Critical Analysis of the Conflict Theory Essay

in that location ar trine major theories Structural Functionalism, Symbolic Interaction, and Conflict. These theories relate to the main aspects of animation in a order organized root word membership, interaction, and deviation. Out of on the whole one-third of these, encounter seems to be the near straight-for fightd. Every person has experienced deviation in life. The main focus of this speculation is how might body structures and power disparities preserve concourses rests (The Catholic University of the States, 2008). Conflict system check to Crossman (2013) emphasizes the procedure of coercion and power in producing well-disposed order. This is derived from the works of Karl Marx, who saw union as fragmented into concourses that compete for brotherly and economic resources.According to Walsh (2012), Karl Marx (1818 1883) is the puzzle of critical criminology he is also associated with the ideas of well-disposedism and communism. The core of Marxism i s the concept of kinfolk struggle Freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, lord and serf, guildmaster and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another. The oppressors in Marxs time were the owners of the way of production (the bourgeoisie), and the oppressed were the workers (the proletariat). The bourgeoisie strives to keep the cost of labor at a minimum, further the proletariat strives to sell its labor at the highest feasible price. These opposing goals argon the major source of fight in a capitalist fellowship. The bourgeoisie enjoys the upper hand because capitalist societies go for boastful armies of unemployed workers eager to secure work at both price, therefore driving down the cost of labor. These economic and social arrangements the material conditions of states lives determine what they will know, believe, and value, and how they will be encounter. To sum this up, Marx referred to these groups as the haves (bo urgeoisie), and the have nots (proletariat).Read Also hypercritical Thinking Essay TopicsConflict surmise is in essence a complex arrangement with imbalance, which replys in employment that washbowl leave to social change. It explains social life through understanding social processes as the result of the constant struggle between groups. In society there are limited resources, much(prenominal) as power, wealth, education, and prestige, as a result people compete for those resources for survival and to improve their position in society. As give tongue toby McQueeney (2011) fit in to conflict theory, society is A struggle for bureau among competing social groups (classes, genders, races, religions, etc.). When conflict theorists look at society, they see the social control of subordinate groups through the power, authority, and coercion of dominant groups. In the conflict view, the more or less powerful members of dominant groups create the rules for success and opportunit y in society, practically denying subordinate groups such success and opportunities this ensures that the powerful continue to monopolize power, privilege, and authority. You should note that most conflict theorists oppose this sort of coercion and favor a more equal social order. Some support a fare socioeconomic revolution to socialism (Marx), while others are more re attainists, or perhaps do not see all social inequalities stemming from the capitalist system (they believe we could solve racial, gender, and class inequality without turning to socialism).However, umpteen conflict theorists focus on capitalism as the source of social inequalities. The primary cause of social problems is the exploitation and onerousness of subordinate groups by dominants. Conflict theorists generally view oppression and inequality as wrong, whereas morphologic-functionalist whitethorn see it as necessary for the smooth running and integration of society (McQueeney, 2011). As noted by the refr eshing military man Encyclopedia (2013), conflict theory attempts to refute the functionalist approach, which considers that societies and organizations function so that each individual and group plays a specific role, like organs in the body. There are radical basic assumptions (society is eternally in conflict, which might explain social change), or moderate ones (custom and conflict are always mixed). The essence of conflict theory is best epitomized by the classic pyramid structure in which an elite dictates terms to the larger masses. All major social structures, laws, and traditions in the society are designed to support those who have traditionally been in power, or the groups that are perceived to be superior in the society according to this theory (New World Encyclopedia, 2013).Conflict theory presupposes the following according to Ritzer (2007) conflict or struggle between individuals and groups who have opposing fire or who are competing for scarce resources is the ess ence of social life contender and conflict occur over many types of resources inmany strike outtings, but power and economic resources are the principal sources of conflict and competition conflict and struggle typically result in some individuals and groups dominating and dictatorial others, and patterns of domination and subordination tend to be self-perpetuating reign social groups have a disproportionate influence on the allocation of resources and on the structure of society. Ritzer (2007) mentions that in conflict class struggle is the most fundamental and underlies all other forms. Political, ethnic, religious, and ideological