Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
1
Sociological Perspectives Analysis
Your Topic: Teenage Pregnancy _______________________________
Functionalist Perspective
Directions: Develop at least 10 functions/dysfunctions for your topic. Include in-text citations
for ideas taken from different sources. Include appropriate reference citations at the end of this
document.
Reminder:
Manifest Function: Intended, positive consequence or result.
Latent Function: Unintended but positive result.
Manifest Dysfunction: Apparent/obvious negative consequence.
Latent Dysfunction: Unintended but negative result.
MANIFEST FUNCTIONS
LATENT FUNCTIONS
1. A manifest function of Teenage
pregnancy took place in the 1970’s. Before
this time if you had a teenage pregnancy
you would not have the option of getting
an education. In the early 1970’s Title IX
Legislation took effect and prohibited
schools from denying pregnant teenagers
or teenage mothers their education (State
University of New York Press, 2009).
2. Organizations like Aid to Temporary
Families with Children and Temporary Aid
to Needy Families have terms to receive
assistance that mothers who have
graduated must work twenty hours to
receive assistance is a manifest function
because mothers get into the work force
and are living strictly off tax dollars. This
function however does have a latent
dysfunction. Mothers working that many
hours to receive assistances often do not
have time to pursue a career by attending
college (State University of New York
Press, 2009).
3. Due to the publics’ view that teenage
pregnancy is a social epidemic there are
now federal government, local
government, private foundations,
1. A latent function from Teenage
pregnancy occurs when the mother or
parents give the child up for adoption,
whether it is open or closed. When a
teenage mother decides that she does not
want the child or feels she is inadequate to
raise the child and puts the child up for
adoption the teenager is allowing those
who are unable to make a family of their
own have a family. In the last decade it
has become more common for teenage
mothers to keep the baby (Bempechat,
1989) there are those who give the baby
up.
2. The population and government see
Teenage Pregnancy as an epidemic which
has intentionally opened up many
programs has unintentionally opened up
many jobs and careers. Jobs in fields such
as education and health care are in higher
demand due to teenage pregnancy (State
University of New York Press, 2009).
3. Teenage mothers in their thirties are
more likely to have a husband with a
higher income than woman who did not
have a child in their teens (Hotz, Williams
McElroy, & Sanders, 1997) is an unusual
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
2
community hospital, and school district
funded programs all aimed to prevent
teenage pregnancy or to help those
already in the situation. The most widely
used prevented program is within schools
to give teenagers a mentor. For teenage
mothers they have counseling, parenting
classes, and in some schools they have
childcare (State University of New York
Press, 2009). This allows mothers/parents
to stay in school and receive an education,
learn how to be a parent and have the
skills and tools needed to be more
successful after high school.
finding and could be considered a latent
function.
MANIFEST DYSFUNCTIONS
LATENT DYSFUNCTIONS
1. Girls that become pregnant during their
teenage years are more likely to be on
government assistance, never marry, are
less likely to finish their general education,
and typically earn fewer wage at their jobs.
(Hotz, Williams McElroy, & Sanders, 1997)
2. Psychological development during
teenage years is very important stage in
the human life-span and teenage mothers
are unable to complete this stage as well
and have a more difficult time becoming
an individual and developing healthy
interpersonal relationships. This is
especially problematic with single teenage
mothers which most are. (Hotz, Williams
McElroy, & Sanders, 1997)
3. Aids to Families with Dependent
1. Suicide is a latent dysfunction for
teenage mothers. Stress, isolation, and
other social factors make pregnant
teenagers and teenage mothers seven
times more likely to take their life. These
contributing factors along with transiting
into adulthood and leaving home also put
teenage mothers and pregnant teenagers
at a higher rate for depression, chronic
depression, and aggressive behavior
toward children (Medical Billing and
Coding Staff Members, 2012).
2. Siblings have a greater chance ranging
from 2 to 6 times more likely to become a
parent as a teenager if their older sibling
is. These siblings may see having children
early more acceptable than others
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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Children or AFDC reported in 1992 that
52% of these recipients had their first child
in their teenage years and cost tax payers
12.8 billion dollars that year. Research
also shows that by age 30 those who were
teenage mothers receive four times as
much public assistance compared to those
who delayed in having children. (Hotz,
Williams McElroy, & Sanders, 1997) These
same studies also showed that 61% of
teenage mothers receive a diploma or
GED. (Medical Billing and Coding Staff
Members, 2012)
4. Teenage mothers spend 20% less of early
adulthood with a mate compared to those who
delayed. This means these children have no
father presence, are supported by a single
mother, and effects the development and
wellbeing of the children (Hotz, Williams
McElroy, & Sanders, 1997).
perceive it be and more accepting of
sexual activity. These siblings are at a
greater risk for high risk behavior. Their
environment, poverty level, and family
dynamics play a role into the risk level that
the sibling already has for becoming a
teen parent (Medical Billing and Coding
Staff Members, 2012).
