Children of alcoholics are at the higher risk of behavioral and mental disorders.
Independent variable:
Children of alcoholics
Response categories are the groups of children (in this particular case, children from families with parents who are alcohol addicts).
Dependent variable:
Behavioral and mental disorders
Response categories are whether a child has those types of disorder or no (yes or no).
Structural Functionalist Theory: The major idea behind this theory is that the society represents a complex entity that consists from various parts, and each of those parts are in relationships with each other and they work together in order to increase the level of stability within this society. From the perspective of this theory, individuals would hold similar beliefs about what is right and what is wrong (Odunga, 2013). Therefore, those who support structural functionalism would argue that children in alcoholic families should receive special attitude or special treatment with psychologists from the very beginning in order to avoid any potential problems and to protect children from future behavioral or mental issues. In addition, this theory would claim that it would be useful to take children from parents who are alcoholics and to place them in orphanages, so that they get an opportunity of finding new families without any addiction issues and would get a chance for a better future without such problems. However, this theory will not take into consideration the factor of relationships between children and their parents, which also plays a significant role in this issue.
Conflict Theory: The principles of this theory lie in the works of Karl Marx, and their major ides is that the members of the society are in a continuous competition for everything that this society can offer (for the social and economic resources). Conflict theory explains the existing inequality in a way that one part of individuals manages to gain greater resources due to different factors, while the other part has to get what is left or what they managed to receive. Thus, the major point of conflict theory is that those who have greater power affect those who are in lower classes (Crossman, 2014). From the perspective of this theory, it is easy to explain the proposed hypothesis. Children who are born in families, where parents are alcoholic addicts are the ones who belong to the class who has lower power and who has fewer possibilities for change. The social order constructed everything in a way that some people are born in certain types of families and this is their duty to live it.
Symbolic Interaction: This theory explains everything that happens within the society by the interactions between individuals and by the meanings that each one of us imposes on the events, objects, emotions, or behaviors. The point is that people create all the events by themselves and they can judge the world and everything that happens and impose any meanings on things in any way they want (Crossman, 2015). Symbolic interactionist theory would explain the proposed hypothesis in a way that every family makes its own choices, every individual makes his or her own decisions, and it is in our power to change everything that we want.
I believe that conflict theory and symbolic interactionist theory best explain the proposed hypothesis. However, I would support symbolic interaction principles in this case, because I believe that people are the creators of their lives. Without any doubt, external factors make a significant influence on our lives, but it is in the power of an individual to build a healthy life, despite the fact who his or her parents are or other factors.
Works Cited
Crossman, Ashley. "An Overview of Conflict Theory." About.com Education. 20 Dec. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Conflict-Theory.htm>.
Crossman, Ashley. "What Is Symbolic Interaction Theory?" About.com Education. 14 June 2015. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm>.
Odunga, Jake. "Structural Functionalism." SlideShare. 16 Nov. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. <http://www.slideshare.net/jakeodunga/structural-functionalism-28307025>.
