Concept Application Project Essay

passim the semester I boast explored many an(prenominal) topics in sociology. While exploring these topics, three main theoretical vistas were utilize. I depart briefly illustrate each of the main theoretical perspectives of functionalism, appointment theory, and exemplary Interactionism. During this semester I have watched cardinal films, Food Incorporated and The Vernon Johns Story. I will describe how a theoretical perspective is used in each of these samples. Then I will provide my own ii grammatical cases where concepts and theoretical perspectives bunghole be illustrated.My First example is the Boston Marathon Bombings and the second is the Mass Medias coverage of the Boston Bombings. The Functionalist spatial relation is a sociological perspective that emphasizes each part of troupe contributing to the survival of that society. In Sociology in Modules, they define the functionalists perspective as, A sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the par ts of a society be structured to maintain its st readiness (Schaefer 15).Read more thanConflict Perspective on sociable Media The functionalist perspective scum bag be comp bed to the humankind body model. Each part of the body performs specific tasks. For example, our legs forget us to walk or run and our lungs quit us to breathe. With come to the fore each and every body part, iodine simply rout outnot perform to the maximum potential. Now when a functionalist is looking at a society, they may define different favorable groups that contribute to a larger population. The Conflict Perspective is a sociological perspective that views the world as a constant struggle.In our textbook, Sociology in Modules, they define the conflict perspective as, A sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension betwixt groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation (S chaefer 15). There are many areas where conflict can a abstract in todays society. Religious groups, political parties, and different social classes, may all have hostile views with otherwise or opposite groups.Examples of the conflict perspective allow means of turnout versus labor and the concentration of wealth. In recent history, the conflict perspective is becoming more popular. With, The widespread social unrest resulting from battles over civil rights, bitter divisions over the war in Vietnam, the rise of the feminist and gay liberation movements, the Watergate political scandal, urban riots, and con scarerations at abortion clinics have offered support for the conflict approach (Schaefer 16). Groups in society with different viewpoints frequently pose a great threat to conflicting parties.The Interactionist Perspective is the third main sociological perspective where the traditional way of thinking comes from typical human interaction between groups. Sociology in Modu les defines the interactionist perspective as, generalizations about everyday forms of social interaction in grade to explain society as a whole (Schaefer 17). The interactionist perspective is in any case know as emblemic interactionism. I believe it is much easier to look at it from a symbolic interactionism perspective because symbols are easier to understand.From a symbolic interactionist perspective, one may see the world we live in as full of objects. These objects can come on the form of bulk, places, matters, thoughts, feelings, or symbols. Symbolic interactionism looks at these symbols to characterize groups by their symbol. Each symbol may be different. For example, a symbol could be the type of color of car you drive, what you wear to turn over or school everyday, or even tattoos. Groups in society are often characterized by their symbols. These symbols allow people with similar symbols to communicate with ease.Food Incorporated is a documentary film that portrays the corporate farming industry in the United States as unhealthy, harmful, abusive, and inhumane. Food Inc. the movie really gave me something to think about, it still fortify my beliefs to eat healthy and support organic and free-range grass fed meats. The most meaningful thing to me was when one of the contributors said the corporate farming industry only wants to grow their products bigger, fatter, cheaper, faster. This agribusiness in only in it for the sake of business and they dont see the other side.On the other side there are these products that are being mass-produced in factory farms. This seemingly only affects the lower class Americans who can only afford the cheapest of food products at the super market. From a monetary standpoint, it only makes sense that people are forced to consume such low quality products at their demise. As the conflict theory would describe it, this is a constant struggle between the producer and the consumer. The producers are producing anim al products in close quarter factory farms and feeding them corn, which is not a naturally occurring meal.specifically cattle and chickens are given hormone shots to make them grown bigger, fatter, and faster. These farms do not treat the animals rise up at all. The animals live in horrible conditions, often times in their own manure. This causes disease to go across to food that eventually people eat. There are cases that come up all the time where products remove to be pulled from the shelves in stores because of contaminated foods. The Vernon Johns story is a rightful(a) story sullen into a movie that portrays a Minister, Vernon John, who leads the African Americans in the fight for civil rights.This film demonstrated the victimisation of social change in the south. First, the blacks do not measure up to the whites in social class. They often held position in social that were not alpha of looked down upon. For example, the position that