The Atlantic. Conflict theory sees social life as a competition, and focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality. LeFebvre, R., & Franke, V. (2013). For example, a pastor may emphasize love (an affective communal value) while a businessman may value efficiency a system value as more important than love in a business context (Bartos and Wehr, 2002). Consensus theory gives prominence to culture as a way of maintaining the consensus of society. "A house may be large or small; as long as the neighboring houses are likewise small, it satisfies all social requirement for a residence. Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1962). Bartos, O. J., & Wehr, P. (2002). How WEB DuBois Made His Mark on Sociology. These two theories are usually spoken of as in opposition based on their arguments. This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx (18181883), who saw society as being made up of two classes, the bourgeoisie (capitalist) and the proletariat (workers),who must compete for social, material, and political resources such as food and housing, employment, education, and leisure time. %PDF-1.7 In contrast, an organization can have role differentiation because members have partial and specific responsibilities, such as that of an engineer or a salesperson. 2. Consensus and conflict theory are two opposing sociological theories that seek to explain how society functions and how social order is maintained. For example, no such revolution has occurred in the United States, where workers never developed the degree of class consciousness envisioned by Marx and Engels. If we break a bone in one of our legs, we have trouble walking; if we lose sight in both our eyes, we can no longer see. First-wave feminists fought for basic citizenship rights, such as the right to vote, while third wave feminists are concerned with more complex social movements, like post-structuralism. These sociologists examine how and why individuals interact and interpret the meanings of their interaction. mile Durkheim was a founder of sociology and largely responsible for the sociological perspective as we now know it. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. However, conflict theorists view the society in a different manner. % Oxford: Oxford Univ. If the power of the ruling class is challenged by, say, strikes and protests, the ruling class can use the law to criminalize those posing the threat, and media reporting will be manipulated to give the impression that the ruling classs interests are those of the whole nation. Within the micro camp, two other perspectives exist: symbolic interactionism and utilitarianism (also called rational choice theory or exchange theory) (Collins, 1994). Sociology is divided between conflict and consensus approaches. W.E.B. It is based on the ideas of Karl Marx from the 19th century, who believed a society evolved through several stages, the most important of which were feudalism, capitalism, and finally socialism. In sociology, a theory is a way to explain different aspects of social interactions and to create a testable proposition, called a hypothesis, about society (Allan 2006). 214 High Street, In this regard, the two micro perspectives, symbolic interactionism and utilitarianism, offer significant advantages over their macro cousins. To take a contemporary example, the #MeToo movement began when white actress Ashley Judd came forward in 2017 and claimed that film producer Harvey Weinstein invited her to his hotel room, greeted her in a bathrobe, and asked her to massage him or watch him shower. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/conflict-theory-3026622. A familiar application of exchange theory would be a dating relationship. For example, although suicide is generally . For him, conflict could be about any number of factors, from idealistic beliefs to symbolic orders, and none were necessarily any more important than the others (Crouch, 2001). Durkheim used suicide to illustrate how social disorder can result from a weakening of societys moral cocoon. Yet every relationship has its good and bad moments, and both partners make frequent compromises to ensure the relationship will endure. the key to making the system work is the acceptance of authority the legitimate use of power. Prestige can also be a contested resource. Critical sociologists, such as feminist sociologists, see conflict as both endemic and mundane. Functionalism, also known as the functionalist perspective, arose out of two great revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries. In this regard, the two macro perspectives offer significant advantages over their micro cousins. For example, Marxism emphasizes class conflict over economic resources, but Weber suggests that conflict and inequality can be caused by power and status independently of class structures. Culture Matters: Individualism vs. Collectivism in Conflict Decision-Making. In the early 1970s, women tended to comprise a low number of professional and manual labor positions relative to men. These theorists believe that the society and its equilibrium are based on the consensus or agreement of people. Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! Conflict theory originated in the work of Karl Marx, who focused on the causes and consequences of class conflict between the bourgeoisie (the owners of the means of production and the capitalists) and the proletariat (the working class and the poor). For example, in 1971, 18% of college professors were female, and 3.3% of lawyers and judges were. Conflict theory is a macro theory. According to Marx and Engels, every society is divided into two classes based on the ownership of the means of production (tools, factories, and the like). for example, functionalists see society as based on shared values and with all its Skip to document Ask an Expert Sign inRegister Sign inRegister Home Like functionalism, to micro functionalists, conflict is unusual and pathological, and events such as strikes, divorces, crime, and violence are seen as indicators of malfunctioning but mundane malfunctioning. Why. Protestants aspirations were thus less constrained than Catholics desires. Conflict behavior can consist of rational actions (actions that consider and accurately judge all possible outcomes) and the expression of hostility, as well as behavior that is either coercive (such as causing great physical harm to an opponent) or cooperative (Bartos and Wehr, 2002). Within one year, the #MeToo movement had become intersectional, stretching across industries, racial and ethnic backgrounds, age, sexual orientation, and gender identities. In response, the intellectuals began to write that a strong society, as exemplified by strong social bonds and rules and effective socialization, was needed to prevent social order from disintegrating (Collins, 1994). The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/3/1/128. Lowenstein, G. (1996). Their views taken together offer a fuller understanding of the phenomena than either approach can offer alone. C. Wright Mills, who coined the term sociological imagination, also used conflict theory to examine systems of power and the ways in which government, military, and corporations formed a power elite (1956) in the United States in the 1950s. What does functionalist theory say about education? BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester. Cults can range from religious cults that may, for example, worship an ancient god to secular cults such as militias that oppose the government. Microsociologists, on the other hand, study social interaction. Social behavior: Its elementary forms. 19th century Europe . A consensus theory approach sees sport as a source of collective harmony, a way of binding people together in a shared experience. Each of . Now that you have some understanding of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology, we will discuss in Chapter 2 Eye on Society: Doing Sociological Research how sociologists conduct their research. A major problem with functionalist theory is that it tends to support the status quo and thus seems to favor existing inequalities based on race, social class, and gender. Coleman, J. S. (1990). stream Dahrendorf wrote from the cultural context of the conflicted history of Germany in the early-to-mid 20th century (Dahrendorf 1966). Wells, A. Applied sociology, in its study of social problems such as marriage, poverty, and social movements, similarly sees conflict in these domains as pathological but unlikely to cause a great upheaval in greater society. Read the following passage from DuBois article as he articulates double consciousness: It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. Initially, the term seemed merely to identify a more politically neutral Marxian perspective, but for some it meant something much broader. Golding, W. (1954). One result of these conditions was mass violence, as mobs of the poor roamed the streets of European and American cities. Contested Resources draws three main categories that contested resources fit into wealth, power, and prestige. Sociology by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. One form of non-rational decision-making that sociologists consider to drive conflict is hostility. Understanding Conflict Theory. For example, while an engineer may need to design a building that has beams visible from the atrium for structural stability reasons, this may contradict an architect or interior designers desire to have a clean, modern space without visible construction elements. Conflicts that start rationally may end non-rationally. (Original work published 1848). As conflicts continue and actors inflict harm on each other, participants may become motivated by desires beyond reaching their original goals, such as inflicting as much harm on the perceived enemy as possible (Bartos and Wehr, 2002). Geoffrey Fairchild The Robbery CC BY 2.0. Boston House, Social order is possible because people realize it will be in their best interests to cooperate and to make compromises when necessary. In a capitalist society, the bourgeoisie, or ruling class, owns the means of production, while the proletariat, or working class, does not own the means of production and instead is oppressed and exploited by the bourgeoisie. Many others have drawn on conflict theory to develop other types of theory within the social sciences, including feminist theory, critical race theory, postmodern and postcolonial theory, queer theory, post-structural theory, and theories of