How do the two perspectives explain what's going on in the situation differently?

Watch the Modern Family clip " All our Junk is Out" that illuminates a contemporary family conflict. Look at the situation from both a structural-functionalist perspective and a conflict perspective.

Structural-Functionalism

• Core Idea: This perspective views society as a complex system with interconnected parts that work together to maintain stability and order. It's like a living organism where each organ has a vital role.
• Key Concepts:
  • Social Structures: These are stable patterns of social behavior that govern social relationships (e.g., family, education, religion).
  • Functions: Every part of society serves a specific function to maintain the overall stability of the system.
    • Manifest Functions: The intended and recognized consequences of a social pattern.
    • Latent Functions: The unintended and unrecognized consequences of a social pattern.
  • Dysfunctions: Aspects of society that disrupt the social order.
• Strengths:
  • Provides a broad framework for understanding how societies function.
  • Emphasizes the importance of social order and stability.
• Weaknesses:
  • Can be overly focused on maintaining the status quo and may downplay social inequality and conflict.
  • May struggle to explain social change and rapid societal transformations.

Conflict Perspective

• Core Idea: This perspective emphasizes the inherent power struggles and inequalities that exist within society. It sees social change as driven by conflict and competition for resources.
• Key Concepts:
  • Inequality: Society is characterized by unequal distribution of power, wealth, and resources among different groups.
  • Social Stratification: The hierarchical arrangement of groups within society based on factors like class, race, and gender.
  • Conflict: Social change arises from the struggles between different groups with competing interests.
• Strengths:
  • Draws attention to the importance of power, inequality, and social change.
  • Helps explain social movements and revolutions.
• Weaknesses:
  • May overly emphasize conflict and neglect the potential for cooperation and consensus.
  • Can sometimes downplay the importance of shared values and social order.

In Summary

• Structural-functionalism focuses on order, stability, and the interconnectedness of social parts.
• Conflict theory focuses on inequality, power struggles, and social change driven by conflict.