Two theoretical approaches to social problems

Structural Functionalist Perspective

A strong society requires social stability and social stability requires adequate socialization and social integration. Society's social organizations play important roles in helping to ensure social stability. Slow social change is desirable, but rapid social change threatens the social order. People may express social deviance. Social problems undermine the stability of society, but do not reflect fundamental shortcomings in the structure of society. Solutions to social problems must take the form of gradual social reform rather than sudden and sweeping changes. Despite their negative affects, social problems often play an important role in society. For example, crime is a huge social problem, but it is also good for the economy because it creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in law enforcement and reforms home security and other areas of the economy. The main role is dealing crime. If crime disappeared, many people would be out of work.

Conflict Perspective

Conflict theory sees social problems in its various forms as a result of inherent inequality in society. Depending on what version of conflict theory is being considered, the inequality that leads to the emergence of social problems is based on certain dimensions of social class, race and ethnicity, gender or hierarchy of society. Conflict theory suggests that because any of these inequalities have a fundamental flaw in society, radical social change is necessary to solve many of society's social problems. For example, the average woman is not given equal opportunities as the average man because gender inequality goes hand in hand with the widely held sexist belief that women are inferior to men.

Structural functionalist theory emphasizes that every aspect of society serves a function that is important for the survival of society whereas conflict theory states that society is in friction due to unequal distribution of resources. Both believe that society fulfils some basic functional role in human life.