Vernon John holds is viewed as a co nflict by white law enforcement officials. During the early 1900s, Black Americans were being segregated from society. Secondly, During this time, African Americans were not recognized by society as having any value other than slavery. Race and ethnicity played a large role in society during this time.African American Racial groups formed and they were discriminated against. Vernon John is a leader of social change. He stepped up and faced the danger in speak his views. The movie illustrates two great examples of hate crime in the 1920s. The first is when Vernon John was driving in his car tardily at night to bring a girl who had been raped to the hospital. The white policemen pulled Vernon John over and meet antagonized him for no reason. Another example is when part of Vernon Johns church was set on fire. This was plainly planned by the white Americans out of annoyance for Vernon Johns following and community.The blacks were intemperately being discriminated against. Third, t he government used force and power to exercise their will against Vernon John and the Black Americans. The movie demonstrates a great example of what goes on in society today. Although the United States may not be going through the exact same situation of discrimination as the 1900s, we are still facing sorts of discrimination and hate crimes today. Which leads me into my conterminous example, the recent Boston Marathon bombings. The Boston Marathon bombings is an alleged terrorist attack that happened during the finish of the 2013 Boston Marathon.On April 15th, 2013, two Muslim brothers from Massachusetts detonated two explosives near the finish line of the Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 200 people. The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings display the conflict some people have with society. I am not in the head of the bombers or the investigators so I am only speaking from an outside perspective. With that being said, I cannot imagine what they were thinking when s etting off these two explosions in front of thousands of people. From the suspects point of view, they must have seen the world from a conflict perspective.They must have believed that they didnt hold up into society. In a Wall Street Journal article, one suspect claims he and his brother were irate about the U. S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the killing of Muslims there (Authorities Say Bomb Suspects Planned NYC Attack). My only guess is that their hatred for the United States is so fierce that they concluded in carrying out these horrible acts. It appears that other groups from over seas heavily influenced the suspects. This is just one example of how government, religion, and cultural differences can become conflicting in society.The mass media can influence the coverage of any story by the time it reaches the public. The mass media is defined by Sociology in Modules as, print and electronic means of communication that carries messages to widespread audiences (Schaefer 153 ). The leverage they have is huge in what reading/sources they have and what they release. In the coverage of the Boston Bombings, the media helped the public understand of what precautions they should take around the threatened area. The media also helped people from across the country understand what was happening in Boston.In this case, I believe the media did a good job in providing accurate breeding to the public. However, this is not always the case. The conflict view states that gatekeeping can control what information reaches the public. For example the media can choose on which pieces of intelligence information to report on, leaving out specifics that could totally twist the story. They can also choose which sources they want to use which may also have an affect on the outcome of the story. Not all social classes have access to certain news sources. Many sources are behind a pay wall, which prohibits some potential viewers from accessing the information.The functionalis t view would feel out that the mass media plays a role in society that keeps it moving forward. Sociology in Modules says, the mass media is to occupy our void timefrom newspaper comics and crossword puzzles to the latest music releases on the Internet. While that is true, the media have other important functions. They also socialize us, enforce social norms, confer status, and promote consumption (Schaefer 154). This is all very true and it reinforces our viewpoints of the media. Overall, multiple theoretical perspectives can portray the mass media.Indeed, concepts and theoretical perspectives learned in class are used to illustrate events in society today. First, the example of the Vernon Johns story gives one the ability to see the upbringing of social change through the civil rights movement. The second example of the Food Inc. production is one that produces for profit without taking into consideration all the ethical and health needs of American citizens. Third, my example o f the Boston Marathon Bombings illustrates conflict and hates crimes in our culture today. Lastly. The mass media acts as an agent between information and the public through print and electronic versions.The conflict and functionalists theoretical perspectives can be used to dissect the mass media. Therefore, social concepts and theoretical perspectives are used throughout the society we live in today. ? whole shebang Cited Authorities Say Bomb Suspects Planned NYC Attack. WSJ. com. Associated Press, 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Movie One, 2008. DVD. Schaefer, Richard T. Sociology In Modules. New York McGraw-Hill, 2011. McGrawHills Connect. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. The Vernon Johns Story. Dir. Kenneth Fink. 1994. DVD.