Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society essay
One of major sociological issues is social inequality. Social inequality occurs when resource distribution in the society varies for different social categories. Social inequality is driven by various patterns of inequality, the most common of them being racial inequality, gender inequality, ethnic inequality, health inequalities, etc. (Andersen and Taylor 325). In the context of globalization, it is even possible to identify global inequality related to unequal development of countries and geographical regions.
Sociology seeks to explain social phenomena by developing sociological theories and perspectives. The use of these perspectives allows to understand the roots and consequences of different social phenomena, to assess future evolution of these phenomena and to make predictions regarding social behaviors and social changes. Two prominent sociological perspectives applicable for macro-level analysis of social phenomena are functionalist theory and conflict theory (Carl et al. 74). The purpose of this paper is to consider the issue of gender inequality from the perspective of both theories, to compare and contrast the explanations of gender inequality provided by these theories.
Functionalism and conflict theory
Functionalist theory assumes that all aspects of society are interrelated and each aspect plays its own role in the society (Tischler 268). Furthermore, functionalists state that elements of the society are joined by social consensus and cooperate with the intention to benefit the whole society. It is possible to identify two forms of social solidarity in functionalism: organic and mechanical solidarity (Tischler 270). Mechanical solidarity emerges from common beliefs and values existing in the society. These values and beliefs lead to high social cohesion. At the same time, organic solidarity occurs when people in the society have different values and beliefs, but they are interdependent and linked by social institutions (Tischler 270). Close interaction and interdependence forms organic solidarity.
From the perspective of functionalism, social interactions are coherent, so that different parts of the society contribute to maintaining social equilibrium. Functionalist theory views the society from the macro perspective and focuses on the social level, perceiving it as a separate level of reality. This theory can be efficiently used to explain the functions and roles of different social groups and institutions, but the weakness of functionalist theory is its poor ability to explain social change, revolutions and conflicts.
Conflict theory also focuses on analyzing the macro level of the society, but it represents a totally different approach which contrasts with functionalism. According to conflict theory, the society is in the state of ongoing conflict for scarce resources (Shepard 277). Competition and conflict, according to this theory, are inherent both at the individual level (competition for money, entertainment, etc.) and at the level of social groups and formations, the inequalities between which are used in support of conflict theory (Shepard 278).
Key assumptions of conflict theory are the following (Shepard 279): resources in the society are scarce and human relationships are driven by competition for these resources rather than by consensus and cooperation; social inequalities are inherent in the society since social groups strive to increase their rewards and power; conflicts between individuals and social groups initiate social change. Conflict theory states that social changes are more often revolutionary than evolutionary, and that the normal state of the society is ongoing conflict (Shepard 280). This theory explains radical social changes and social inequalities; however, this theory does not explain the balance of societies and gradual changes taking place in stable societies.
Gender inequality
Gender inequality is one of major social issues both in the American society and in the world. This social issue affects different dimensions such as wealth, access to education, power and prestige, access to occupational opportunities, access to healthcare, etc. In 2013, the United States was rated 22nd in the world according to the level of gender equality (Mooney, Knox and Schacht 313). Gender inequality is expressed in treating women as inferior group in the society: even now women in the United States have lower incomes, are poorer represented in the professions viewed as masculine (e.g. mathematics and statistics, physics, engineering, etc.). American women are more likely to live below the poverty threshold or slightly above it and commonly hold less prestigious jobs compared to men (Mooney, Knox and Schacht 317).
Women more often become the victims of violent crimes and sexual abuse, both in the workplace and at home (Mooney, Knox and Schacht 321). In many aspects, social domination of men limits women’s access to social resources. At the same time, gender inequality also affects men because of stereotypical vision of success and higher achievement requirements compared to women. Men who choose “non-masculine” professions are criticized and commonly have reduced access to resources and power. Furthermore, males are expected to be aggressive and not to show vulnerabilities; as a result, suicide rates are 4 times higher among men than among women (Mooney, Knox and Schacht 322). Hence, although gender inequality is slightly reducing over time, this social issue is still one of the major problems affecting the society.
Functionalist view of gender inequality
According to functionalism, the differences in social functions of men and women were formed in the prehistoric times. Due to biological differences, women had to stay with children, protect them and perform functions that did not require going away from home (Andersen and Taylor 325). Men were responsible for hunting, getting food, protecting their tribes from enemies and wild animals, etc. Over time, this division of functions influenced the characteristics of men and women – women became more flexible, more likely to stay at home, less aggressive, while men became physically stronger, more enduring and more aggressive (Andersen and Taylor 327).
Functionalists further note that industrialization changed the social roles, so the need for such notable difference between male and female social functions declined. However, according to functionalist theory, social inequality is largely conditioned by the choices that women make in order to meet the demands of family and work.
Functionalists also admit that the traditional gender roles are no longer as functional as they were in the pre-industrial society, so the society is moving to a new equilibrium point in which gender differences are less important (Andersen and Taylor 329). According to functionalists, such social phenomena as changes in workforce participation, increasing availability of educational and healthcare resources for women, changing notion and role of family in the society, reducing birthrate and reproduction control illustrate the process of social transition to the new equilibrium (Andersen and Taylor 330).
Conflict theory view of gender inequality
Conflict theory also grounds its analysis in the prehistoric activities of men and women. It is interesting that both conflict theory and functionalism support the view that in the pre-industrial times the society was in balance (Carl et al. 76). However, unlike the assumption of functionalism about inherent social inequality, conflict theory proponents assume that in the times of gathering and hunting, males and females had equal economic rights (Carl et al. 76). Conflict theory assumes that the dominance of males emerged when the society moved to agricultural and then to industrial stage. These changes allowed men to gain control over means and modes of production, while women remained confined to home and children (Carl et al. 79). Men further reinforced their domination by creating laws and social rules limiting the opportunities available to women (Carl et al. 80).
Conflict theory explains current changes in the role of women by the influence of world wars (Carl et al. 83): women were forced to enter the labor force as many men were killed. After the situation stabilized, women did not return to their previous way of living as they received more power and started struggling for more resources. According to conflict theory, modern technology and globalization allow women to compete with men for resources, and therefore social inequality is gradually reduced (Carl et al. 85). At the same time, conflict theory emphasizes that existing stereotypes and beliefs were also created due to male domination in order to secure their superior position.
Conclusion
Functionalism and conflict theory are two major sociological approaches used for analyzing the society at the macro level. These theories hold different and often contrasting views, which, however, complement each other in the process of studying the society. Gender inequality is one of the key social issues affecting the life of people in the United States and in the whole world. In relation to gender inequality, both theories focus on analyzing the structure of society and its institutions along with their impact on gender inequality. Conflict theory states that male dominance emerged since the transition of the society to agricultural and then industrial modes, and shaped social beliefs and institutions supporting male domination and control of resources. At the same time, functionalist theory assumes that different social characteristics of males and females emerged due to biological differences combined with pre-industrial division of labor and then became less functional due to industrialization. Functionalists state that the society is moving to a new equilibrium with less differentiated social roles, and view modern social changes as the signs that the society is moving towards the new equilibrium.
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