Functionalism Research Papers Samples For Students

STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM 2

Introduction
Structural Functionalism
The contemporary grand theory of Structural Functionalism is deeply rooted within the field of Sociology. This theory laid the foundation for many of the social theories studied today. To begin, the theory of Structural Functionalism focuses on societal structures and the functions they serve (Ritzer, 2010). There have been numerous Sociologists that have contributed to our understanding of Functionalism; Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton, and Davis and Moore (Ritzer, 2010). Perhaps one of the most noteworthy Sociologists to contribute to Functionalism, Talcott Parsons, examined these functions and their effects on structures and systems. ...

The foundations of psychology were laid after the integration of biology and philosophy into a new realm of knowledge – known as psychology in the modern age. One of the things which led to the development of psychology is some ‘mysteries’ in the early studies of biology. For example, biologists could not understand the relationship between the brain and some of the physical changes witnessed in trauma patients. This sparked interest into studying the association between emotional responses and the brain. With time, distinct schools of thought such as structuralism, functionalism, psychodynamic analysis and behaviorism were developed with the aim of ...

Functionalism, conflict theory, and interactionism are the most fundamental theories that explain the mechanics behind social processes and outcomes. While most people choose to agree with and follow a single theory, it is evident that observing a single institution from multiple viewpoints may result in different conclusions. Therefore, when investigating the family as a social institution, its internal interactions, and individual roles, a researcher should use all theories without prejudice to reach an unbiased conclusion. Only when all theories are used, it is possible to utilize the strengths each theory has to offer and compensate for the weaknesses of each theory.

Functionalism and Family

Functionalism observes ...

Abstract

Sociology focuses on the study of human relations. It is a study directed towards the behavior of an individual to others and behavior of groups. Understanding on the nature of the society primarily depends on the nature of these interrelationships. Sociology relies on sociological perspectives and theories to explain on social phenomena. These theories emerged within the changing societies. They tend to explain comprehensively a given social phenomena.

The society establishes social institutions to carry out specialized functions. The operation of these social institutions is highly influenced by the sociological perspective held by majority of its members. Members of the social ...

Research Paper

Introduction
The social world is as complex as the physical world. Due to such complexity, sociologists have made considerable efforts to explain various social phenomena through different sociological theories. One of the major sociological theories is functionalism, which has its origins in the works of Herbert Spencer and Emile Durkheim. The functionalist theory explains how societies survive and maintain social stability. It also explores dysfunctional events like suicide. This paper argues that functionalism can provide a reasonable and accurate explanation of the phenomenon of suicide since social factors, like excessive social cohesion or the lack of it and extreme ...

Sociology theories in the contemporary society

Introduction
Looking into sociology, many theories have been developed by different authors all aiming at delivering some information about the society. Theories were developed mostly in attempt to explain certain social phenomena that is alive even today or existed for some time in the past but is still relevant in the contemporary society.
One of the theories that create impact from in this book is structural functionalism which has changed its name to structuralism though maintains a lot of the original content with minimal alteration. In this theory, sociologists argue that the different constituent cultures in a complex society ...

Gender does not exist in a vacuum; there are distinct differences between man and woman that rest from a variety of sources, whether they be biological or environmental. Social cues and norms established over thousands of years have also contributed heavily to the attitudes of men and women toward each other. In order to understand each other better, the reasons why we behave the way we do around the opposite sex must be examined.

The study of gender differences rests within many different sociological theories. Two, in particular, are structural functionalism and conflict theory; in structural functionalism, gender is seen as a ...

Conflict and Interactionism

Introduction
Discussion of health care institution
Discussion of theories
Theoretical applications
Conclusion
Abstract
In this research presentation sociological theories functionalism, conflict and interactionism with applications in the health care institution particularly in United States of America will be explored. Health care institutions across the world embrace interpretations of sickness, wellness, disease, medicine, nurse, nursing, healing, well-being and many other issues, which analysts find difficulty to classify within the science. Many irregularities are occurring within health care institutions across American under managed care typology producing immense conflict and citizens are taking an Interactionist approach ...

The argument between functionalists and those who subscribe to the Universal Grammar model falls within the great scientific tradition of “nature versus nurture.” It is, perhaps, an unavoidable discursive construct, one that usefully and practically frames the debate over how second language acquisition is facilitated by the human brain. There is uniformity to language itself but the individual experience of each person who comes to understand and learn a second language may be seen as an organic and fluid phenomenon. Does the acquisition of a second language take place through the filter of personal experience, or does it fall into place ...

Part A: Social Issues vs Social Problems

Human beings are social and there are problems which affect them at a community setting. Social problems are conditions present in a community which some people in the community view as undesirable. A condition may be a social problem to a certain demographic group but be socially acceptable to another group. For instance, senior citizens may consider playing loud music in a neighborhood park to be a social problem while teenagers view it as perfectly acceptable. Common social problems include Corruption, Unemployment, illegal immigration and prostitution laws. On the other hand, social issues are factors which affect the social cohesion of a community and require a community ...

