Lifespan Assessment
Theory Integration Week 5 Outline
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Conceptual
frameworks for understanding human behavior explain an individual’s interaction
styles, personality structures, and other pertinent behaviors. The family is
the primary agent of socialization. The family unit allows members to interact
and influence each other’s behavior. The systems concepts of the family include
functions, patterns, equilibrium, boundaries, and roles. It is through an
examination of processes that a family sets deliberate goals. The application
of the learning theory concepts is meant to control children’s behavior using
punishment, operant conditioning, modeling, and positive reinforcement.
Children also learn through accidental training and parental attention to
reinforce desirable behaviors.
Major Sociological Theories
The
three major sociological theories are the functionalist theory, the conflict
theory, and the symbolic interactionist theory. Functionalism postulates that
society is made of interconnected parts working together harmoniously to
balance and maintain a state of equilibrium for the whole. Each part of society
(i.e., family, education, politics, economics, and religion) influences an
individual and plays a role in their upbringing (Hartas, 2022). For example, a
rise in the number of single-parent families increases the number of students
failing in school since parents are working and cannot supervise their
children’s studying at home.
The
conflict theory posits that society involves different interests and groups
competing for resources and power (Siregar, 2022). Further, societies go
through different stages of economic development as the concern for profits
replaces survival concerns. Through industrialization, the bourgeoisie and the
proletariat arise with the have-nots working to benefit the haves. The bourgeoisie
employ power to control institutions to their advantage, for instance, religion
controls the masses by soothing their suffering and distress.