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Confict/Functionalist Theories

  KARL MARX EMILEDURKHEIM

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CONFLICT THEORY

• Begins with Marx an his anal!sis o"histor!

•  Thesis/antithesis # struggle $confict%

• &!nthesis # a new orer is 'rouce(ecause o" the struggle (etween theclasses

• )ll o" histor! can (e unerstoo inthis wa!

•  Three stages o" histor!* "eualis+,ca'italis+ - socialis+ $it was an

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)lwa!s a struggle

•  The materialist .iew o" histor! # the+ost i+'ortant eter+inant o" social li"eis the wor1 'eo'le are oing, es'eciall!

wor1 that results in 'ro.ision o" the basicnecessities of life, food, clothing andshelter2

• Marx thought that the wa the wor! issociall organi"ed an the technolog#sed in $rod#ction will ha.e a strongi+'act on e.er! other as'ect o" societ!2

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3ower#ownershi'

• He +aintaine that e.er!thing o" .alue insociet! results "ro+ h#man labo#r2

 Thus, Marx saw wor1ing +en an wo+en asengage in +a1ing societ!, in creating theconitions "or their own existence2

• E.er! 'art o" hu+an histor! an existence +ust(e unerstoo through the lens o"social/econo+ic theor!

• )ll relationshi's are (ase on confict/struggle

• 4ho has the 'ower5 4ho wants it5 4ho ownsthe resources5

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Onl! 6 institution* 'ri.ate'ro'ert!

•  The central institution o" ca'italist societ!is $ri%ate $ro$ert, the s!ste+ (!which ca$ital $that is, +one!, +achines,

tools, "actories, an other +aterial o(7ectsuse in 'rouction% is controlle (! a s+all+inorit! o" the 'o'ulation2 This leas to twoo''ose classes, the owners o" ca'ital

$calle the bo#rgeoisie% an the wor1ers$calle the $roletariat%, whose onl! 'ro'ert!is their own la(our ti+e, which the! ha.e tosell to the ca'italists2

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• Econo+ic ex'loitation leas irectl!to 'olitical o$$ression, as owners+a1e use o" their econo+ic 'ower to

gain control o" the state an turn itinto a ser.ant o" (ourgeois econo+icinterests2 &olice $ower, "or

instance, is use to en"orce 'ro'ert!rights an guarantee un"air contracts(etween ca'italist an wor1er2

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Confict theor! 8 +arriage

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 The Marriage &ca+

• 699:

• Built on Marx;s ieas

•

Monoga+! is an in.ention to controlsexual re'rouction

• Marriage is a social construct toguarantee 'ri.ate 'ro'ert! to(iological chilren

• Conclusion* +arriage is ex'loitationo" wo+en

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O''ression is e.er!where

•  The econo+ic structure o" societ!+ouls the s#$erstr#ct#re,incluing ieas $e2g2, +oralit!,

ieologies, art, an literature% anthe social institutions that su''ortthe class structure o" societ! $e2g2,

the state, the eucational s!ste+,the "a+il!, an religious institutions%2

• 4hat o !ou thin15 Is school

o''ressi.e5

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Confict theor! - 'ri.ateschools

•  Because the o+inant or r#ling class $the(ourgeoisie% controls the social relations o"'rouction, the o+inant ideolog in

ca'italist societ! is that o" the ruling class2• Ieolog! an social institutions, in turn,

ser.e to re$rod#ce an 'er'etuate theecono+ic class structure2

•

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Functionalist theor! /c +etho$sociologists +ust (eo(7ecti.e - without(ias%

• ?= institutions "ul>ll(asic hu+an nees anall grou's 'la! a role inachie.ing e'#ilibri#m

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Balance, e@uili(riu+,sta(ilit!

• Ae! wors "or "unctionalis+

•  Thin1 o" an! s!ste+ that +ust co=orinate its 'arts "or sur.i.al $(o! -organs%

• ) social s!ste+ with nees that +ust(e +et

• 4hen change in one grou' ha''ens,other grou's +ust a7ust, aa't,res'on222to acco++oate "or the

change, >ning the e@uili(riu+ again

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) societ! is

• ) s!ste+ o" inter=relate 'arts

• ) change in one aDects the others

•

Most changes are the result o"e.olution or natural 'rogression o"ieas an social change

•

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 The social sel" 

• Functionalis+ unerstans the ini.iual to(e a 'rouct o" social "orces in theen.iron+ent

•

)l+ost 'u''et=li1e $has (een the criticis+%•  The ini.iuals 'lace in the social structure

will eter+ine their actions

• Internalie social ex'ectations an act

accoringl! in orer to satis"! the nees o"the grou'

• &ocial control +a! (e ex'licit or i+'licit

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• Functionalist want to 3REc +etho

• &hare .alues $soliarit!% is 1e! togrou' cohesi.eness

• Exa+'le* laws, rules, constitutionsare an ex'licit ex'ression o" su're+e.alues $7ustice, "reeo+% that are

hel in co++on (! a grou'/societ!

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• Functionalis+ is a macro a''roach tostu!ing societ!G it e>nes societ! asa sstem of interrelated $arts-

•  ) goo +eta'hor is the (o! with itsinterrelate organs that all wor1together to 'rouce the state o"

health o" the 'erson2 It has (uilt in+echanis+s that +aintain stasis or(alance2 $&weating, shi.ering, etc2%

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•  In societ!, when things ha''en to'ro.o1e change or throw it oD 1ilter,other +echanis+s co+e into 'la! to

hel' (ring (ac1 to a (alance2&o+eti+es this new (alance is slow

change, in the case o" 'eo'les

.alues changing "aster than the lawsor the other wa! aroun2 4hatexa+'les can !ou thin1 o" to 'ro.e

this theor!5

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Confict 8 Functionalist