family is the core social institution that brings about social classes.
The individuals who are powerful in society become the owners of companies and the less powerful become workers in those companies. Furthermore the social change in the family is impacted by the conflict that emanates from the frustrations that people experience in society. The family is there to make sure that it provides protective measures to this individual who face frustrations in society. This helps in constructing the social change in which the capitalist system is not challenged, by recognizing that conflict exist. The conflict theory therefore facilitates the connection of the private and public so that as the change in the social settings happen, families contribute to it.
Views of Society
The three theories discussed here affect the way society view in a family setting. The effect of these theories on society is understanding how society works with the involvement of all people of society. The theories help the society to analyze and understand the causes of social differences within the family and other institutions of society. The theories such as functionalism displays the functions of each member of the family thus removing conflict and help contribute to the growth of the family in society. The society is also given an opportunity to look at the family as a stage of social change and development. This makes them to collaborate and assist each other within the family and the extended family. By revealing the structures of society at family level, interactionism theory raises the awareness of the society of the idea of interacting with other people in society for the common good of all. Conflict theory in addition makes a society to view the family as a place of limited resources that people compete for and social dominance is ensured. Thus the three theories have tremendously contributed to better understanding of social behavior and society at large.
Conclusion
The social theories help in gaining a deeper understanding of the behaviors of society in the past, present and future. The family as the core social institution plays an essential role in determining and shaping the cultural and social behaviors. In addition the three theories have a significant impact on the society as a whole and help explain the behaviors experienced in society.
References
Gavin, M., & Anthony, P. (1980). An Action Approach to Control Systems. Managerial Finance, 6 (1), 9 – 19.
Jason, L., &Tony G. (2008). Social theory and emotion: sociological excursions. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 28 (9/10), 394 – 40.
Jason, L., & Jon H. (2009). The sociological construction of ageing: lessons for theorizing. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 29 (½), 84 – 94.
Mohammad, H., & Roszaini, H. (2009). Exploring auditor independence: an interpretive approach. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 22 (2), 221 – 246
Panayotis, G., & Kostas, T. (2010). Tarde’s influence on Schumpeter: technology and social evolution. International Journal of Social Economics, 37 (5), 361 – 373.
Victor, Y., & Tania S. (2012). Challenges to professional identities and emotional exhaustion. Career Development International, 17 (2), 120 – 136.
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