Question:Please apply each of the 3 main sociological theories to “work and
the economy” and how...
Question
Please apply each of the 3 main sociological theories to “work and
the economy” and how...
Please apply each of the 3 main sociological theories to “work and
the economy” and how would a theorist from each perspective
(structural functionalist, conflict, symbolic interactionist) view
this problem?
Functionalism-this perspective paints a positive picture of
work and the economy by pointing to their many benefits.The
economy’s major function is also an absolutely essential function:
the provision of goods and services. Because the economy provides
the goods and services that any society needs, the economy makes a
society possible.
Many high school students have summer jobs or after-school
jobs. Whether or not they go to college, most people work for pay
once they reach adulthood. Some work full-time until they retire,
some alternate full-time work and part-time work, and some may
start out with a job but drop out of the labor force to raise their
children.
Regardless of these various work patterns, the most important
function that most people derive from working is their paycheck.
Simply put, work provides the income that most people need for
food, clothing, shelter, and other essential needs in today’s
society.
But work has important, nonmaterial functions beyond helping us
pay the bills. Many people consider their job part of their overall
identity, just as the college students reading this book consider
being a student as part of their current identity.
As we enter adulthood, we are not just a spouse, partner,
parent, or child of our parents; we are also an accountant, banker,
claims adjuster, day care worker, elementary school teacher,
financial consultant, garage door installer, and so forth. The job
we have helps provide us with a sense of who we are, or, to put it
another way, a sense of our identity.
Especially if we enjoy our jobs, work can also give us a sense
of self-fulfillment, self-confidence, and self-esteem. These
psychological effects combine to form yet another important
function of work.
Conflict-Conflict theory’s views of work and the economy
largely derive from the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
during the nineteenth century.
Marx and Engels sharply criticized capitalism as an economic
system that inherently oppresses workers. In their view, the
bourgeoisie, or ruling class, owns the means of production, while
the proletariat, or working class, does not own the means of
production. The bourgeoisie uses its wealth, power, and influence
to oppress and exploit the proletariat.
As just one example, they call attention to the fact that many
companies maintain dangerous workplaces that result in injury,
illness, and/or death for tens of thousands of workers
annually.
Conflict theorists also point out that the workplace is a
setting for sexual harassment.Although work can and does bring the
many benefits assumed by functionalist theory, work can also be a
source of great distress for the hundreds of thousands of women and
men who are sexually harassed every year.
Reflecting Marx’s views, conflict theory today also points to
the alienating nature of work involving repetitive and boring work
and being treated as commodities by employers.
Symbolic Interactionism-Symbolic interactionism focuses on
interaction in the workplace and how workers perceive many aspects
of their work and workplace interaction.
Those working in the symbolic interaction perspective take a
microanalytical view of society. They focus on the way reality is
socially constructed through day-to-day interaction and how society
is composed of people communicating based on a shared understanding
of symbols.
One important symbolic interactionist concept related to work
and the economy is career inheritance. This concept means simply
that children tend to enter the same or similar occupation as their
parents, which is a correlation that has been demonstrated in
research studies.
For example, the children of police officers learn the norms
and values that will help them succeed in law enforcement, and
since they have a model career path to follow, they may find law
enforcement even more attractive. Related to career inheritance is
career socialization—learning the norms and values of a particular
job.