Investigating social problems

Structural functionalism theory Functionalism theory emphasizes that social institutions have important roles to play for social structures to be stable. Social order determines the societal wellbeing, and it is maintained if social interactions are stable. The theory also suggests that if social structures are weakened social problems arise. Conflict theory The conflict theory contrasts functionalism in that; it views society as the cause of social problems. According to the theory, two social classes exist within the, i. The interactionism view suggests that a criminal became so through interacting with another criminal and thus could have picked up criminal behavior during the interaction. However, the functionalism view points out that the family or the school is the cause of the crime because the social structures in which they exist were not stable.

Crime can also be seen to originate from the difference in class. The criminals are poor; therefore they engage in illegal activities for financial gain. This is the conflict theory view. Race has been viewed as a biological grouping in most societies before. For instance, An African American from the U. S. may be considered white in another country. Race cannot be measured objectively using data because it is a perception that people from different backgrounds create. For instance, In the United States, pink is portrayed as a feminine color and blue as a masculine color, but it is not the same in other countries. Second, gender is a social problem because there exist several social movements that seek to address gender differences.