Abortion from Perspectives of Functionalist - Essay Example

Abortion is an extremely complex issue that filled with both support and conflict. To abortion, there are no easy answers. However, abortion and recent developments in New York serve as an ideal subject on which to delve into the theories of sociology. Thus, it is not always, about whether abortion is right or wrong, or moral or immoral, but about how abortion uniquely adheres to the functionalist, conflict and interactionist perspective. Citing that abortion is an issue of extreme controversy that fuels heated debate, all attempts will be made to venture forth with a certain tone of objectivity and even optimism. In recent weeks and months, the pro-life movement has launched a campaign to educate the Black community on the impact of abortion. One billboard was place in New York that read, “The most dangerous place for an African American is the womb.”[Oss11] While the statistical data supports this claim, the ramifications of abortions in the Black communities of New York create an optimal scenario to analyze. Functionalist From this perspective, we must engage abortion from a macro perspective in terms of how it affects the whole of society and its relationship between societal parts. Abortion in general is legal, but when viewing it from the macro perspective, it becomes alarming. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the abortion rate for non-Hispanic Blacks in New York is 59.8%. Clearly this statement makes the aforementioned billboard claim correct. From a functionalist perspective, little else is seen. This vision of the functionalist has sparked a growing concern that has not only swept the nation, but has found its way into legislation to the thwart the taxpayer funding of abortions nationwide. The functionalist has a natural call for accountability. The perception is that abortions outside of cases of rape, incest and of concerns for health are an act of personal irresponsibility fueled by the passive acceptance of low moral standards. Accountability is imposed through removing the means financial absolution when it comes to acquiring abortions. It is felt that social systems work to maintain a social equilibrium. With more than half of the Black babies in New York being aborted, that equilibrium is lost with the given community. The lost equilibrium is viewed as the loss of social norms that must be returned to the previous state through social control mechanisms; in this case legislation. The functionalist also views the individual from a perspective that enables how the individual is influenced by larger, more reaching social forces. The pro-life campaign that resulted in this billboard is a prime example of how the functionalist utilizes social tool to influence the individual. While it is not a matter of whether the functionalist in this case is right or wrong, it demonstrates an example of the functionalist at work on a macro scale. However, the functionalist is not the only perspective in viewing abortions in New York’s Black communities. Conflict From the conflict perspective, the billboard was a result of the fact that the New York inner city Black community has insufficient resources in which to cope with the reproductive health of women. The result is an abortion rate that now “outpaces life.” When compared to other ethnic groups, Blacks undergo disproportionately more abortions. Because the Black community lacks the resources of the richer communities, the abortion rates are higher. Abortions are thus performed for economic reasons as the Black community falls further behind the economic elite of America. The unemployment rate for Blacks aged 16 to 19 is 41.6%.[Eco11] From a conflict perspective, it goes to reason abortion rates will be higher in those whom lack the means of financial provision. “Men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage of their development…”[Mar71] The natural urge of procreation when pitted with the forces of an economically oppressed culture inherently will result in a higher rate of abortions. From this perspective, the action is one of responsibility and need. The underlying tone is one of absolution and not of accountability for ones actions. As the wealthy become increasingly so, and the poor fall further behind, the blame rests on those who have and not those who not. Capitalism has its victims. These victims under this perspective are the young Blacks in new York who are being left behind by those whom have exploited and capitalist nation. In their wake of wealth lie the unborn and those without the means to provide life to them. It is the desire that those with more have less so those with less can have more. From this perspective, if those who currently have less were better off, abortions in New York’s Black communities would not exist. It is felt in this perspective that capitalism will lead to socialism. While the new health care reform law has aided in this, several pieces of legislation have been proposed that undermine the delivery of the American health care system away from capitalism. Abortion is directly impacted by one bill in particular; H.R. 3 No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.[Con11] The act does not affect funding for abortions that are the result of incest and rape, but will force those seeking abortions to fund them with private insurance or self-pay for the procedure. Citing the limited financial resources available for many Blacks in New York, the legislation poses a threat. For this reason, many groups have been very vocal in their opposition to the legislation. Abortions in New York are now a part of the culture and society in New York. A sudden change that results in abortions being removed as an financial alternative can deliver New York back to era that existed before abortions became legal in the United States. The consequence of this will lead to a black market industry requiring specialized policing no different than that of drug task forces in existence today. It is well known in New York that demographic with the highest birthrate is also the single most economically challenged demographic. As the male follows his natural desires of procreation, he is met with the challenge of not being able to adequately support offspring. The culture of Blacks in New York has determined that the pursuit of abortion is the viable alternative to bringing forth a life that cannot be provided for. While the functionalist has in part keyed in on this as a target of sorts, one must venture forth to determine how this conundrum has come to be. Interactionist This of the three is the micro perspective. One perspective is that of the intrapsychic assumption of role in that the individual is capable of viewing self in script. The cultural component of such scripting allows the interactionist to view self from not only their perspective, but from that of another.[Coo02],[Mea34] In such scripting lies an adaptation of identity that both allows and disallows abortion. The individual, being able to view the act from multiple perspectives is more likely to proceed with their choice with far greater confidence in self. Symbolic interactionism is largely support by the development of identities and self-evaluation in the context of social interactions; both intimate and reciprocal interactions. Through social norming, the position for or against abortion is likely to be supported. In New York where the abortion rate is high among Black youth, a person of similar demographic is likely to support the act. For the individual, this is a fluid and ever changing process that allows them to adopt to a changing environment. Should the incident rate of abortion decline, the interactionist is likely to adjust with it. Larossa and Reitzes stated, “Individuals are not born with a sense of self but develop self concepts through interactions.” It can be argued that self-concept motivates behavior and once the individual believes they are to be a certain way, are then motivated to fulfill the prophecy of self. One can also support the ideology that small groups are controlled by the influences of the larger whole. It can be further supported that individuals define society by their location in society. Here we learn that men and women negotiate their sexual roles and are influenced by standards that are ascribed from a given society or culture. As sexuality embeds into a culture, it changes over time. The interactionist easily adapts to these changes through the ability to assume the cultures role in the larger whole. When we view New York and abortions within New York’s Black community, we can see how so many were delivered into the conundrum. Again, it is not that they are right or wrong in their beliefs on abortion; it has become a part of a culture into which they have both evolved and adapted. Summary Abortion will always be a tough issue. We have politicized into right and wrong, moral and immoral. However, we have also demonstrated how the sexual identity of a community evolves and how its people adapt to its evolution. This is to say that once in time, abortions in New York were not a paramount issue. In the future, the abortion rates in New York will and inevitably develop elsewhere. As this happens, the functionalist will seek to both protect the right and oppose the act through large-scale social tools and when possible, public law. The conflict theory will enable a perspective to shed light on the fact that all societies have their victims. As this happens, the interactionist will adapt to the changing times through a multidimensional perspective of self. He will embody his culture and his community as it shifts to the greater forces of the whole. The social dynamics insist a constant cycle of social evolution. However, as this social evolution continues to cycle, these perspectives ensure the individual will indeed evolve with them. Within them will remain conflict and struggle and the individual will be increasingly affected by the larger social order. It is perfect in its imperfections. References: Oss11: , (Ossad, 2011), Eco11: , (Economic News Release; Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age, 2011), Mar71: , (Marx, 1971), Con11: , (Congress, 2011), Coo02: , (Cooley, 1902), Mea34: , (Meade, 1934), Read More