Functionalism and Marxism: Education and Employment

Functionalism and Marxism Education and EmploymentSociologists study human conjunction. Their way out matter includes human behaviour in various hearty contexts, accessible interaction, hearty institutions and organisation, social change and development (Haralmbos, Van Krieken, Smith Holborn 1999). For this reason, unemployment is an numeral which sociologists delve. Unemployment has far reaching affects in all beas of guild. social stratification in the areas of age, race, clique, gender, ethnicity, commove and dis talent is rife amongst the employed and vacant alike, unemployment creates further segregation amongst these already stratified the great unwashed. This essay will visit at unemployment from the functional and release possibleness perspective, as tumesce how four master(prenominal) institutions (family, preparation, organisation and health) are affected by unemployment. It will also look at Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim and their persona to sociology and the theory of functionalism and run afoul. Unemployment affects almost every superstar to some percentage portend during their lives, the require to understand how we goat deal with the fare is becoming critically important to society as a whole.Functionalist TheoryFunction is an unclear term, often used by orthodox sociologists to define the logical and social place of roles, institutions and structures in cost of the production and reproductionof a society as a social form as in the idea that the function of the family is to socialise forward- face members of society (Bessant Watts, 1999).Functionalists believe everything serves a specific function in our society and these functions bring to be understood. Everyone has a role to fill in this functional society, in other words we shoot to carry stratification so as everyone has a plan. Functionalists are very boundaried and thin within the square. For this theory to real work, there privations to be a consensus amongst the individuals that work up society, they need to believe everything is in the best interest of this so called utopia. There is provablely no conflict of interest. This does not seem possible in this modern font age, so correct deal functionalism still be considered a plausible theory. It does of range abide its merits, yes everything does constitute its function, but these functions are up for a degree of interpretation and change. Unfortunately functionalism does not explain change except in a gradual evolutionary way.Conflict TheoryConflict theory is a body of theories including marxism, which claims that all social strays are fractured by social conflict, typically between rankes and other groups, over control of valued resources including wealth, origin and property (Bessant Watts, 1999). Conflict theorists believe that conflict is the basis of social nightspot and that a minority of people with power are able to claver their will over others. There is a conflict of interest, people adopt divers(prenominal) goals and purpose. They will use whatever means to gain this, pull d take to the detriment of others in their society. Those with more power and money fox the ability to gain a higher level of serve by the main institutions in our society (such as knowledge and health), thus creating a great level of stratification in society. This in turn creates more conflict as those who postnot get the services they need turn to deviant or dependant methods to gain the same baisc needs. Unfortunately it is a vicious broadcast which continues to breed contempt from both sides of the fence in our society.DurkheimDurkheim (1858-1917) was one of the headmaster founding fathers of positivist sociology (functional theory), his concern was how to preserve society. The basis for social order (how society hung together and worked over time) was not scotchal but virtuous for Durkheim, expressed in the type of solidarity that a society ex hibited (Willis,1999).Durkheim was particularly refer to distinguish social facts, which he sometimes described as states of the bodied mind, from the forms these states assumed when manifested through private individual minds. This distinction is most obvious in cases of customs, moral and legal rights and religious beliefs etc.MarxFor Karl Marx (1818-1883), the transformation had to be understood primarily as a change in the economic structure of societies a change in the means by which economic production was organised from a outline called feudalism to one called capitalism (Willis 1999). Marx was a man looking to understand society, he followed galore(postnominal) different paths and was alienated many times for his ideas. His theories on value and surplus value, accumulation, exploitation, pauperization, crisis and appropriation, class struggle and revolution do no immediate intrusion on the workers movement, until after his death in 1883 (Rius 1999).UnemploymentWe are entering a new phase in world history one in which fewer and fewer and fewer workers will be needed to produce the goods and services for the global populationFor the whole of the modern era, peoples worth has been measured by the market place value of their labournow new ship canal of defining human worth and social relationships will need to be explored (Rifkin 1996). Life has changed, globalization and feminism have had a grand impact on the work environment nearly the world. Technology has also made many chew overs redundant. Unemployment has become an issue allaround the globe, explanations of this phenomenom are plenty. How does unemployment serve a purpose, or is it just another chance for the respectable to stamp on those with less power? The government views the unemployment stead as an idividual enigma. It is delinquent to the privation of training of the individual, they now make people have training to continue to get unemployment benefits. This is a great idea as far as keeping the individual busy and increasing the egoism and knowledge, but what then? We are now creating alot of qualified people for positions which dont exist. We need to look at why there are not abounding positions to employ these individuals. If it is not lack of skills, then what is it? Could it be that they government or us as a society are not doing adequacy to promotebusiness in Australia, alternatively sending our work load overseas for low-priceder labour. We need to look at why the positions are non existant rather than assuming it is the individuals fault. Unemployment affects our society in so many ways. The four main institutions I am looking at are family, education, health and government.Firstly the family, unemployment places added pecuniary and intellectual strain on the family. The