Symbolic Interactionist - In symbolic interactionist theory, society consists of organized and patterned interactions among individuals, and research focuses on easily observable face-to-face interactions rather than on macro-level structural relationships involving social institutions (Symbolic). It shifts the focus from the stable norms of society to the changeable social processes, looking at the participants in events rather than the events themselves. Symbolic interactionists create temporary, socially constricted relations in constant flux, although the framework governing the relations is stable. There is an emphasis on symbols, negotiated reality, and an interest in the roles people play. Role-taking is a key mechanism for social interaction, because it allows people to see things from the perspective of others. Improvisation also plays a major role in social interactions. Symbolic interactionists see society as consisting of organized and patterned interactions among individuals. They tend to study social interactions through participant observation rather than surveys and interviews, arguing that close contact and immersion in the everyday lives of the participants is necessary to be able to understand the meaning of their actions.
Functionalists The basic beliefs of functionalism is that the world is a stable place, and that socialization occurs through the acceptance of the values and norms of society, so that consensus is achieved (Functionalism). Various social control mechanisms exist to restore conformity or to segregate non-conforming individuals from the rest of society when socialization is insufficient for some reason and some people do not conform to culturally appropriate roles. Functionalists believe that all societies have the same needs and that they are met in the same way in all societies, e.g. they all have a religion, because it serves certain functions and contributes to the survival of the ...