Functionalist Perspective Sociology

Name: Nhi Luong
FINAL EXAM
Question 1: According to the book, the three major perspectives of sociology are functionalist perspective, conflict perspective, and interactionist perspective.
The functionalist perspective assumes that society is an organized and stable institution, where all of its entities contribute to its survival. This theory views the society as a unity structure that every each part of it interacts and supports each other. Functionalist perspective divides into manifest functions, latent functions, and dysfunctions. Manifest functions are the obvious functions that are conscious as the consequences of an aspect of society. In contrary, latent functions are the unintended functions that express hidden purposes of an aspect of society. For example, the manifest function of college is broadening education in humanities, sciences, and arts to human being; and its latent function is a place for people to find their marriage partner. Dysfunctions are sabotage behaviors of aspects that diminish society’s stability, but depending on ones’ own value. For example, violent crimes, aggravated assaults, or property crimes are dysfunctional part of society. But in the other hand, the danger created by them requires more surveillance, then increasing jobs for guards.
The conflict perspective’s assumption is the struggle between competing groups in society for resources, such as money, services, and representation. Consequently, inequality always exists in society. As a part of everyday life, conflict is learned to know who benefits, who suffers, and who dominates, between male and female, Blacks and Whites, etc. Since the late 1960s, conflict perspective has become the emphasis in the United States. This is the r...

... middle of paper ...

..., peers become their alternative family, as same importance.
The most important agent of socialization is family. Firstly, because we begin our lifelong process only after we were born. Thus, family becomes our primary and very first society. It provides important social functions, such as reproduction: when one person die, another person is born; protection: parents are supposed to be their children’s guards and have responsibility to take care of them; socialization: culture, norms, and values are transmitted from parents to children; regulation of sexual behavior: standard sexual behaviors are defined by family; companionship: family brings out the comfortable and cozy atmosphere where members understand and protect each other; social status: children inherit their parent’s social position.