3. Daughters of teenage mothers are more
likely to be a teenage mother as well. This
is mainly due to the fact that the daughters
are living in similar conditions that the
mothers were living in. The same family
dynamics, poverty level, and environment
for siblings apply to the daughters risk
level of becoming a teenage mother
(Medical Billing and Coding Staff
Members, 2012).
4. Children of teenage mothers have been
found to have a hard time with academic
and psychosocial development. The
children’s needs of affection are not often
met as an infant by their teenage mother.
Sons of teenage mothers are 13% more
likely to go to be incarcerated. Studies
show that nationwide correctional costs
would drop about $900 million if teenagers
would wait till early adulthood to conceive
(Medical Billing and Coding Staff
Members, 2012).
5. Children of teenage mothers are more
likely to be born premature and have
health problems. Lack of prenatal care due
to the mothers fear or lacks of resources
are contributing factors (Medical Billing
and Coding Staff Members, 2012).
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
4
Conflict Perspective
Directions: Using the same topic as you did for the Functionalist Perspective, analyze your
topic by answering the following questions from the Conflict Perspective. Remember to include
in-text citations for ideas that are not your own, and appropriate reference citations at the end of
this document.
1. Who are the "winners;" that is, who benefits and has the power to dictate how society
will operate and explain why they have that power.
The “winners” could be men in the topic of Teenage Pregnancy. At this moment in
time the enforcement for statutory rape is increasing but is still limited and varies case
to case. Men have part control over contraceptive use, they can have total control in
some cases, and they typically do not have the burden of childcare or the choices with
it.
The “winners” in this topic could also be the Government. They have the most
power in how society will operate because of Teenage Pregnancy. They are in control
of insurance such as BadgerCare that unwed mothers can use to help with medical
care, they control programs such as WIC to help mothers and their children receive
proper nutrition, they control food stamps and heat assistance. The government controls
the tax dollars used to pay for some of the programs to help teen mothers. If the
government decided teenage mothers should have fewer programs that would
dramatically affect their success and health and their children’s’.
2. Who are the "losers;" that is, who does not have access to the resources to "win" or
control the situation. Explain why they are the “losers.”
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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The “losers” in this situation are teenage girls in lower levels of economic status who
engage in sexual activity and become pregnant. Teenage girls who already live in
poverty and already do not have an abundance of resources such as money, proper
medical care, insurance, or education are far less likely to have the resources ever after
becoming a mother during their teenage years to be a “winner” (Hotz, Williams McElroy,
& Sanders, 1997).
Children of Teens could also be considered the “losers”. They are more likely to
have health issues and are less likely to make it to their first birthday. Children born to
teenage mothers typically grow up in poverty, have behavioral issues, have no father
figure, have psychosocial problems, and academic problems. Depending on their sex
they are also more likely for deviant behavior such as themselves becoming a teen
parent or end up behind bars (State University of New York Press, 2009).
3. Explain how the facades of legitimacy are used to maintain the status quo; that is what
reasoning is genuinely unsound yet is designed to get "the masses" to go along?
Block buster Juno, celebrity teenage pregnancies, Sarah Palin’s pregnant teenage
daughter (State University of New York Press, 2009) the show Secret life of an
American Teenager and MTV’s hit show 16 and Pregnant are used to maintain the
status quo by the media. With the shows and movies presented to the masses it gives a
look into what life is like for teenage mothers. These show the problems that teens are
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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faced with and gives the masses a better understanding yet displays it in away to show
it only happens to a few teenagers to feed the mass the message they want to receive.
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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Interactionist Perspective
Directions: Using the same topic as you did for the Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives,
analyze your topic by answering the following questions from the Interactionist Perspective.
You can use yourself as a source for this analysis or you can use individuals you are aware of
and how they perceive the topic, or you can answer the questions regarding people in general.
Remember to include in-text citations for ideas that are not your own, and appropriate reference
citations at the end of this document.
1. What actions (relevant to the topic) do people attach meaning/significance to? Why?
Actions that people attach meaning or significance to are that teenage mothers
contradict the ideologies of childhood sexual innocence and the idea of marriage-only
sexual activity (State University of New York Press, 2009). People attach significance to
this because it is breaking the cultural norms and believe it is decreasing public
morality. Teenage pregnancy reflects that our culture is permissive and there is a
decline in parental authority (State University of New York Press, 2009).
