The theory of Structural Functionalism was influenced by the views of August Comte, Herbert Spencer and Emile Durkheim. Durkheim’s view being regardless of how they develop, all societies evolve whether they are simple because each individual think and does the same or complex due to complicated technological development and division of labor.
Overall, Durkheim’s views expressed how specialized societies are all interrelated and depend on each other for different divisions of labor while relying on solidarity to be stable and remain a structural functionalism.
August Comte’s views influenced structural functionalism by explaining his findings he believed are the three stages of society that are based upon positive facts under a more scientific approach.
Comte’s belief of society operating according to its own laws was influenced by the use of social order according to each three stages -also known as theological, metaphysical, and scientific- and social structure by expressing how each stage depends on each other to be overall functional.
Herbert Spencer’s views influenced a little differently by comparing society to the structural parts within the human body, how they in the end work together to preserve society but at the same time have their own parts and responsibilities- referencing to more of a functional interdependence in the structural functionalism theory.
Structural functionalism typically assumes society as an orderly unit, that all elements tend to be related and each of those related elements have their own function as well as valuing overall agreement. The main argument of this specific paradigm is that society is a structure of independent parts that continue the attempt towards equilibrium.
The way this model looks at the side of society that is stable happens to be one of its strengths, in contrast the view of society given off as conservative and the neglecting analysis of social conflict tends to be one of its weaknesses.
Which these strengths and weaknesses leave the questions of what contains societies own equilibrium? And how is society held together or what makes society stay together?
Conflict theory has an arena of assumptions such as change is everywhere, society is a unit of unequal parts and elements, there are benefits and constraints varying among elements and each element contributes to conflict in some sort of way.
The main argument of this theory is that society is an arena of conflict due to change and inequality; which leads into one of its strengths being how conflict looks at inequality.
On the other hand, conflict theory’s shared values and interdependence being neglected, and the way this theory offers a radical view of society while questioning scientific objectivity is a prime example of its weaknesses.
Leaving the questions of how does society divide a population? And how to advantaged and disadvantaged people protect their privileges and challenge the system seeking changes?
Symbolic interaction expresses its main argument as society being the product of everyday individual’s interactions. Assuming that people define reality on the basis of symbols containing shared meanings, these people also tend to define situations in a varying way not to mention that interactions change and are unequal.
Symbolic interaction stressing society as the experience of individuals is one of its strengths while neglecting the influence of other larger social structures is one of its weaknesses.
Which leaves the questions of how do people shape the reality they experience? How do behavior and meaning change from person to person differing in situations? And how do people experience society?
Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim and Herbert Spencer were the main thinkers identified with Structural Functionalism.
Comte contributed to this theory by demonstrating the need to keep society unified during a particular time when many traditions were crumbling, Durkheim contributed the concept that the main understanding to the structural functionalism approach is that deviance is a necessary part of social organization, finally Spencer contributed the idea that social structures work together to preserve society.
Karl Marx is the main thinker associated with the Social Conflict theory. Marx contributed the explanation between the progress of humans using the struggle of classes in socioeconomic terms, his break down of capitalism and the imperfections it created as well as his prediction of a communist society.
Max Weber is associated as the main thinker in the Symbolic Interaction approach due to his emphasis on the importance of studying and comprehending a s setting from the subjects involved points of view.
Structural functionalism argues that society is a structure of interdependent parts moving toward each other, Conflict Theory counteracts that by arguing that society is not moving toward an equilibrium, instead it is consisted of an overall conflict caused by inequality and change.
The Symbolic Interaction argument is on a different path suggesting that society is the product of individuals everyday interactions.
Their strengths may tend to differ on terms of Structural Functionalism looking at the stable side of society, while Conflict looks at inequality in society and Symbolic Interaction focusing on how society is the product of the experience of individuals.
On the other hand, all theories weaknesses tend to relate on some terms of each having a tendency to neglect. Structural Functionalism neglects the analysis of social conflict, Conflict Theory neglects shared values and interdependence, and Symbolic Interaction neglects the influence of larger structures.
Regarding each paradigms assumption, Conflict Theory’s speculation of society being a component of unequal parts is somewhat similar in the sense of Symbolic Interaction assumptions of inequality as well but in their case, it’s the interactions that perceive as unequal.
All three paradigms research questions ask and address different issues specific to their own theory causing them to differ from each other.
Structural Functionalism asks what makes society stay together and how is it held together, Conflict Theory’s research question asks how is societies population divided, and Symbolic Interaction questions how people shape the reality they experience.
Structural functionalism and conflict paradigms are similar because they are both macro-perspectives, they both offer and evolutionary image of society and neither theory offers a complete or better view of society; instead they offer a more partial biased image of society.
But they tend to differ because structural functionalism stresses order in society while conflict paradigm emphasizes change in society.
Also, structural functionalism offers a conservative view of society by expressing the conditions of inequality are necessary to maximize functionality while conflict has a more radical approach for social change supported by Marxist idea of revolution being the means to abolish the status quo of inequality and conflict.
Conflict and consensus are not mutually exclusive as suggested by theories because there are few points made that relate some theories together for instance how Conflict and Structural Functionalism both see the elements of society related or contributing together in some sort of way.