INTRODUCTION

Society is typically divided into units of families; this social institution is meant to allow parents to raise children in the way they wish, imposing values and discipline upon the children and prepare them for the outside world. As the decades go by and the nature of society changes, families must change as well. There are many sociological theories by which to examine the role of families in society, and the roles of individuals within that family, but some lenses fit better than others. In this essay, we will look at the social institution of family through a functionalist, conflict, ...

The mind and body problem has originated with Rene Descartes. The function of the mind is to think while the body occupies space. The mind as a thinking matter and the body is the extended matter, respectively. There are two ways between the two distinct types of matter; certainly, the mind affects the body through action and the body affects the mind through perception. In information philosophy, the mind is viewed as immaterial information in the brain, an information processor biologically. For example, the hardware is the brain and mind is the software. It implies that the mind is pure ...

Sociology is the analysis of human behavior and social phenomena mainly conducted through research. It covers themes ranging from religion, law, culture to social class. Family is the basic unit in society, carrying out the most important functions and its members are closely related through blood, ancestry, adoption or the marriage bond. The family can either be nuclear or extended and the members are interdependent on different levels. Sociology is keen on family issues such as childbearing and upbringing.
Feminists and Marxists have often argued against the notion that the family is a beneficial institution to society, citing negative ...

The US economy faces challenges of inequality with a big wealth and pay difference between the rich and the poor. This disparity is also experienced between the blacks and the whites, with most whites belonging to the upper economic classes, while the blacks belong to the poor economic classes. Inequality in the Unites States is the highest when compared to other countries which are on the same economic level such as the UK (Desilver, 2014). There is a wide gap between the rich and the poor in the United States. These facts have a significant impact on the health, ...

Introduction

Poverty refers to the condition in which a person lacks basic needs such as adequate food, clothing and shelter. According to the United States Census Bureau, “if a family's total income is less than the family's threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty” (U.S. Census Bureau). Poverty is a constant issue and has increased in recent years. In India—my home country—there is 29.8% of people living below the poverty line. The poverty line is determined by the Census Bureau, which calculates the percentage by using a set of money incomes which ...

People Who Cannot Afford a Visit to the ED

The Canada health care system is funded by the public. This is contrary to other health care systems that are government-funded. According to the Canada Health Act (1984) it is the right of each insured individual to receive insured services.

According to the Canadian health care plan, the average health care cost per an emergency room visit is estimated at over $1000 (Eaves, 2010). The Canadian emergency department charges a lot of money to the persons admitted. The insured individuals are lucky since the insurance can take care of these charges. However, the people without an insurance cover have to ...

General Context

The outbreak of the civil war in Syria in March 2011 resulted in the migration of an estimated 9 million Syrians who fled from their homes and sought refuge within their country and in neighboring countries. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 3 million Syrians have fled to the immediate neighbors including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. This means that about one-quarter of the population has been displaced from the country. An additional 6.5 million are internally displaced within the country. Over the last two years, the migration of these refugees has worsened ...

Introduction

One of the definitions of terrorism is use of unexpected, unlawful, and shocking violence against noncombatants or any other targets by members of a secret group or agents for the purpose of making public a political or religious agenda and /or coercing or intimidating a government or civil group into giving in to the demands that are inline with their agenda (Hudson, Mageska, Savada and Metz 1999).
The theoretical literature on the study of terrorism has not received the full attention of sociologist. However, in three decades, the subject is increasingly gaining attention following increased acts of terrorism across the world.
...

Sociologists of Religion and their Thoughts

Sociology of religion is considered as the study of values, practices, beliefs, religion’s organizational forms utilizing the methods and tools of the disciplines and principles of sociology(Dillon, 2003).. The major investigation however may include exploitation of both the quantitative methods such as polls, surveys, census and demographic analysis as well as qualitative techniques such as observation, archival analysis, participation, documentary and historical material (Berzano & Riis, 2012).Sociologists associated with religious studied however study each aspect of the religion such as how a person is supposed and believed to act in the worship and his actions when he/she ...

It is of paramount importance to first distinguish between gender and sex. Gender is basically that inner feeling of being either male or female, while sex can be defined as the groupings of species of living things in two categories that are often perceived to be genetically or biologically composed. In nearly every social phenomenal, gender differences are seen to exist from the time of birth where gender expectations could in a major way influence girls and boy's treatment. Psychologists say that gender expectations could somewhat commence before birth with the expected baby’s parents, friends and relatives picking out ...

The episode selected for analysis is the third episode of the first season of the Prison Break TV show. The episode exhibits many issues such as functionalism and social dynamics. The episode starts with Sucre walking up to Lincoln’s hotel room to request for money that he needs to try to reconstruct his life. He has lost the hopes of ever returning to the United States. The way he rubs his hands together as he makes the request illustrates some symbolic interaction, hinting that he is in need and will be grateful for Lincoln’s help. Lincoln informed ...

