Differences Between Common Sense And Sociological...

In this essay I am going to firstly differentiate between ‘common sense’ and sociological explanations of everyday life. Explaining what they mean and how they differ. I will then be looking in detail at two Sociological theories - Functionalism and Marxism. Firstly I am going to talk about both functionalist and marxists theories of society and how they believe it functions. After which I have chosen to look at the structure of education and will explain each of the theories views as to why it exists in society. I will then evaluate the two theories views on Education. Common sense is a view imposed on a society which is learnt through casual knowledge and passed down through generations (quora.com, 2017). This knowledge can be localised†¦show more content†¦Functionalism was first approached in 19th-century Europe (Haralambos Holborn, 2013). One of the earliest influential functionalists was French sociologist Emile Durkheim. A functionalist perspective of society is that it works much like the human body. This is called the organic analogy. Looking at each institution within society as working with one another to help society function properly - just as the organs do in the human body. Functionalists believe that if an institution exists within a society it must have a function to help that society run effectively. Functionalists believe that it is necessary for some groups and individuals to hold a position more powerful than others because important decisions cannot be made by everyone (O’Donnel, 1997). Functionalists argue that without leaders society would not run smoothly. They believe that the institutions within a society such as the family, education and workplace influence individuals which in turn makes society function. Individuals do not have the capacity to change a society and therefore cannot fully control their own life. Durkheim considered that the crucial feature of our social structures are norms and values (Jones et al, 2011). Norms and values are collectively held standards or rules of behaviour for a society, Durkheims phrase for these rules was ‘social facts’. Norms and values are taught to us through socialization, they are not something which individuals invent.Show MoreRelatedHistorical Roots Of The 20th Century1329 Words   |  6 PagesSociological roots can be traced back in the works of thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Confucius. However, according to ‘classical origins’, it emerged in the early 19th century as a reaction to the challenges of modern society. Growing, belief in science, mobility and technical development brought crucial changes in the way people saw life, such as the collapse of traditional norms and loss of religion authority. 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