Picture For Structural Functionalism Theory

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Subject Code : FDN 1113

Subject Title : FOUNDATIONS IN SOCIOLOGY

Program of Study : FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE

Year & Semester : 2012/2013, SEMESTER 3

Lecturer’s Name : Ms. QURAT’UL AIN

Due Date : FRIDAY, 22 MARCH, 2013

Students’ Details

Name : MOHAMAD RAHIMI BIN ABDUL HAMID

Matric No. : FIS 00079

Assignment Overall Marks : /100

Assignment’s Weighted Marks (5%) :

STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM THEORY

Structural-Functionalism or simply Functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability [1] . This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole. [2] Any relatively stable pattern of social behaviour. This approach looks at both social-structure and social functions.

In my understandings, social structures give our lives shape in:

Families

The work place

The class room

The community

Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements:

Norms

Customs

Traditions

Institutions

My understanding about this theory is the need to keep the society unified at a time when traditions were breaking down. The concept of social function by pointing out any social structure that has many functions.

Manifest Functions

The recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern.

Latent Functions

The unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern.

PICTURE FOR STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM THEORY

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The picture above shows a Deepavali festival celebrated by an Indian family. Celebrating festivals with family such as parents and siblings creates a lot of happiness, enjoyment, peace, and harmony each other and also with relatives creates a new and more close relationship, interaction with variety of people there, something is new that we see in our surroundings.

Culture which set from the previous generations keep maintaining until this generation by celebrating all the festivals and ceremony. Culture is still strong and not always exists easily although the society is now kept with a time with a new trend and modern lifestyle.

For other races of people, it may give something new experiences for them who are joining and involved in other people’s race of culture such as Malay and Chinese family come to an Indian open house, take part with them in celebrating Deepavali. This creates new interactions, communications each other from different races and it gives a mixed culture in society.

SOCIAL-CONFLICT THEORY

Social-Conflict Theory is a Marxist-based social theory which argues that individuals and groups (social classes) within society have differing amounts of material and non-material resources (the wealthy vs. the poor) and that the more powerful groups use their power in order to exploit groups with less power.

Social-Conflict Approach, a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change.

Looks at the society through the macro-level orientation which is broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole.

This theory views the conflict between dominant and disadvantaged categories of people such as the rich in relation to the poor. There are differences between rich and poor people lifestyle. The people under rich categories have a standard lifestyle; they will be respected in society because of their wealth, have a good name, status, and position in a society. There are no lacks in everything for them to purchase. Live in a happy, peace lifestyle because of wealth.

Compared to the poor category, they have to face a lot of obstacles, struggles, in life when happens a conflict because of financial problem. There will be a lot of lacks because they have not enough money to fulfil their needs in their life. The conflict will become more serious when they have to find the source (money) to purchase for their needs. From the point of view of society, they will be look down, no high respects will give to them, and usually these poor categories are isolated in most societies.

RICH FAMILY

http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/a-rich-family.jpg

POOR FAMILY

http://www.pbase.com/image/61886840/original.jpg

"Be careful when getting into relationships". From this situation, I have known that men’s are controlling women’s so that women’s will be under their control. This is happening since previous generations and continuing until this generation.

From this situation I have find that:

Men controlling women as in the article tells that "A young girl has been torched to death on a couch by her boyfriend after a lovers quarrel".

Men think that women’s are the most weakness gender, easily can be attacked, they feel that the women’s cannot attack them back, and easily get cheated by men.

Women’s must being dependant to men, have to follow all his instructions and odour.

Dangers will be everywhere since woman are born, from a small girl has been kidnapped by strangers, become a victim of sexual abuse such as rape, involved in prostitution in earlier age, some girls suffering from a mental torture because of their lovers attitude and being controlled by their husband in their marriage life.

Women’s have no chances to live freedom, always with commitments, over controlled especially by family/boyfriend/husband, they lost rights and don’t have the opportunity to speak out their problem.

Men are being selfish; they just give importance to their happiness.

From the point of view of society, it will gives a bad impact to society that women’s life are not guarantee as anything can happen anytime compared to men because men’s opposite attraction are women’s. Women’s life will be affected because of some men’s attitude which torturing and controlling the women’s feelings and freedom, when this continuing happens, women’s may lost all the rights to speak, no chances for them to become a successful person in life and always become a dependant and slave for men until they die without have a own principles in life.

SYMBOLIC- INTERACTION THEORY

Symbolic Interaction Theory, a major sociological perspective that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction which is particularly important in subfields such as urban sociology and social psychology. Symbolic-Interaction Theory views the society as a product of everyday interactions of individuals.

Main Points of this Theory:

Refers to the patterns:

Of Communication

Interpretation

Adjustment between Individuals

Symbolic comes from the word Symbol. The definition of Symbol is anything that carries a particular meaning that recognized by a people who shared a culture. For Example, (lolz, thr, tq, bz, luv,) Symbols have been created since previous generations to use for communication and interactions for understandings and it maintains until this generations with creation of new symbols.

Symbols provide meanings to a people in a short way although the meanings are same compared to the original word that have been created as a symbol nowadays. Symbols can be considered as a language used to interact that called as Symbolic-Interaction. Symbols have varied meanings and it changes over time.

Examples of Symbols:

C:\Users\GCL2\Downloads\male-female.gif

Focuses on how boys and girls learn to act the way "they are supposed to". These symbols are usually on the outside of bathrooms in public places mark the appropriate one to use based off of gender.

PICTURE FOR SYMBOLIC INTERACTION

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From this picture, it symbolically tells that relationship between the woman and men is not a positive relationship which brings to love, caring, toleration and cooperation to each other. She has been avoided, isolated and her life is being dependant to the male.

GENDER MESSAGE THAT I HAVE FIND FROM THIS PICTURE IS;

She has been treated as a slave, from the way she is kneeling down to the male who is stand strongly as he achieved everything and have the mentality that this world is belongs to him only.

The women become a victim of sexual abuse, she can be raped, either she involved in prostitution, or she showed her body to public for attractions to get money because of some financial problem and for popularity purposes.

The male’s reaction shows that he is superior and perfect in every categories which included power, education, carrier, talent, and life performances compared to the woman as he have the feel of success something in a higher level.

The man can be considered as mentally psycho because the woman clothes which is not fully covered can be symbolically tells that she has been given a sex torture, as she tried her best to cover her leg with her hands.

This picture gives a message that woman has a higher capability of patience, toleration, and adjustments compared to a men. From the view of culture, a woman should be careful in taking steps to make a right decision in her life so that small mistakes that do now won’t be affected in their marriage life.

From the point of view of society, this picture can be accepted as a new trend among youths especially. It gives them latest fashion, something is new and different, gives attractions from the both genders and it is not out-dated according to the developing world.