globalization and world systems. However, if the changes made created a new system, like socialism, then peace and stability would be achieved. Wage Labour and Capital (1847). Indeed, according to Marxists, weaker parties in class conflict may be powerless or too fearful to express conflict openly (Rowthorn, 1980). Symbolic interactionism is a micro theory. In the end, the system functions." (Jorgenson p285) Marx reasoned that as the socio-economic conditions worsened for the proletariat, they would develop a class consciousness that revealed their exploitation at the hands of the wealthy capitalist class of bourgeoisie, and then they would revolt, demanding changes to smooth the conflict. Feminist theory examines gender and gender inequality and also points out the male-centric aspects of conflict theory. However, conflict theorists view the society in a different manner. Consensus theory serves as a sociological argument for the furtherance and preservation of the status quo. endobj According to institutionalized conflict theory, for example, in cases where institutions are separated from each other, it is unlikely that conflict will spread between institutions. Conflict theory originated in the work of Karl Marx, who focused on the causes and consequences of class conflict between the bourgeoisie (the owners of the means of production and the capitalists) and the proletariat (the working class and the poor). Moscow, Russia: Foreign Language Publishing House. Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (Vol. Parsons believed that conflict generally did not overwhelm social relations, and thus, that overwhelming, momentous conflict was exceptional. An example is the familiar symbol of shaking hands. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without losing the opportunity of self-development. [2]. This brief presentation of the four major theoretical perspectives in sociology is necessarily incomplete but should at least outline their basic points. Thus, while functionalist theory emphasizes the benefits of the various parts of society for ongoing social stability, conflict theory favors social change to reduce inequality. ; tax break: A deduction in tax that is given in order to encourage a . Cole, N.L. Required fields are marked *. All of these properties of religious group membership combine to produce higher suicide rates among Protestants than among Catholics. too much consensus and people will expect democratic procedures (marx's thoughts on the u.s.). Exchange or rational choice theory would emphasize that armed robbers and other criminals are rational actors who carefully plan their crimes and who would be deterred by a strong threat of swift and severe punishment. Crossman, Ashley. This ethnocentric view manifested today in the form of nationalism, for example (Chrristenson et al. Intersectional theory examines multiple, overlapping identities that include Black, Latina, Asian, gay, trans, working class, poor, single parent, working, stay-at-home, immigrant, and undocumented women, among others. Microsociologists would instead focus on such things as why individual robbers decide to commit a robbery and how they select their targets. Want to create or adapt books like this? An absence of conflict would deny the inherent and fundamental divides underlying every structural divide in a Marxist society (Crouch, 2001). Simply Scholar Ltd. 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU, 2023 Simply Scholar, Ltd. All rights reserved. Tel: +44 0844 800 0085. The works of Max Weber led to an increasing view of conflict as normalized (Weber, 1978). In all of these respects, says Randall Collins (1994, p. 181), Durkheims view represents the core tradition of sociology that lies at the heart of the sociological perspective. Because the other person realizes this, no snub or insult is inferred, and the two people can then proceed to have a comfortable encounter. iii. 2002-2023 Tutor2u Limited. Neither of these two macro perspectives has very much to say about social interaction, one of the most important building blocks of society. We are committed to engaging with you and taking action based on your suggestions, complaints, and other feedback. The roots of street crime, from the perspective of conflict theory, thus lie in society at least as much as they lie in the individuals committing such crime. The frustration stemming from anomie leads some people to commit suicide (Durkheim, 1897/1952). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; Homans, G. (1961). In short, Weber argued that conflict emerges over a struggle for as much dominance over other groups as resources permit. In many ways, conflict theory is the opposite of functionalism but ironically also grew out of the Industrial Revolution, thanks largely to Karl Marx (18181883) and his collaborator, Friedrich Engels (18201895). The early schools of thought each presented a systematic formulation of sociology that implied possession of exclusive truth and that involved a conviction of the need to destroy rival systems. These theories offer different perspectives on the role of power, social institutions, and social change in society. The causes and consequences of the gender pay gap between men and women. too much overt use of power and the system is out of practical control. In this case, the conflict concerns gender inequality rather than the class inequality emphasized by Marx and Engels. