Sociological Perspectives

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Jo Hitchens HCB

Sociological perspectives

There are three major perspectives in sociology and this essay will discuss and analyse two of them. One being consensus and the other conflict.  It will compare the two and give an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of both.  It will also give an example of how sociology can be useful in a health setting.

In functionalism Emile Durkheim used the comparison of society to living organisms to help people understand how a society works, in functionalism each institution can be understood by the role and function it plays in society, “given that the parts of society are interconnected and interrelated, each part will affect all the other parts and for the system to survive there will be compatibility between the parts” 

(Ref: Making sense of society, Marsh et all)

 

“Durkheim suggested there to be a form of SOCIAL SOLIDARITY at the basis of every society. Durkheim argues that people's social ideas do not come from inside their heads nor from Mr. God! Rather ideas are socially created and socially inherited through the generations”

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Karl Marx strongly believed that there where two classes to society, the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariats. The Bourgeoisie are the factory owners or the people who owned the factories and they did not take part in the means of production and the Proletariats are basically the workers, they provide the benefits and the wealth to the owners. “Marxist theorists suggest that the Bourgeoisie for their own gain exploit the Proletariats. This is where the idea of class conflict has arisen” 

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(Ref.  )

“Marx's theory was a 'grand theory'.  Marx's theory took a 'macro-sociological' approach to society and social phenomenon. Marx's theory is an attempt to explain the 'bigger picture' of modern societies”

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The two perspectives both have different values of society, and whilst one believed that society was made up through family  the other strongly believed it was the rich who would get richer and the poor would get poorer. “for Marx, there are two essential components of society: First, the economic base or substructure that provides the material needs of life, and second, ...

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