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Assignment defend the view that functionalism offers better explanation than conflict theory of the professionalization

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Functionalism and Conflict Theory

The functionalism theory and the conflict theory are two theories that define social occurrences. The conflict theory believes that the society is made up of groups, which have different interests. These competing groups have different levels and capabilities of power and furthermore there are scarce resources, therefore, causing more competition. The theory believes that conflict is built in the society, and the main reason for this is because resources are unequally distributed in the community (Erridge & Hennigan, 2012).Furthermore, the different groups of people within the society have conflicting interests thus leading to the conflict of interests. Because the various groups are fighting for scarce resources, there are possibilities that one of these groups may become dominant and use its power to gain control and power. The dominant group can furthermore make sure that all systems operate directly in its favour. The team will also gain maximum control over resources and work hard to keep these resources. In this theory, a consensus is usually artificial, and it is something that people look forward to acquiring. 

It usually occurs when the dominant group manages to hold onto its status quo.In these instances, conflict directly leads to social change and equitable distribution of resources. The functionalist theory looks at societal inequality as a key feature that holds the society together and ensures that it functions according to the necessary standards. It believes that differences in wealth within the community motivate people to realize their full potential. Therefore, inequality within the society is required for the proper functioning of the community. It looks at the society as a complex entity, which is necessary because it ensures that every person fulfills his or her role in the society thus bringing balance. (Turvey, 2014).It realizes that the society functions like an organism, meaning that it works hard to maintain itself and remain relevant. Furthermore, this structure enables the community to keep stability in all its functions. In this case, the society is functionally integrated to form a stable system. Social care is the provision of personal care, protection, and social support to children and adults who have special needs due to disability, illness, or old age.

Functionalism realizes that good health and adequate social care are essential for proper functioning of the society. The conflict theory, on the other hand, scrutinizes the quality of health as well as that of healthcare, it believes that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to fall ill. The functionalist approach recognizes that bad health prevents the proper performance of individuals within the society, and if more people were sick, then the economy would suffer. Therefore, according to functionalism, the society is in a state of balance, which remains that way due to the proper functioning of the components of society. It is necessary to understand that social systems are usually held together by conventional norms which bring about equilibrium within the social system (Horgan,2013).The functionalist perspective realizes that stability and cooperation are necessary within the society and furthermore enable continuity within the community. Society is seen as biological organisms which are made up of connected and integrated parts that function at different capacities. Considering the professionalism of social care in Ireland, it would be necessary to weigh these two theories to understand how these theories apply to the practice, 

Social caregivers in Ireland have been able to apply these principles practically to ensure proper practices in the caregiving field. Social care workers are responsible for providing professional care to individuals or groups of clients. They caring for a variety of people including children and adolescents in residential care, young people in detention schools, people who have various physical or intellectual disabilities, the homeless, people possessing drug or alcohol dependency and the older people (Finnerty &Hammer,2014).Social care workers are responsible for providing guidance and support to these individuals. Social care uses strength-based approaches to mediate the problems that clients may have (Ritzer, 2012) Professionalism in social care depends on the ability of the human caregivers to understand how to assess accurately and perform their duties according to the given guidelines. Social care practices in Ireland are highly dependent on the institutional context and have a reasonable reliance on these theories. The theoretical tradition of symbolic interactionism has often been linked to most of the social work in Ireland.

Traditions have influenced the development of social work in Ireland though in recent times the theoretical perspectives have had a huge effect on outcomes. The structural functionalist perspective has been able to define the social care setup hugely, and this is often based on the notions of equilibrium as well as consensus. Society continues to be seen as a system of interrelated parts that looks to identify the functions that these parts may carry out (Adam,2013).The idea of functional necessity can be understood by understanding that there are different rewards given to various members of the community according to the position that one has in the community. Everyone has a set function and role in the community and are expected to perform this role to the best of one’s capabilities. According to the theory of functionalism, it is important to understand that every society has class, and every society is classless. It is necessary to instill desire within individuals to help them realize the importance and symbolism of the role that they play in the society.

