- Definitions of the four perspectives
Functionalist looks at the society as parts that are interconnected and are able to work in harmony with each other to attain equilibrium and social balance. The state educates children whose parents are paying tax to maintain the same government.
Conflict perspective looks at society as having different interest and groups, which are competing for power and the scarce resources. This perspective is according to works of Karl Marx.
Symbolic Integrationist tends explore dynamics of the psychology of the individuals that interact in various small groups. It tries to explain how social interaction shapes the identity and oneself. How people interacts with others help develop their self-concept.
Feminist tends to look at the place of women in the society. It explores how men have dominated in the society. It looks at how gender relates can be related to power.
- Examples of how each of the perspectives view the “ Gun Violence In school”
Functionalist perspective looks at why one would use a gun to cause violence in schools. Intends to find how that attains the equilibrium in the social state of the school society. It does not remove blame on the person who uses a gun to star violence in school but suggest possible sanctions to correct the behavior.
Conflict views the gun violence in school as economic and social forces that work in a given society. Majorly the have-nots tend to protect themselves from the powerful in the society, and this may always lead to violence. Policies that will maintain guide morality and promote good behavior to enable both the powerful people in the society live in harmony with the those who do not have something.
Symbolic interaction looks at the gun violence as caused the environmental influence. Students who come from environments where people always fight with guns, may think it is a normal thing to do and may just shoot their fellow students. Students need to be away from violent environments that can affect them negatively.
Feminist perspective will view violence in school as, a way of expressing dissatisfaction on how particular gender gets treatment in school. Oppressed females may decide to open fire on other gender to express how dissatisfied they are.
- Sociological perspective from the article
Reading at the article, sociological perspective that best fit it is the conflict perspective. Majorly those students and individuals who do mass murder are those who come from the upper class families. As conflict perspective put it, strive for power in the society result to conflict in the society. The haves get guns even at the age of twelve years. This may result to violence that is intentional or unintentional. The low class in the society may want to use guns to defend themselves and show dissatisfaction on how the powerful people treat them. That is the reason for calling appropriate policy, to reduce this because classes in the society will always remain.
- Major sociological contributions by various sociologists
Harriet Martineau she fought for the place of women in the society. She wrote so much about women especially early women writers. She was also the author methodology treaties, which was the first of its kind.
Herbert Spencer influenced the structural functionalism perspective. He also looked at society as a social organism that had the ability to evolve to complex society. He also contributed in Functionalist perspective
Karl Marx encouraged socialism at the expense of capitalism. He was also the founder of Marxism. He explained the conflict perspective.
W.E.B Dubois was a major critic of the imperialism by the whites.
