Analysis of the Sociological Theories The Progeria Research Foundation is an organization that helps children that has Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome or commonly known as progeria. Progeria is a rare fatal genetic disease that affects children by accelerating the aging process of their appearance. There is no cure for this disease and the average life span of a child with this disorder is fourteen years of age. My senior year of high school I dedicated my senior project to this organization to raise awareness and help donate money towards a cure, and since then I have been a member. Looking at this institution from a sociological point of view I will analyze it using thee major sociological theories which are structural functionalism, …show more content…
Talcott Parson is the founder of this theory, but the theory was also highly influenced by Emile Durkheim. Structural functionalism is very interdependence driven. Within the Progeria organization an example of interdependence would be between the medical researchers and the patients. This relationship is what drives the entire organization. They both rely on each other for scientific purposes for the researchers and for keeping the hope alive for the patients. This combination of science and hope creates a functional environment that manifest peace despite dire situations. Although the medical researchers and patients are important they are not the only parts of the equation. Business officials, donators, parents, and supporters are all part of what makes this organization an integrated whole. All of the parts of the organization work separately but connectively to promote change within their environment. Although the ultimate change would be finding a cure for the children they also adapt to little changes. Theses changes could be discovering more children with this disease and slowly introducing them to the environment within the organization, or the medical trails that the children endure. Change is an inevitable circumstance especially envolving medicine and children growing to understand their …show more content…
This theory examines social differences and how they can potentially lead to oppression and inequality within groups or individuals. This theory was found and also influenced by Karl Marx. Conflict theory looks to expose inequalities through groups, but within this particular institution I can not definitively say that a group is being oppressed within the organization. However I can point out some legitimations that may hide within society that impact the individuals with this disease. An example would be language that people use verbally and also art. Both of these agents fall victim to casting the children as helpless victims of this disease. While we feel sympathetic for these children it can make the child more self aware that they are different, and like they are not a part of the norm. Where as this disease is fatal and these children are victims of it they are still human like everyone else and still live everyday life like others but with slight limitations. Due to these legitimations some of the children choose to speak out or make videos to show that they are like any other child. A child named Sam Berns performed a Ted Talk about how to live a happy life. Sam was diagnosed with progeria at the age of two and he was then a junior in high school when he performed this talk. In the talk he talks about his philosophy of living a happy life despite knowing what the disease is doing to him. He shows a different
I. Theory After reading the voice of Inclusion “From My Friend Ro Vargo” what an intriguing and captivating story. About a young girl who is severely impaired, name Ro Vargo who is diagnosed with (rett syndrome). Defined as “a progressive neurodevelopmental genetic disorder that affects females usually during infancy that is characterized by cognitive and psychomotor deterioration, slowed head and brain growth, stereotyped hand movements, seizures, and mental retardation”www.merriamwebster.com. Ro did not want people to talk about what she had (rett syndrome). To her she’s just an ordinary person. We see through Ro’s eyes as she takes us on her life’s journey. From the beginning of kindergarten through the end of college. Ro parents reveals
There are three types of theoretical perspective. 1. Functionalism, 2. Conflict, 3. Symbolic Interactionism. All of the theses functions help preserve social stability and keep a society working. These perspectives are very important to analysis the important factors about family values and family structure. According to the book first, primary rules for social function of the family is socializing children. Second is to have an emotional and practical support which related to Functionalist perspective. Meaning provides shelter, food, clothes, love, comfort and etc. The functionalist perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of our society by mostly focusing on how everyone is included with the others in society. The other sociological aspects from the family perspective are the Conflict Perspective. In contrast, the conflict perspective views society as composed of different groups and interest competing for power and resources. This theory explains the various aspect of our social world. For an example: feminist argue that we live in the society where only men have the power or control in the relationship. The last but not least is the symbolic interactionist perspective, which explains how the social problems are affected at the
It is estimated that 1 in 4 million newborn children are affected with this syndrome worldwide. It starts with the children suffering from scleroderma, which makes the skin appear scaly and thin. Within the first year there is a slowing in their growth rate and weight gain the physical development becomes stagnant, at two to three years of age their hair starts to fall out and they lose subcutaneous fat. The intelligence, and emotional development of children with progeria are on pare with children the same age but not affected by the syndrome (Hennekam, 2006 pp. 2603-2624).
