Explain the principal sociological
perspectives
In this report, it will explain the seven different perspectives used in sociology, explaining how
they influence – or believe how – family structures, norms, values and more.
Functionalism
Functionalism is closely associated with the work of French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858
– 1917) and American Talcott Parsons (1902 – 79). Functionalism views society similarly to
the human body, made up of multiple parts that in all, work together to make up society.
Functionalists argue that society has certain needs or requirements (i.e. functional
prerequisites) that must be met in order for society to survive and flourish. These certain needs
or requirements include the production of food, caring for children and the socialisation of next
generations into their culture of society. Social institutions such as the family and the education
system exist as a means to meet these basic requirements of society, the same way the heart
exists to pump blood around the human body. Functionalism believes that social institutions
meet functional prerequisites, which as a result maintains the social system, order and stability
within a society. Building on this, functionalism states that social institutions such as the family,
education and work are all entwined, and work alongside one another for the benefit of society
as a whole. The stability within society is based on socialisation into norms and values that
most people share, such as the idea that sexual abuse is wrong. These shared norms and
values within society are known as a value consensus. Value consensus is what functionalists
believe maintains and stabilises a peaceful society – without much conflict between the
different people and groups within society (Browne, 2015).
Marxism
Marxism was introduced by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th
century. Marxism is a structuralist approach which means it examines the structures of society.
Marxism suggests that social classes in society have different powers due to how much
resources they own (e.g. land, businesses), and that the richer groups use their power to
exploit and take advantage of those with less money – and less power. In Marxism, they have
the social structure of having the bourgeoisie, which is the minority of society who own big
companies, lots of land and as a result they are rich – they employ many individuals to work
for them, at a low wage so they keep more money for themselves. The proletariat are the
larger group of individuals’ in society who are the ones employed by the bourgeoisie. The
bourgeoisie want as much profit as possible which results in low wages for their workers, but
the proletariat want higher wages. Marx and Engels say that workers (i.e. proletariat) have a
lack of understanding of their position in society which is why they don’t change their position
– it suggests the workers’ must develop class consciousness before trying to do so. Engels
and Marx suggest that the majority of individuals’ in the proletariat sector do not understand
how capitalism enslaves them. Marxism believes that the family fuels capitalism and the
bourgeoisie, as families are big consumers of goods, which is bought from large companies
(i.e. bourgeoisie), so the more populated society becomes, the richer the bourgeoisie get and
the poorer the proletariat get (www.cf.ac.uk).
perspectives
In this report, it will explain the seven different perspectives used in sociology, explaining how
they influence – or believe how – family structures, norms, values and more.
Functionalism
Functionalism is closely associated with the work of French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858
– 1917) and American Talcott Parsons (1902 – 79). Functionalism views society similarly to
the human body, made up of multiple parts that in all, work together to make up society.
Functionalists argue that society has certain needs or requirements (i.e. functional
prerequisites) that must be met in order for society to survive and flourish. These certain needs
or requirements include the production of food, caring for children and the socialisation of next
generations into their culture of society. Social institutions such as the family and the education
system exist as a means to meet these basic requirements of society, the same way the heart
exists to pump blood around the human body. Functionalism believes that social institutions
meet functional prerequisites, which as a result maintains the social system, order and stability
within a society. Building on this, functionalism states that social institutions such as the family,
education and work are all entwined, and work alongside one another for the benefit of society
as a whole. The stability within society is based on socialisation into norms and values that
most people share, such as the idea that sexual abuse is wrong. These shared norms and
values within society are known as a value consensus. Value consensus is what functionalists
believe maintains and stabilises a peaceful society – without much conflict between the
different people and groups within society (Browne, 2015).
Marxism
Marxism was introduced by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th
century. Marxism is a structuralist approach which means it examines the structures of society.
Marxism suggests that social classes in society have different powers due to how much
resources they own (e.g. land, businesses), and that the richer groups use their power to
exploit and take advantage of those with less money – and less power. In Marxism, they have
the social structure of having the bourgeoisie, which is the minority of society who own big
companies, lots of land and as a result they are rich – they employ many individuals to work
for them, at a low wage so they keep more money for themselves. The proletariat are the
larger group of individuals’ in society who are the ones employed by the bourgeoisie. The
bourgeoisie want as much profit as possible which results in low wages for their workers, but
the proletariat want higher wages. Marx and Engels say that workers (i.e. proletariat) have a
lack of understanding of their position in society which is why they don’t change their position
– it suggests the workers’ must develop class consciousness before trying to do so. Engels
and Marx suggest that the majority of individuals’ in the proletariat sector do not understand
how capitalism enslaves them. Marxism believes that the family fuels capitalism and the
bourgeoisie, as families are big consumers of goods, which is bought from large companies
(i.e. bourgeoisie), so the more populated society becomes, the richer the bourgeoisie get and
the poorer the proletariat get (www.cf.ac.uk).