Rape is defined as a crime involving one person having sexual intercourse with another person without prior consent, which has most recently applied to male victims, but usually involves physical force or deception to get the victim to submit or become subdued. There are seven theories which describe and define deviant behavior including social control, functionalism, anomie, social disorganization, strain theory, critical theory, and stigma theory. It seems most likely the social control theory can better explain why rapists participate in their form of deviant behavior. This paper will analyze various articles discussing theories related to rapist behavior.
The ...

Abstract

In sociology there are three main sociological paradigms that are used to view society and the world as a whole. Paradigms are ways of looking at the world and they are theoretical in nature because they have principles or propositions that are designated to answer a phenomenon. These sociological paradigms can help in explaining and predicting the sociological world. The three include the functionalist paradigm, conflict paradigm as well as the symbolic interactionist paradigm. Each of these paradigms independently offers explanations as to why things happen the way they do and human behavior as well. They focus on the ...

Introduction

One of the major occupations of students studying crimes is to understand how criminal behaviors come about and why individuals are induced in engaging in deviant or criminal behaviors. Theories on crime and delinquency primarily explores this question to get a better understanding of individuals and society at large. Theorists drew from different fields of sciences such as sociology, psychology and biology, to find answers in uncovering individual motivations and structural inducement.
One such theory that draws not only from sociology, but also from psychology, is the strain theory of Agnew. This paper provides a detailed discussion on the ...

Analysis of alcohol abuse from sociological perspective

Annotated Bibliography
Kissin, B. (1983). The biology of alcoholism, Volume 6: The pathogenesis of alcoholism psychosocial factors. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
The book of Benjamin Kissin (1983) examines the natural history of alcoholism. The author defines the reasons and factor that cause or can lead to the alcoholism. There are various factors that can contribute to the contemporary social issue, such as “moral turpitude, willfulness, and role modeling, urbanization, environmental, stress, oral personality, genetic predisposition, and biochemical defects. The source will be very valuable since it makes the connection between the poverty and alcoholism. causes of the alcoholism ...

Wilkerson uncovers the very deep-rooted realities of why racism still exists and never dies. Slavery exists because the caste system is the core system of the United States. White becomes the standard race. Blacks, Latino, Asians, any other people of color are below the white race.

Caste is a "fix and rigid" (Wilkerson 16) foundation of the race that is invisible but always present. It is the very root of racism in the United States. Wilkerson carefully defined the types and causes of the caste system, why it is the root of racism. Slavery of blacks becomes the example ...

Introduction

Low socioeconomic status (SES) has been considered one of the key determinants of criminal behavior. Family-level SES is usually determined by measuring income, education level, and occupation, but SES is a multilevel concept that applies to both family and community levels (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). Families with low SES will more likely live in neighborhoods with low community-level SES, which limits the children’s educational opportunities and increases their exposure to violence (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). Consequently, the children will identify themselves with the community and adopt its patterns of violent behavior.
The influence of both family-level and community-level SES is ...

Section one

Nursing is one of the oldest professions that individuals have pursued over time. The evolution and development of nursing are intricately connected to the many historical developments over time. It is only through the study of the history of nursing that we are able to comprehend the issues and societal forces that have confronted the profession over time. This study also has a major role in helping the nurses to be appreciative of the profession and the role that nursing has played over time. In many societies, the decision as to who would become a nurse or caregiver was made even ...

Abstract

This paper will discuss psychology as a science and other relevant topics under it. Although this is only a brief discussion about the whole subject itself, it envisions to open a broader perspective in taking the subject on a much lighter approach. Furthermore, this paper will tackle about the historical background of psychology and the importance of studying psychology. The topics included herein are made to be brief, concise and laid in simple explanations for better understanding of the subject. Psychology is one of the most difficult courses to be studied since it is a systematic way of arranging logical thoughts supported with scientific ...

Information systems (ICT)

Structuration Theory
Structuration theory was developed by Anthony Giddens in 1979 and is highly influential in sociology and social sciences. This theory has received considerable attention in the Information Systems (IS) field. This theory attempts to supersede any deficiencies by presenting how social structures are both constituted by human agency and at the same time, the very medium of this constitution. This is what is referred to as the duality of structure, where the central concept of Gidden’s theory attempts to avoid a dualism of agency and structure. He stressed that in order to question the structuration of ...

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who used his grandfather’s surname and reinvented himself as Le Corbusier, was born on October 6, 1887 (“Le Corbusier: Biography,” 2013). He was considered as one of the pioneers of the modernist movement in architecture. He was also a designer, writer, urbanist, and painter. Le Corbusier was born in Switzerland and he changed his citizenship into French in 1930 (“Le Corbusier: Biography,” 2013). His architecture career reached fifty years and his buildings and designs were all over Europe, India, and the United States (Sharp, 2002). He initiated the study of modern high design and he was a ...

Sociology refers to the study of people living in groups as well as any other form of social formation that has been organized in a systematic manner. According to the Complete A-Z Sociology handbook, sociology as a study provides a clear picture into the functioning of society. The study focuses on the human social life and the mannerisms of humans in groups. The study also focuses on the rules that govern these social set ups which are factors that bind and separate the humans at both the individual level as well as at a global level (Johnson, p.15, 1966).

Sociological imagination is a fundamental ...