lack of income can construct many families to have to live without the basic necessities which we take for granted, they then need to turn to eudaemonia agencies in or der to survive. Lack of income also means children often have to miss out on school activitiesand sports programs as the family budget can no longer stretch the distance. This monetary strain can cause breakdown in both the individual and family. This can turn in domestic violence, alcoholism, gambling, family dysfunction and even suicide. Unemployment has such wide ranging affects on family life. Alcoholism, smoking, the vicious use of drugs and crime are associated with unemployment (Makkai 1994).This can then be made even more significant when their is further stratification caused by age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sex, class and race. For example, if your race was one that expected the men to work and the wife to beat at home and raise the children. When you become unemployed, you may lose your stand up as both a husband and member of your community, as you can no longer tender appropriately for your family. Each of these aspects further increases the impact of unemploy ment.Secondly, there is education. Public versus private is already a hotly argued issue, do children get a better education from private or creation education. This is not an issue for Australians who cannot afford the private education system. It is still a struggle though to pay for books, uniforms, excursions, camps and other school activities. Add in unemployment and the issue becomes even harder. If you currently have your children in private education and become unemployed, you may not be able to meet the financial demands. Taking your child out of their school and changing them to the public education system can then be very traumatic for everyone involved. at once again add any of the other stratification issues mentioned before and the situation can become very volatile. You may have certain reasons for attention particular(a) schools, if then cannot afford to maintain this situation what happens to your child. For example, a special school for your disabled child, mai nstream public school may not be able to handle your childs disability. Your child is then left in a situation which is detrimental to their well being.Thirdly, government, unemployment is such a hot issue with voters that the government must be seen to be doing as much as they can to help the situation. They are always making promises to decrease the unemployment rate, unluckily the unmployment rate does not really give an accurate picture of how many people are out of work. It is only those who are registered as looking for work. The government provides welfare and training for unemployed but they do not seem to see the bigger picture. The government also creates stratification by having different payments and services for different races, rather than basing services provided on an individual needs basis. For example, Austudy and Abstudy.Finally, health system, the health system is hit hard by unemployment especially with the drop in bulk billing. Many unemployed people cannot af ford to go to a non-bulk billing doctor so instead go into their local sine qua non department. This is causing congestion in the emergency department. There is also an increase of illness (mental and physical) and suicide amongst the unemployed. This is creating a huge draw on our medicare and health system. Those on low incomes or unemployed cannot afford to have private health insurance, so are thereof no getting all the help they need. We are creating a system where people are leaving illnesses and injuries until they are quite serious due to the fact that they cannot afford to see a specialist.We will now look at what the functionalists and the conflict theorists say about it.Unemployment (Functionalism)Functionalists believe unemployment serves a purpose in society. We need unemployment in our society, it plays its own part. For all those who are or have been unemployed, it is hard to see how it can possibly be good for society, part of the master plan. Unemployment creates so much misery and further increases the problem of stratification.Those in the underprivileged class have to rely on government handouts, which only creates further poverty as those people struggle to make ends meet. This in turn affects the family structure by adding extra money pressures. This is the point though, unemployed people create work for centrelink staff, welfare agencies, counsellors and keep cheap discount stores in work. It also maintains that there will always be someone to take the menial jobs that others dont want. Those lower classed people will do the jobs others wont. We need the divisions to make sure there are people to turn to all types of places in society.Unemployment (Conflict Theory)Conflict theorists see unemployment as more secernate of those in a powerful or priviledged position taking avail of others. Power is the emphasis is an employment situation, while employed you have a certain amount of power, both over your work environment and your own li fe. Once unemployed you become powerless, reliant on the government to provide you an income. Once in this position, an individual is likely to take a job which is below their abilities and for less pay, just so as to be earning an income. The difference in class and standing continues to increase. Those with money, do not need to influence to this type of position, they can instead wait until anappropriate job comes up or they can indulge in further education to better their position even more.ConclusionUnemployment plays are major part in our society, its affects are wide reaching. The implication that unemployment is an individual problem due to lack of skills, only seeks to increase the problem. The idea that who we are is depicted by what we do as a job, creates further stratification of our society. Long-term unemployment has been shown to be one of the most important contributors to domestic violence and other forms of crime, as well as psychological illness and suicide (Bak er 1993).Whether we look at unemployment from a functional or conflict perspective, there is no right or wrong answer. We need to look at it from both perspectives to get a better idea of the situation, and then to look at possible ways of dealing with the issue. There will always be unemployment due to changes in the environment, whether they are biological or technological. For this reason further insights into how society deals with unemployment isnecessary. Stratification is a principal aspect of the evolution of a societys social identity, when this is increase with unemployment, alienation and dysfunction becomes a consequence.