Introduction
According to the symbolic interaction perspective, social contact influences the meaning individuals give to social systems, processes, and objects. Depending on how they interpret words, ideas, events, and other things, different people have different perspectives on the world. Therefore, the perception of the world is arbitrary based on one’s identity and whomever one connects with.
Discussion
A dog can be a simple example of this perception. When hearing the word ‘dog,’ I, a person who loves animals and also had a dog in childhood, may think of pleasant memories connected to my previous friendly interactions with dogs. On the other hand, my friend who got bitten by a dog in the past may now only think of these animals with fear and resentment.
Functionalism proposes that each component of society serves a purpose that ensures its overall functionality, much like a human body requires each organ to carry out its duty for the body to operate. Each of these systems’ constituent elements serves a necessary purpose, and “social patterns, from a simple handshake to complex religious rituals, function to tie people together and to keep society going, at least in its present form” (Macionis, 2008). The best example of functional perspective is religion and the way that different individuals perceive it. Many of my acquaintances use it to heal from trauma and offer solutions to the most fundamental concerns about life and death that neither scientific knowledge nor art can resolve. For me, religion is a source of guidance that assists me in navigating emotionally and mentally challenging circumstances. Nevertheless, religion, as an example of a functional perspective, serves its purpose of creating a component in a societal structure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, according to the theory of conflict, because societal resources and power are restricted, conflicts will arise between social groups as they compete for control of these resources. An example of this can be used not only from my life but from any person’s life who attended public school, where people are typically taught how to be convenient, obedient workers. Seldom, if ever, do children and youth leave their mandatory schooling with the intention of starting their businesses or working for themselves. The public school system’s emphasis on training future workers rather than preparing future entrepreneurs keeps the general populace subservient to the capitalist class, which will continue to power through its control of the financial system.
References
Macionis, J. J. (2018). Society: The Basics (15th ed.). Pearson Education (US). Web.