COMPARE AND CONTRAST TWO THEORATICAL APPROACHES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS

STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALIST ORIENTATION- Society is a system of interrelated parts in a way that is balanced. If one part changes too fast, the whole system gets disrupted. Social integration plus adequate socialisation equals to social stability, and that equates to a strong society. Solutions to social problems should take the form of gradual social reform than sudden and far-reaching change. Despite their negative impacts, social problems serve as important  functions for the society. Social problems weaken a society's stability but do not reflect fundamental faults in how society is structured.

CONFLICT ORIENTATION- Society is characterized by pervasive inequality based on social class, gender, race and other factors. Successful solutions to social problems must involve far-reaching change in the structure of a society. Far-reaching social change is needed to eliminate social inequality and make a society that is deserving of equal rights and opportunities. Social problems arise from fundamental faults in the structure of a society and both reflect and reinforce inequalities based on social class and other dimensions.