In closing, as overwhelming as the complications brought about from progeria may seem it is important to keep things in perspective. Research has gone a long way to improve the livelihood of those affected by this awful disability and in the process opened several new doors. While these fresh discoveries raise a plethora of new questions, it is essential to pursue the betterment of life for everyone. After all, HGPS is but one of many disorders set off by a slight and uncontrollable mutation. Fortunately, organizations such as the Progeria Research Foundation are working hard to raise awareness of the disease and unlock its true cure. In time all of this strife will bring a rich reward of enlightenment and new possibilities for the genes of every living being as the mesmerizing depths of the genome are abundantly explored.
Functionalists believe that society is a structure that functions via interrelating parts, each with its own role. If an individual is sick then they become a deviant to the structure that is society. Deviant means that it is not the norm and does not fit in with society. To get around this the functionalist perspective uses the sick role. An individual can take on the sick role in order to be excused from their usual duties until they are well-enough to resume them.
At present XYZ Medical Center uses functional structure (Borkowski, 2009) for their organization operation, with employees working in various departments based on their roles and responsibilities. The staff increases productivity by sharing their experiences and supporting each other (Borkowski, 2009)....
types of oppression or issues. Each child goes through different life impacting experiences whether it is positive or negative. With understanding the experiences each child has had I can see why this child acts a certain way or does something that the other children might not. Also with an understanding of the different experiences each child goes through I know what to focus on and what topics to not address. With any other site and any other person knowing an individuals background and experiences you pull back a layer to that person and understand what experiences have shaped them into the person they are today. I think I can address this in my social work practice by truly understanding where a person comes from and what experiences have
The functionalist paradigm focuses on the integration of society, and how society how its own groups which has their own functions to help improve the peoples lives. Functionalist paradigm fits in the category of macro-sociology, because it focuses on the patterns that shape an entire society. Functionalists believe that society is maintained through the thought of trust and consensus on moral values for ideal behavior. Working together will result in a stable social environment that will create equality. Conflicts or dysfunctions will be view as a disease in the social system. Social conflict paradigm believes that society is divided into many groups that have their own goals, and that certain parts of the world have the luck of benefiting economic dominan...
By this, I mean by being different and not having an intellectual disability people who have physical, mental, and sensory disabilities will think that they’re not able to participate in different sporting events that gives them the opportunity to experience what it feels like to have a normal life and as a result they’ll continue to feel different compared to those around them and the same holds true in Collin’s claim that family hierarchies shape gender and race relations in terms of showing how the family your born into can affect the way people are treated or seen as and the things you may be entitled to. Noticing this pattern of not being a part of a certain group because your different than those that are involved or because you’re not born into it suggests that being excluded from the group can cause a person not to entitled to what is being offered and can cause them to endure more
The structural theory of Functionalism is a vast perspective in social science which directs to the attention of the social structure of the function and its components. Those components are called norms, values, status and role. Structural theory is also called Macro theory. That theory or perspective enables us to analyze the way our whole society works and fits together. The sociologist TALCOTT PARSONS used a different system of approach. What he done was to view all the different societies as distinguished and able to supply to their own needs without external assistance. T...
Structural-Functional Theory is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability (Macionis 16). In laments terms the structural functional theory is the idea that systems in society work together as a body, the idea that customs, traditions, and institutions shape society. This theory is outlined by social structure, social functions, and social dysfunction. Social structure is defined as any relatively stable pattern of social behavior. Social structure shapes and impacts our lives in the workplace, families, college, and classroom. Social functions are the consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society as a whole. Social dysfunction is described as any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society. The main idea of the structural functional theory is its vision of society as stable and orderly.
The first concept examines how labels are recognized and their functionality. The structural functionalist perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of society by focusing on how each part influences and is influenced by other parts. (Mooney, p8). Once society figures out
The structural-functionalist perspective looks at society as a complex system composed of various parts much like a living organism. Each aspect of society contributes to society's functioning as a whole. Social institutions play a key role in keeping a society stable. All societies need certain things to survive (Newman 2010).
... affects the diagnosed child, but it affects his or her parents, and siblings in many different ways. Different families go through it differently, but they are all affected emotionally, physically, socially, educationally, and financially.
Talcott Parson and Robert Merton are the central tenets of structural-functionalist. According to Calhoun “Functionalism (sometime called “structural –functionalism’) refers to the body of theory first developed in the 1930s and 1940s that treats society as a set of interdependent system. Theory rest on an organic analogy that likens a social system to a physical body, in which each subsystem is necessary to maintain the proper functioning of the entire organism. From a functionalist point of view, the key to understanding a social subsystem is thus to trace its function in the working of the whole.”(calhoun489) Structural functional theory describes society to be a complex system with various interdependent parts that work together to maintain stability. Each part of society has each of which have their own functions and work hand in hand to maintain social stability in the world.