Relating Sociological Frameworks to Women Issues

Relating Sociological Frameworks to Women Issues
Name
Institution
Relating Sociological Frameworks to Women Issues
Abstract
There are different problems experienced by people in the society. Majority of the individuals believe that people are responsible for the situations that befall them and that the society is not to blame for these problems. However, the sociological perspective sees individual problems as a replication of the societal problems. For women, the conflict theory is the best when it comes to explaining the gender roles of women in the society. This conflict theoretical framework is by far better than the functionalism theory and the symbolic interaction theory, especially when it comes to explaining women issues in the society.
Sociological Perspectives
Majority of individuals in the society experience various social problems personally. For example, numerous people live in poverty, have family issues, overindulge in alcohol, or commit suicide. When these individuals are mentioned, it is possible to think that their problems are personal, and that they individuals together with the other people with the same problems are to blame for their challenges. As a woman, I have realized that the challenges that I go through in life, and which are inherent to numerous other women are not entirely my own problem as the society would want me to think. From the sociological perspective, individual problems are often grounded in problems arising from facets of society itself. From studying sociology, the sociological perspective that I have come to identify with the most as a woman is the conflict theory.
The Conflict Theory
The conflict theory which I identify with as a woman dates back to the Industrial Revolution. The people who first developed this theory were Karl Marx (1818-1883) and his associate Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). While many intellectuals were afraid of the widespread violence that resulted from industrialization, Marx and Engels criticized the circumstances they believed were responsible for the conditions. Instead of being afraid of the widespread violence in the society, these two scholars believed that this violence was necessary to end capitalism and the misery they envisioned as its unavoidable results (Stack, 2012).
According to Marx and Engels understanding, every society is categorized according to the means of production that an individual owns. In a capitalist society, the bourgeoisie, or the ruling class, holds the tools of production, while the proletariat, or working class, does not hold the means of production. Instead, the proletariat is exploited and subjugated by the bourgeoisie. This variation brings about an involuntary conflict of interest between these two opposing groups. In simple terms, Marx and Engels see the bourgeoisie as only upholding their place at the top of society, while the interests of the proletariat is in ascending from the bottom and ousting the bourgeoisie to develop a classless society (Stack, 2012).
Marx and Engels believed that in a capitalist society revolution is unavoidable due to the structural disagreements stemming from the very nature of capitalism. Since profit is the main goal of capitalism, the capitalist owners ar...