DISCUSS THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MARXIST THEORY AND

FUNCTIONALIST THEORY

Functionalism (also known as Structural Functionalism) is the theory that states all aspects of a society
are dependent and they serve a function. Thus, they are necessary for the survival of that society.
According to the functionalist perspective, each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to
society’s stability and functioning as a whole. Furthermore, functionalism is a perspective created by
Emile Durkheim . Functionalism depicts that each aspect of the society, either those defined as good or
bad, are essential for the society to continue. Therefore, all these aspects have a role in keeping the
society stable and maintain its social order.

For example, the government provides chemicals and manure for farmers and they can succeed in
agriculture and can contribute to the overall economic development of the society, by providing people
with healthy food and also by paying tax to the government to continue this procedure. Similarly, farmers
can support their families from the income they get. Hence, the farmers are dependent on the government
for manure and other agricultural support; the government is also dependent on the farmers for the
healthy food they provide

Thus, functionalism highlights that it is the inter-dependency among these varied functions or the
elements that eventually lead to the maintenance of the society in a more successful manner. Moreover,
functionalism doesn’t emphasize that these aspects should always have to be ‘good’ or worthy for the
stability of the society. It advocates that if all these aspects function well, then the society will be more
efficient and more stable with high productivity. Yet if these aspects do not function well, several parts or
elements of the society should adapt to recapture and survive the new order and create productivity out of
it.Thus, according to functionalism, disruption in one aspect has an overall impact on the other aspects,
eventually affecting the equilibrium of the entire society. In order to overcome that, people should adapt to
new ways. In other words, the functionalist approach emphasizes that social consensus holds the society
together with the agreement of its members, and they should, therefore, work together to achieve what is
best for the society as a whole.

Conflict theory approach is primarily about the perpetual class conflict in society due to the
unequal distribution of resources. The pioneering personality of this theory is Karl Marx who emphasized
the causes and consequences of the class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariats.
According to him, there is a continuous conflict in the society due to the injustices faced by communities
inside these inequal class system in a society. Therefore, there is a persistent conflict between the
bourgeoisie class, who stands on the topmost level controlling the economy, and the working class or the
proletariat class. Thus, this uneven distribution of resources within the conflict theory is maintained
through ideological coercion where the bourgeoisie would force acceptance of the current conditions to
the proletariat. Thus, conflict theory focuses mainly on this class conflict. It showcases that the limitation
of resources create these class order in a society and this order is maintained by the domination and
power, rather than on consensus and conformity. Hence, according to conflict theory, those with wealth
and power try to hold on to it by any means possible, chiefly by suppressing the poor and powerless. This
is the way how the society goes on.Hence, conflict theory depicts that tensions and conflicts arise when
these resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society and also these
class conflicts eventually trigger a social change in the society. Moreover, this theory was used to explain
varied social problems such as social revolutions, the social discrimination, domestic violence, gender
issues, etc.

FUNCTIONALISM IS AN INAPPROPRIATE ANALYSIS FOR THE CARIBBEAN SOCIETY