Consensus vs conflict perspectives in sociology
Consensus perspective assumes society is based on shared values and agreement; conflict perspective assumes society is based on power and competing interests.
Real World
The NHS is seen by functionalists as a shared institution meeting societal health needs, but Marxists argue it primarily reproduces a healthy workforce for capitalist production — the same institution, two opposing interpretations.
Exam Focus
In 'assess' questions, apply both perspectives to the same example to demonstrate evaluative contrast rather than describing each separately.
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