Sociological Perspectives: Structural Functionalist, Social Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interactionist

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Sociological Theories
Sociological Theories helps us to view the social world at a different perspective so that
we can be able to predict what happens in our lives. There are three major theories that explain
the sociological perspective; the Structural Functionalist, the Social Conflict Theory and the
Symbolic Interactionist. These three perspectives provide the sociologist with theoretical models
on how to explain the relationship between the society and the people and vice. The three
perspective theories focuses on the society, social forces and human behavior as follows:
structural functionalist analyses the how society functions by focusing on the relationship
between social institutions and society, social conflict theory focuses on the existing inequality
between the rich and the poor while symbolic interactionist discusses the way people interact.
The main focus of the easy therefore is to show the similarities and differences in the three
sociological theories and how they relate to the society.
The perspective of structural functionalist revolves mostly in Herbert Spencer, Emile
Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merto. This theory claims that society is united by
cohesion and each member work together to bring out the best results for the society they live in.
For instance, family is responsible for reproduction, nurturing and creating a social life for
children; education offers skills through learning programs; politics brings about governance by
forming government while religion brings about morals in the society through worship of a high

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being ( Subedi 3). Therefore, structural functionalism is founded through institutions in the
society that works to maintain balance within the society.
On the other hand, the theory of social conflict in sociology revolves around the
inequality in the society through class struggles according to Karl Marx. Marx is considered the
founding father of the social conflict theory (Gerber and Macionos 15). The theory presents
society in a different perception from that of functionalism theory and symbolic interactionist
(Khaldun 7). According to Marx, not only does conflict bring change into the existing social
classes’ lords but it brings change into the entire social structure in the society (Paul and George
2). This theory therefore focuses on a negative society due to conflicts. Unlike the functionalism
theory that advocates for satus quo, the conflict theory is against it and it states that the rich and
powerful should rule over the poor and weak.
The symbolic interactionist theory also referred to as the symbolic interactionalism
focuses mainly on the meaning of symbols and the way people interact amongst themselves. This
theory relies mainly on the model of communication. Some of the earliest philosophers
associated with the interactionalism theory include Max Weber, George Homans and Peter Blau.
This theory views society as the end product from interactions among the different individuals
using symbolic communications (Billingham 336). Criticism has arisen that the theory deals with
particular events happening at that moment thus forgetting about the socio-historical structures of
the society (LaRossa and Donald 142).