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Explain The Four Paradigms Of American Society

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Paradigms of American Society The four major paradigms, or theoretical perspectives, dominating American sociological thinking are a) functionalism and the systems paradigm, b) interactionism and the conduct paradigm, c) critical theory and the conflict paradigm, and d) exchange theory and ecological perspective (Straus, 2002). The functionalism and the systems paradigm states that the properties of a society are based on the interrelatedness of its members and not on the individual characteristics of the members themselves. The interactionism and the conduct paradigm states that people interact with one another in determining their realities. The critical theory and the conflict paradigm states that social conditions are influenced through group conflicts. The exchange theory and ecological perspective states that social conditions are influenced through interpersonal and intergroup transactions. Thus, all four paradigms dominate contemporary American sociology, they all involve the interaction between society’s members, and they all help make practical sense of everyday life. The Functionalism and the Systems Paradigm The functionalism and the systems paradigm states that society has functional needs and that the form of society will change to meet those needs …show more content…

On the one hand, conflict can be destructive and can escalate into social disputes. On the other hand, conflict can promote social cohesiveness through problem resolution. According to this paradigm, conflict is a fact of social life and the manner in which it is handled will influence social relationships. Furthermore, this perspective challenges the functionalism and the systems paradigm by claiming that there is nothing natural or necessary about economic

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Conflicts are challenges faced by people, which in turn helps them to succeed in their lives. In the novel The First Stone by Don Aker, Chad Kennedy faces different types of conflict that lead to positive personal growth. Chad was unable to cope with the death of his grandmother. His depression and anxiety led him to be unkind towards others.

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Finally, the three sociological perspectives can be seen. Functionalist can be observed in the way

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In sociology, there are three theoretical perspectives; symbolic interactionism, functional analysis and conflict theory. The major point of symbolic interactionism is to use symbols to help understand how we as a society view the world, and how we communicate with one another. In functional analysis, the major point is to look at society as a whole, constructed of various parts, or groups, that all have their own function. Lastly, conflict theory is the opposite of functional analysis. In this perspective, society is viewed as different groups, each competing for power, or dominance.

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Looking at society as a whole with individual units that work together to make society function efficiently is the structural functionalism concept. Each unit has a part and is describe as institutions such as family, religion, education, politics, economy and inequality. Because structural functionalism looks at social structure and patterns of behavior it is able to create values for society. As well as, distinguish between visible and suppressed problems within the social structures that may need to be addressed. For instance, homelessness is indication of dysfunction in structural functionalism system.

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Abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy by removing or taking out the fetus or embryo from the uterus prematurely or before it is ready for birth. There are two major forms of abortion: spontaneous, which is often referred to as a miscarriage and as the name suggests is unintentional or the purposeful abortion, which is most often abortion induced by medication or other such ways. The term abortion is commonly used to refer to the induced abortion, and this is the particular abortion, which has been filled with controversy. In developed nations, induced abortions are the most dependable and trustworthy form of medical procedures in medicine if it is performed under the auspices of the local law. Thus, abortions are possibly the most

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Functionalism Functionalism emphasizes how social structures maintain or undermine social stability in macrostructures (Brym,

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It is in observing how people deal with and react to conflicts that we see clear differences between cultures. Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In the United States, conflict is not usually desirable; nonetheless, conventional wisdom in this country encourages individuals to deal directly with conflicts when they do arise. In fact, face-to-face encounters are usually suggested as the way to work through whatever problems exist. By contrast, in many Asian countries, open conflict is experienced as embarrassing or demeaning.

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Functionalism and The Bee Movie Amari Wilburn-Jones Introduction to Sociology February 16,2018 In the field of Sociology sociologist often view society from three major theoretical perspectives: symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. Each theories/perspective is a way to view how parts of the world fit together and work. In this paper I will be analyzing The Bee Movie from the functional analysis perspective to see how the actions of people within a society can help or hinder the society as a whole.

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This divides sociology into four fairly distinct paradigm clusters. There is internal consistency under each paradigm, in terms of assumptions about individuals, groups, societies, goals of study and accepted forms of evidence. However, each cluster neglects, excludes or opposes some the insights generated under other paradigms. A ? Functionalist (Regulation-Objective): Societies are the coming together of populations with shared civic values who establish social order which on the whole benefits everybody.

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It has its origins in the works of Emile Durkheim, who was especially interested in how social order is possible or how society remains relatively stable. As such, it is a theory that focuses on the macro-level of social structure, rather than the micro-level of everyday life. Notable theorists include Herbert Spencer, Talcott Parsons, and Robert K. Merton. Functionalism interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole

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A individual use of conflict should be used by many strategies impacted by the culture of the organization or institution but also by the personal beliefs and values. “The variables surrounding the conflict must be examined to understand and alter the choice of a particular behavioral approach to conflict”(Thomas,1976). When deciding the choice of outcome of a problem you should examine the facts and stay away from the assumptions. When managing conflicts, strategies should be utilized and reviewed so that the conflict can come to an collective solution. Some strategies to obtain during a conflict is the first strategy which is understanding that rushing to end the conflict will cause you to not be able to gather the appropriate information.

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In, Thinking About Sociology: A Critical Introduction (pp.364-387, 342-361). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. Anderson, K. (2012). The Functionalist Perspective.

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Conflict resolution as a field of study as indicated has formed hypothetical bits of knowledge into the nature and source of conflict and how conflicts can be resolved through peaceful systems to effectuate a dependable settlement. Morton Deutsch, was the first to form and understanding into the helpful results of collaboration as a scholastic enquiry. In his view, various variables like the way of the debate and the objectives every group in a conflict goes for are crucial in deciding the sort of introduction a group would convey to the negotiation table in its endeavor to unravel the conflict (Morton Deucth, 1985, p.24). To him, two essential orientations do exist. These are competitive and cooperative.

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In other words, functionalists like Durkheim believed that for a society to survive, its various social processes must come together to meet the system’s needs. Functionalists implement Durkheim’s outlook of a unified social scheme with various elements having a function within

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Emile Durkheim developed a theory called functionalism, which explained how the individual and society were related and how society changed over time. According to functionalism, society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole. Durkheim believed that society should be analyzed and described in terms of functions. Society is a system of interrelated parts where no one part can function without the other. These parts make up the entirety of society and therefore, if one part changes, society is impacted.

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