Navigating Social Problems: The Functionalist Perspective on Marijuana Decriminalization

Abstract

Theoretic Approaches in a Social Problem There are three main theories that sociologists employ while analyzing a social problem. Functionalism theory allows functionalists to see a social problem from the perception of societal imbalance, arguing that many societies experience changes and fail to successfully adapt to the employed change that leads to a social problem (Mooney, Clever, and Van Willigen, 2021). Conflict theory views the social problem from the societal inequalities arguing that in most instances, a social problem emerges due to conflicts amongst leaders as the powerful tend to humiliate the powerless (Loyal and Malešević, 2021). Finally, symbolic interaction theory argues social problems from people's interpretations. Symbolic interaction theorists assume that through people interactions, people analyze each other's behavior and interpret them according to their potentials, creating social bonds that enable them to relate peacefully or cause conflicts amongst them (Loyal and Malešević, 2021). Though all the three theories view social problems from a different perspective and offer justifications for the occurrence of a social problem, the need to dig deeper as a functionalist is essential in analyzing marijuana social problems. It is imperative to note that the impacts of the social condition on society determine the extent to which such a condition can become defined as a social problem in the long run. What does such a statement imply? If, for instance, within a society, people affected by a specific condition become influential and affect a more significant portion of the population, then the condition becomes considered a social problem. In the current case scenario, it is open that decriminalizing marijuana misuse is a social condition that, if not well addressed, can become a severe social problem based on the influence that the affected people will have on the non-affected people in the long run. Functionalist focuses on social stability and shared public values (Loyal and Malešević, 2021). In such a perception, decriminalizing marijuana misuse might lead to huge use of marijuana beyond the required/specified amount as nothing serious...