Sociological Perspectives Writing Assignment

Melissa Corduan

The functionalist paradigm is a macro level of analysis which sees society as one that works

together to benefit the whole. Within this society, all members contribute, though some may be

more beneficial to the whole than others. Functionalists believe that dysfunctional members of

society will, in time, be either pushed away or found to have a hidden benefit. A family is a good

example of a functionalist paradigm because it works in a similar way. My childhood family

contained a mom and a dad with four daughters and one son. Though my parents had more

influence in the family, each of the children contributed in some way, through chores, taking care

of the youngest, or by being friends to each other. We all worked together to benefit the family as

a whole. As a teen, I became the dysfunctional member of the family. At the time, it seemed as

though I was of no benefit to the group as a whole, however, my rebellion eventually led to my

mothers realization of her passion for working with alcoholics, and her change of career.

Ultimately, my life experiences led me to being a contributing member of society, as well as a

good wife and mother in my new family.

The conflict paradigm, which is also a macro level of analysis, focuses on how the more

powerful members of society, or those who are in charge of key resources, affect the social order.

The variety of struggle and hardships faced by a culture shapes that cultures members. The

workforce is an example of the conflict perspective. Large companies hold the majority of jobs

available in the United States, and have the power to employ who they chose. Within that group

of potential employees, some have had the financial privilege of going to college and earning a

degree, while others lacked the same opportunity, leaving them with little to no chance of
acquiring much needed employment. Within this model, we see the difficulty of the less

fortunate. Those who are born into money will keep it, and those who are not are unlikely to get

much of it.

Unlike the other two, the interactionist paradigm is a micro level of analysis, and focuses on the

individual relationships and interactions that form our society as a whole. The view of this

perspective is that society is shaped by the everyday interactions of its members. An example of

this perspective would be an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The interactions between members

will shape the community of people. If one member expresses doubt of the benefit of being

sober, or comes back to the group after a relapse, the group as a whole is affected. If members of

the group come to a disagreement about the purpose or structure of the meetings, that interaction

has the potential to pull the group apart. Likewise, positive interactions within the AA

community have beneficial outcomes for all members.