Freshman Year In The Eyes Of A Conflict Theorist Vs A Functionalist

Ryan English

SOC 1

Dr. Stabler

3 May 2023

Freshman Year in the Eyes of a Conflict Theorist vs. a Functionalist

Freshman year of college is a unique experience for every student. There are a wide range of socio-economic factors that contribute to every student’s individual experiences that directly affect the course of their first year of higher education. College has often been referred to as a breeding ground for mental stress, social overload, and a place that truly highlights income inequality in the United States. When discussing how sociological factors affect a student’s freshman experience, it is important to look at multiple perspectives in order to truly grasp how society affects students. These two perspectives are often seen as

This is not a unique or special occurrence within my friendship circle, as we spend large amounts of time together daily. From closest to furthest, there is Nate, EJ, and Jake with the single leg being from my friend Jameson. This is not an uncommon occurrence as we often hangout and find ourselves interacting and talking about our days or simply discuss random topics. In college, students often find themselves within a particular group, or multiple groups. These groups allow for an individual to create meaningful connections as they are separated from their friends and family back home. Humans require human interaction and feel the need to fit in. Forming groups of individuals to interact with on a smaller scale represents a microcosm. This, in turn allows for an individual to “escape” the gloomy larger society. This microcosm also allows for myself and others to form social solidarity, or the cohesive social bond that holds people together, between friends or

They would argue that by coming together to interact, the individuals are forming companionship in order to garner emotional stability and potentially reinforce social norms and values. This leads to an individual, myself in this case, creating a sense of belonging within society through the use of small-scale social interactions. However, a conflict theorist would have a much different view. A conflict theorist would see this interaction as a way of reinforcing the already existing social inequality. They would emphasize the idea that those with greater “resources” are able to build stronger social connections and for a more impactful social identity, and therefore strengthen the divide between classes. This would then promote the social hierarchy that exists within the group and strengthen the divide between the classes in that hierarchy. This can be seen within the photo based on where everyone is sitting. My two closest friends, Jameson and Jake, are sitting on my bed, while EJ, who I was not as close with at the time, is using a chair. So, while a conflict theorist may agree that social interactions are a basic human need, they would also argue that these social interactions serve to reinforce already existing inequality in