conflicts not only manifest the predominant form of class conflict and the nature of the dominant class, but also in essence would not exist at all were class conflict to be eradicated. As stated by Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, (2007), the conflict perspective explains different aspects of our social world by looking at which groups have power and bene fit from a particular social arrangement.For example, feminist theory argues that we live in a patriarchal society a hierarchical system of organization controlled by men. Although there are many varieties of feminist theory, most would hold that feminism demands that existing economic, political, and social structures be change (Mooney et al., 2007). The Russian Revolution of 1917 can be seen as an outcome of the conflict theory. This eventide illustrates the major revolutionary power of the rise of one social group against another. As indicated by the New World Encyclopedia (2013), the conflict theory can be applied on both the macro take (like the United States government or Soviet Russia, historically) or the micro train (a church organization or school club). Conflict theory seeks to catalog the ways in which those in power seek to stay in power. Conflict can arise in different areas law, religion, education, or media, and can be found in the powerful protecting their monop oly, or the uneffective attempting to change the status quo. There are some practice applications according to The Catholic University of America (2008) that the conflict theory could be used it informs insurance and may guide to a macro-level practice it could be useful in formulating assessments involving oppression and leaf node vulnerability and could enhance understanding of conflict between persons, ideas, groups, classes, and larger social structures.Practice interventions could be listening for evidence of oppression within individuals, groups, and communities paying attention to the role of conflict leading to client vulnerability organizing to alter powerrelationships and recognizing that dominant and subordinate groups compete for resources (The Catholic University of America, 2008). When it comes to conflict the assumption is that if you have interaction, then you automatically have conflict. There is no human society that could exist without possessing conflicts of in terest conflict is mean(prenominal) and necessary for growth and social change. In understanding conflict theory, the New World Encyclopedia (2013) states that competition between social classes plays a mention part. The following are four primary assumptions of modern conflict theory firstly, competition over scarce resources (money, leisure, sexual partners, and so on) is at the purport of all social relationships. Competition kinda than consensus is characteristic of human relationships. If everyone could extend what they wanted, then there would not be any conflict. Secondly, inequalities in power and reward are built into all social structures. Individuals and groups that benefit from any particular structure strive to see it maintained.Thirdly, change occurs as a result of conflict between social classs competing interests rather than through adaptation. It is often abrupt and revolutionary rather than evolutionary. Lastly, even war is a unifier of the societies involved, as well as war may set an end to whole societies. There are many assumptions regarding the conflict theory. In summary, conflict theory is the exploitation of the lower class by the wealthy, the below the belt relationship between the worker/renter and the landlord/boss, and the idea that money will always bring about conflict. It is an interesting way to look at the world. Conflict theory may seem straightforward, but it isnt always so cut and dry. In order to understand society, this Marxist theory must be considered without forgetting about other forms of conflict theory. According to The Catholic University of America, 2008, the conflict theory gives us some human behavior concepts such as all societies perpetuate some forms of oppression and injustice and structural inequity power is unequally divided and some groups dominate others social order is based on manipulation and control by dominate groups social change is driven by conflict, with periods of change interrupting per iods of stability and life is characterized by conflict not consensus. Conflict is an endemic the goal is to succeed conflict so it does not escalate to damaging levels.ReferencesThe Catholic University of America (2008, August). Overview of theories of human behavior and the social environment. Retrieved July 25, 2013, from http//ncsss.cua.edu/res/docs/field/theories.pdf Crossman, A. (2013). Conflict Theory. Retrieved July 24, 2013, from http//sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Conflict-Theory.htm McQueeney, K. (2011). Conflict Theory. Retrieved fromwww.unc.edu/kbm/SOCI10Spring2004/Conflict_Theory.docMooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2007). Understanding social problems (5th ed.). Belmont, CA Thomson Wadsworth.New World Encyclopedia (2013, June 13). Conflict theory. Retrieved July 25, 2013, from http//www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Conflict_theoryRitzer, G. (2007). Conflict Theory. In The Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology (Vol. 2, pp. 662 665). Malden, MA Bl ackwell Pub.Walsh, A. (2012). Critical theories Marxist, conflict, and feminist. In Criminology The essentials (pp. 93-110). Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications.