Is society seen as a harmonious system with gradual changes to maintain stability, or is it viewed as a battleground where conflicts between groups drive significant transformations? Discuss in context of functionalist and conflict theory of social change.

SOCIETY AS A HARMONIOUS, STABLE INSTITUTION

Functionalists like Parsons emphasize on the dynamic or moving equilibrium tendency of the society to maintain social order. It uses Integration and Latency functions to enable this stability. E.g. Role of Values, Religion etc.

Structural strain may develop due to some subsystems not working properly and they can be replaced [SMELSER] by other functional alternatives - [Merton].

E.g. Durkheim predicted secularism will replace social control and solidarity functions of religion.

Due to external differentiation and integration [SPENCER], society will need adaptational upgrading resulting in gradual changes in structure rather than rapid structural change. E.g. Modernization of society due to industrial revolution.

CONFLICT VIEW:

The inability of the status quoist and conservative view of functionalists to explain the social conflicts and divisive aspect of society led to rise of conflict view. Conflict view like Marxists sees society as a contradiction between the interest of surplus owning ruling/ownership class and the exploited non-ownership class.

Using historical materialism and Hegelian dialectics, Marx traces this dichotomy throughout evolution of societies.

Althusser, Poulantzas etc. elaborates on the same view how civil society, state, education is dominated by the dominant class. It helps in maintaining 'hegemony' under the legitimacy of equality, democracy etc. [Gramsci]

Critical schools of Frankfurt highlight other dimensions like panopticon of surveillance and social control by modern institutions - [Foucault].

However conflict theorists fail to: (1) Explain element of continuity and stability in society. (2) Percy Cohen: How much change will lead to social change is not explained by Marx. (3) Inevitability of revolution by Marx was questioned by Weber, Dahrendorf etc.