Functionalist TheoryEmile Durkheim's functionalist theory is based on the ideologies that society is made up of components that depend on each other. Auguste Comte developed functionalism; Durkheim compared society to the human body. The body is made up of different interdependent organs that allow it to survive; society is made up of different cogs that allow it to survive. There is a state of stability within society and if any component of that society changes, it will reorganize itself to maintain stability. Functionalism will interpret the components of society in terms of their contributions to the stability of society as a whole. Social agreement, orientation, and integration are primary views of functionalism; society will endure and grow thanks to shared norms and values; all individuals have a goal and a vested interest in conforming and thus conflicts are minimized (Pope, 1975). Class Conflict Marx Marx's observations of society led him to realize that people work every day for mediocre wages; while the people they work for get richer. This created a ...