It is important for every society to have social order as this helps the society to function properly and according to the given parameters. Rewards and distribution will become part of that social order and gives rise to stratification. Along these lines, the social care system in Ireland reveals the functionality of health as a proper functioning system that needs role performance of every individual. The social care system in Ireland, therefore, lets every person carry out their particular role to the best of their ability and according to the best level of their professionalism. Such developments give way to social mechanisms, which then inevitably shape the role. All individuals in this scenario play a particular role that is expected of them thus enabling professionalism in the social care department in Ireland. There are certain conditions that the society legitimates as illness and therefore allows to occur, as a normality (Cohn, 2015).It is a self-adjusting mechanism, which is necessary for normal structural and organizational functionalism. Through following these roles, social significance occurs in all aspects. The social care framework in Ireland is within social theory frameworks and therefore shows much professionalism. The impact of social care in the nation continues to appear as a professional area in search of a clear identity.

There are agreed standards of practice and pre-service training as well as educational services available for the social care workers. There is a clear code of ethics and a system for regulating entry at all levels. Based on all these concepts, social care is clearly a profession that has not yet received full recognition in Ireland. The professionalism of social assistance is a contributing factor o the problem of professional recognition as well as status (Borgatta&Montgomery, 2012).The practice has been formalized and institutionalized, and the social care practice in Ireland is a fulcrum for social action and social education. The integration between social care and social work is snot underestimated and has a huge role to play in the social construct of the nation. There is a critical attitude shift that exists, and it is necessary for practitioners and policy makers alike to move from aspiration to the reality of the issue. The concepts of self and relationship are inseparable in the active social care practice, and it is necessary to accept the reality of the situation based on these facts.

There is a critical link between the actual work being done and the person doing the work in these circumstances. The main aim of the human caregivers is to ensure that there are provisions for high quality and efficient social labour, and these programmes are balanced between theoretical, political and practical bases.The Irish state, however, often exhibits a lack of commitment in the adequate social provision and a more equitable society and instead pursues actions that often fail to address the social problems, and this is a conflicting theory view of the situation (Ritzer,2012).Therefore, individuals have taken a more different role in contesting and exposing the state actions in this scenario. In this same context, it is necessary to understand how the functionalism and the conflicting theory both apply in the situation and which of these may offer more relevance. The functionalistic perspective looks at the bigger picture and chooses to focus on the aspects of the society that are connected to care and health. Those working on a functionalistic perspective look at how the wellbeing of individuals contributes to the normal functioning of the community.

The functionalistic view studies the most efficient way to restore sick individuals to a state of normalcy. The sociocultural aspect of the professionalism of human caregivers in Ireland reveals sociology’s approach to phenomena, which is clearly definable and linked to the profession. In this scenario, sociology has an important contribution to multidisciplinary research relating to the issue of the professionalism and the set up of social care in Ireland. The conflict theory looks at the occurrence quite differently and believes that there is a state of competition for the available physical resources, which needs to be addressed (Adam,2013).It believes that such issues as the distribution of personnel heavily depend on the state of society and the level of want or need in the community. Functionalism, on the other hand, believes that every individual has a particular role to play in the community, which they have to fulfill the duty to the most of their capacity. According to the functionalist theory, as is connected to social care in Ireland, the social well-being of all individuals is of significance and therefore the issue of social care is often treated with a degree of professionalism. 

The social care sector in Ireland, therefore, exhibits stability and cooperation within the society. Social events are often explained in connection to the function that they are capable of performing within the community. The healthcare sector has been able to implement the societal rules and then converted these various rules into roles(Cohn,2015).Therefore, it is believed that every individual has a particular role to play in the social care sector and furthermore should fulfill their role o the best of their capability. The need for care has been established as a social phenomenon more than a physical need and therefore the Irish social caregivers understand the primary function that they have to play in the community. 


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