Life After Graduation: Exploring Possible Scenarios

The functions that people perform in contemporary society can be examined and explained through an array of perspectives, yet Merton’s Role Theory appears to be the most convincing one. According to the main premise of the theory in question, a specific position that an individual has in a community and the associated place in the social hierarchy are linked not to a single function but a constellation of roles (Taylor et al., 2020). The described perspective reflects the complexity of the relationships in modern society, especially when viewed through the lens of cultural diversity (Taylor et al., 2020). Applying the theory to my current role and future aspirations will prove its consistency. Namely, I am presently pursuing a BSNRN degree and a career in dermatology nursing. However, in the future, I plan to play not only the role of a nursing expert but also that of a wife and a mother.

There are numerous ways of interpreting the role and concept of a family, yet the functionalism and symbolic interactionism approaches are the most common ones. From the functionalist perspective, families hold tremendous significance for society, shaping the nature and course of social interactions and defining the values and philosophies accepted within a community (Combs et al., 2020). Unlike functionalism, symbolic interactionism focuses on the emotional aspect of family life and its impact on an individual. Specifically, symbolic interactionism envisions a family as an environment where emotional bonds are built (Low & Thomson, 2021). I believe that a family should be viewed from both perspectives since it is a product of people’s needs both to function within a community and to create personal emotional connections.

References

Combs, J. G., Shanine, K. K., Burrows, S., Allen, J. S., & Pounds, T. W. (2020). What do we know about business families? Setting the stage for leveraging family science theories. Family Business Review, 33(1), 38-63. Web.

Low, J., & Thomson, L. (2021). Symbolic interactionism and the myth of astructural bias: A textual defense and illustrative advice. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 46(2), 97-120.

Taylor, S., Cairns, A., & Glass, B. (2020). Role theory: A framework to explore health professional perceptions of expanding rural community pharmacists’ role. Pharmacy, 8(3), 161-173. Web.