Comparison and Contrast of Two Theoretical Perspectives (Essay Sample)

A Comparison and Contrast of Two Theoretical Perspectives used to Explore Family Units
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Introduction
Sociological theories, such as functionalism and symbolic interactionism, are sets of notions that describe human civilization. Sociological theory, like other theories, is restricted because it fails to describe everything or account for the infinite body of evidence. Thus, theories are constrained by their objectives and perspectives, and the data they regard significant. Therefore, they provide a distorted and limited view of reality. Sociological theories occur in a wide range and they can be classified according to a number of factors. One of the most important distinctions is that between structural or macro perceptions and social activity or micro perspectives. The ways in which such approaches approach sociological inquiry differ. Functionalism is a macro perspective since it looks at how a community operates, whereas symbolic interactionism is a micro approach as it insists on the importance of human behavior and opposes the idea that it is primarily governed by societal institutions. As such, this paper will compare and contrast the functionalism and symbolic interactionism perspectives used in exploring family units.
Functionalism Perspective
By structural functionalism, the family unit is viewed as a system that performs critical features and maintains society functioning smoothly. Structural functionalism is a way of thinking about society that sees it as a complex system with interrelated pieces that cooperate to achieve cohesion. According to this perspective, society is like an animal, with each component (entities, societal expectations, and so on.) serving as an organ to keep the whole thing running effectively. The approach examines the society at a macro level, focusing on the social structures that govern society in general. The purpose of society's fundamental parameters, like rules, customs, habits, and systems, is considered by functionalism (Cornwell & Laumann, 2019). The family, according to functionalists, provides a range of functions, including procreation, socialization, caring, guardianship, and psychological support; prestige allocation; and sexual conduct control through the criterion of legitimacy.
According to factionists, most stateless, "primitive" civilizations with weak centralized institutions are built on a system of corporate-descent arrangements. The nuclear family is the essential basis of society, according to structural functionalism, and a clan is an extension, never the other way around. Factionists are fascinated by how civilizations maintain their stability and long-term viability (Cornwell & Laumann, 2019). They argued that collectivism is what holds complex civilizations together, comparing it to an organism wherein numerous components cooperate to sustain the whole.
The family, according to functionalists, is responsible for the development of properly integrated people in society and the instillation of civilization in immigrants. It assigns crucial linked roles to new members, including socioeconomic class and race. It is in responsible for rebuilding society by bringing in new individuals to replace those who have died. Thanks to the family, people also have property rights and the ability to distribute and preserve kinship orders. Lastly, families provide financial and emotional security to people in need, as well as care and assistance. Thus, the family bears a variety of important societal duties (Minott, 2016). It interacts with children; without good youth socialization, no culture can thrive. In most nations, the family is the fundamental unit within which humans connect. Parents, siblings, and extended relatives, if the family is broader than nuclear, all assist socialize children from the start.
In addition, the family offers psychological and practical support to its members. The family is a tremendous provider of psychological care for its residents. Food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials are provided by the family, as well as love, happiness, psychological support, and other types of ethereal aid that humans require.
The family, according to functionists, aids in the regulation of sexual behavior and procreation. Sexual activity and procreation are regulated by the family. Every community has restrictions about who a person can have sex with and how frequently they can do so. The family is the most crucial unit for instilling such ideals as well as for reproduction. One rationale for this is to guarantee that once kids are born, they receive enough socioemotional attention. The incest taboo, which in most civilizations prohibits sex between specific relatives, tries to reduce conflicts within families when sex occurs among its members and to foster social links between families and, as a result, across society as a whole.
According to functionalism, the family unit provides a sense of togetherness to its members. Children inherit their parents' social class, ethnicity, religion, and other features (Minott, 2016). To be successful in life, one must have a strong sense of social identity. The social identity that most youngsters get from their families benefits them throughout their lives. Others, on the other hand, face a variety of problems as a result of their socioeconomic class or racial group.
Furthermore, the family's integrity is jeopardized and civilization is harmed by rapid or far-reaching structural changes or activities. Aside from articulating a family's responsibilities, the conceptual framework asserts that abrupt or far-reaching changes in traditional family structure and processes jeopardize the family's cohesion, and thus society's. Most sociologists and marriage-and-family literature in the 1950s, for example, believed that the male breadwinner–female housekeeper nuclear family was the best structure for offspring because it addressed both the family's economic and reproductive needs. Researchers warned that any changes to such a system would have ramifications for children, families as a social unit, and civilization as a whole (Minott, 2016). Although this caution is no longer included in the literature, most conservative analysts are concerned about the effect on the offspring of working women and single-parent families.
Symbolic Interactionism Perspective
Symbolic interactionism views the family as a social regeneration locus wherein families produce and perpetuate values. Symbolic interactionism is a social theory that investigates the ways in which people interact, perceive, and adapt to symbol interpretations. Theoretically, people's verbal and nonverbal replies are planned ahead of time based on how the first person will respond (Charmaz et al., 2019). Symbolic interactionism emphasizes individuals' societal obligations by emphasizing symbols, mediated interpretation, and the construction of society. Role-playing is an important tool for respecting another person's point of view and better understanding how that person understands specific actions. Role-playing starts at an early age, with duties such as portraying various characters and playing house. Unlike, however, an actor's organized role-playing, such practices involve an element of spontaneity (Charmaz et al., 2019). The unpredictability of roles places the burden of role-making in social situations on the persons involved. Whenever family members and romantic couples communicate, they must have a common knowledge of their situation, according to symbolic interactionism. 
Couples' expectations of their engagements and each other are affected by the social level, and partners interact in different ways. In the United States, romantic love is a common basis for marriages and courtships, but it is significantly less common in other modern countries (Carter & Fuller, 2016). Ethnomethodology is a subset of symbolic interactionism which investigates how persons' interactions can generate the impression of a shared social order regardless of the absence of mutual comprehension and the presence of divergent viewpoints (Carter & Fuller, 2016). This problem was demonstrated by symbolic interactionists using a trust test, commonly known as breaching tests, in which learners would halt routine conversations because they refused to believe they knew what the other person meant.
The changing notions of family are also of importance to symbolic interactionists. According to experts, common activities aid in the formation of emotional bonds between family members, and marriage and family relationships are founded on mutually agreed-upon interpretations (Carter & Fuller, 2016). Family ties are renewed and revitalized, according to the interactionist perspective, through symbolic mechanism routines like as family dinners and vacations.
A More Reliable Perspective
While both theories agree that the family fulfils various tasks in society, they disagree on how the family should be structured. Family perspectives from a symbolic interactionist approach stress how family members communicate regularly. Numerous studies have found that couples interact in various ways, obstructing good communication. Symbolic interactionist-oriented researchers have always been enthusiastic about dealing with interactionism concepts. It is hard to say whether symbolic interactionism draws theoretically minded students or encourages them to think functionally (perhaps both) (Edin et al., 2019). Whatever the case may be, g