Symbolic interactionists believe that there is no permanent structure to society, and that there are no stable group formations, so there are no stable groups to form prejudices against (Hughes and Kroehler, 2002; Symbolic, 2004). They concentrate on the more changeable, evolving relationships in society. Different groups are seen as products of social interactions. These groups are said to arise when communication channels between different groups are limited and the groups develop different systems of meanings. Symbolic interactions see people as actors who can take on roles according to the situation, and adjust their behavior to what they see in others, so there is no prejudice from this perspective. Prejudice only exists if there are stable norms, and groups of people differ from these norms and are perceived as being different. In symbolic interactionism, role-taking plays a large role, and individuals can take the otherÆs perspective, so they can see a situation from all sides. Symbolic interactionism concentrates on interactions between individuals and not groups, and relationships are in constant flux, so there is no chance for prejudice to develop in any organized way. For instance, there cannot be any racial prejudice according to symbolic interactionism because individuals can take on the role of any race and see the world through the otherÆs eyes, so this type of prejudice, which is common in the world around us, is non-existent for them.
Functionalists believe in the organic unity of society (Functionalism, 2004). They believe everyone has a role in society and that all must work together for the good of the society. They see this as being achieved by socialization. Functionalists believe prejudice reduces unity in society and increase the chances of conflict, threatening the equilibrium of society as a whole (Hughes and Kroehler, 2002). At the same time, they also believe that it helps promote group fo...