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union became close to nuclear war (Downing, 1992). As the two theories aimed at understanding the human behaviour, knowing the difference between conflict and consensus theory can only be more helpful to you. Both men thought that people act rationally and decide before they act whether their behavior will cause them more pleasure or pain. Suicide. Conflict theory states that tensions and conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in societyand that these conflicts become the engine for social change. Consensus and conflict sociology essay - Item C Some sociologists take a consensus approach to the - Studocu essay item some sociologists take consensus approach to the study of society. The American sociologist Talcott Parsons (1951) noted that in the creation of a social arrangement, actors have to decide whether the relationships among themselves are: affective or affectively neutral; self or collectively oriented; universalistic or particularistic; specific or diffuse; ascription or achievement-oriented. Conflict theory emphasizes social inequality and suggests that far-reaching social change is needed to achieve a just society. In addition, Protestant belief is ambivalent about suicide, while Catholic doctrine condemns it. They emphasize the existence of a clash in interests among different groups in society. Macrosociologists focus on the big picture, which usually means such things as social structure, social institutions, and social, political, and economic change. Modification, adaptation, and original content. The military revolution and political change. (2021, March 3). (1910). Within the broad macro camp, two perspectives dominate: functionalism and conflict theory. Key Terms. Historically, explanations for this imbalance involved a perceived lack of training and a low commitment to professional work in favor of child rearing (Collins, 1971). ; social stratification: The hierarchical arrangement of social classes, or castes, within a society. In thinking about how you view society and individuals, do you consider yourself more of a macro thinker or a micro thinker? By emphasizing the contributions of social institutions such as the family and education to social stability, functionalist theory minimizes the ways in which these institutions contribute to social inequality. Describe two differences between consensus and conflict theories. Yet their very micro focus leads them to pay relatively little attention to the reasons for, and possible solutions to, such broad and fundamentally important issues as poverty, racism, sexism, and social change, which are all addressed by functionalism and conflict theory. As the term symbolic interactionism implies, their understanding of this encounter arises from what they do when they interact and their use and interpretation of the various symbols included in their interaction. Conflict theorists emphasized the importance of interests over norms and values, and the ways in which the pursuit of interests generated various types of conflict as normal aspects of social life, rather than abnormal or dysfunctional occurrences. As a second function, armed robbery and other crimes create many jobs for police officers, judges, lawyers, prison guards, the construction companies that build prisons, and the various businesses that provide products the public buys to help protect against crime. Four sociological traditions. Weber, unlike Marx, did not reduce social relations to material class interests. (1992). According to consensus theories, for the most part society works because most people are successfully socialised into shared values through the family and education. Weber noted that different groups were affected differently based on education, race, and gender, and that peoples reactions to inequality were moderated by class differences and rates of social mobility, as well as by perceptions about the legitimacy of those in power. In so doing, they rely heavily on symbols such as words and gestures to reach a shared understanding of their interaction. Feminist theory was developed to fill a void in Marxism and neo-Marxism that examined class, but not gender as a distinct category. Despite this shortcoming, their basic view of conflict arising from unequal positions held by members of society lies at the heart of todays conflict theory. It is antagonistic to conflict theory, which serves as a sociological argument for modifying the status quo or for its total reversal. These criticisms aside, all four perspectives taken together offer a more comprehensive understanding of social phenomena than any one perspective can offer alone. Using conflict theory: Cambridge University Press. These theorists believe that the society and its equilibrium are based on the consensus or agreement of people. We look at these institutions in later chapters. Functionalism is a macro theory. Saul Mcleod, Ph.D., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years experience of working in further and higher education. 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