Theories Of Sociology Functionalism And Marxism Essay

This essay will aim to outline and criticise two critical theories of sociology: Functionalism and Marxism; while exploring their approach towards education in society. As a result, reaching a conclusion that is able to suggest and explain which of these perspectives offers the most accurate analysis of this area. First emerging in the nineteenth-century Europe, the Functionalist approach is a variant of Structuralism and was heavily influenced by Emile Durkheim (Haralambos Holborn, 2008, pp. 8-9). Functionalism takes a macro perspective and argues that society contains a ‘Social System’ in other words, society is an organised structure of a number of indispensable inter-related parts called institutions such as, education; each of these institutions have a useful function and purpose within society (Livesey, 2014). A change in production, disruption or co-ordination will force the others to adapt to maintain a stable society. Due to functionalists believing that everyone is socialised into the value consensus , everyone shares the same norms and values. This helps the institutions of society to run together harmoniously, smoothly and creates a social structure (CGP Books, 2016). Proposed by Herbert Spencer, functionalists often use the ‘Organic Analogy’ to descri be their approach. In which, the human body metaphorically represent society as a whole, while the organs represent the institutions within it. If one organ fails the whole human body fails, much as if oneShow MoreRelatedDiscuss Marxism and Functuionalism and Compare1133 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast Functionalist and Marxist Perspectives Sociology is a systematic way of studying the social world. It seeks to discover the causes and affects of intercommunication and interaction that arise in social relations. The science of society was developed as a discipline in the 19th Century by Auguste Compte, a French philosopher. 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In the early twentieth century, Emile Durkheim along with the help of Talcott Parsons established the basis of the functionalist theory; known as the oldest yet still prominent theoretical perspective in sociology. â€Å"Functionalism can be summed up with one simple premise the world is a system of interrelated parts, and each part makes a necessary contribution to the vitality of the system†(Functionalist Perspective of Sociology). Functionalists