The action of becoming a mother at a young age people attack a mass amount of
meaning to as well. Teenage mothers or pregnant teenagers are thought to be deviant.
They do not fit into what our culture has perceived to be the “good mother”. The “good
mother” is white, heterosexual, and fits into middle class norms (State University of New
York Press, 2009). Anyone who is a drug user, has a criminal record, is on welfare, a
minority (Latin or African American), or unmarried does not fit into the qualifications of
the “good mother”. The majority of teenage mothers are unmarried (79% (State
University of New York Press, 2009)), a minority, and are not middle class (Medical
Billing and Coding Staff Members, 2012).
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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2. What symbols (concrete, verbal and/or nonverbal) ---- relevant to the topic, do/did react
to? Why?
Love is an important symbol that many do not place with teenage pregnancy but I
feel has its place. I have lived through the stage of adolescents as a female and in my
own personal experience love can be the cause of teenage pregnancy. Some would
argue it is lust and not love but as a female in adolescence you are learning about and
in the starting process of finding a mate. (Santrock, 2011) Trying to keep love, not
feeling loved and wanting someone to care for you, or being in love are three reasons I
witnessed over and over during my teenage years that resulted in teenage pregnancy.
Mother is a symbol that is very relevant to the topic that I reacted to while
researching Teenage Pregnancy because I am a mother and was pregnant at 18.
Mother or the female parent is a symbol that is changing with each decade in the last
half of century. Never the less when you are mother you want what is best for your
children. I reacted strongly too many of my findings because of the deviance people
place on teenage mothers. The symbol of father may be one reason why the symbol of
mother made me react as I did. Over 60% of fathers are adult men (State University of
New York Press, 2009); which means Statutory Rape had to occur for the pregnancy
and the majority of fathers to teenage babies are not around yet the mothers who keep
their children are looked at as deviant. The information that I found when conducting
my research was on the mothers and how the different perspectives of Sociology
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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affected them or how they affected society. There was little to find on Teenage Parents
or Teenage Fathers. I am a mother and I have bias feelings because of this but am
confused as well as hurt for teenage mothers that they are trying to take care of a child,
complete school, and have a negative outlook on them.
3. How have/do people reevaluate their knowledge and experiences and change their
behaviors and attitudes as a result of interactions pertaining to the topic?
In the 1950’s someone having a child at 17 through 19 was not thought so
negatively about because they were married (BBC News Magazine, 2008). Years ago
having a child earlier in life was not uncommon but do to medical advances life
expectancy in the United Kingdom and in the United States is on the rise and so is the
age of acceptable conception. (Santrock, 2011) As stated previously though shows
such as 16 and pregnant or Secret Life of an American Teenager are changing how
some people view teenage pregnancy.
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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Reference Page
BBC News Magazine. (2008, September). Why such a downer on teenage pregnancy?
Retrieved from BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7595871.stm
Bempechat, J. (1989). Teenage Pregnancy and Drug Abuse: Sources of Problem Behaviors.
Retrieved from Eric Digest: http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9214/drug.htm
Hotz, V. J., Williams McElroy, S., & Sanders, S. G. (1997). The Impacts of Teenage
Childbearing on the Mothers and the Consequences of those Impacts on the
Government. In R. Maynard, Kids Having Kids: The Economic Costs and Social
Consquences of Teen Pregnancy. Urban Institute Press.
Medical Billing and Coding Staff Members. (2012, June 3). 12 Studied Effects of Teenage
Pregnancy. Retrieved from Medical Billing and Coding:
http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/blog/12-studied-effects-of-teenage-pregnancy/
Santrock, J. W. (2011). Life-Span Development 13e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
State University of New York Press. (2009). The Culture of Teenage Mothers. Albony:
SunnyPress. Retrieved from Sunny Press: http://www.sunypress.edu/pdf/61915.pdf
LP 2 Sociological Perspectives Analysis Scoring Guide
Rating Scale:
5 points - Criterion is met in an outstanding way. Outstanding work is informative, clear,
thoughtful, thorough, specific, accurate, relevant, consistent, detailed, precise, logical, fluent,
purposeful, and valid. Complex course content is accurately applied, analyzed, synthesized
and/or evaluated in a coherent, yet concise manner. Overall impression is "Wow!"
4 points - Criterion is met in an acceptable way. Acceptable work is characterized by minor
errors, flaws, or omissions. Overall impression is "Good job."
3 points - Criterion is met in an adequate way. Adequate work shows understanding,
comprehension and/or application but at a superficial level. Work is characterized by minimal or
generalized supporting details, errors, flaws, omissions of information, inconsistency, lack of
fluency, disjointed information, and/or information that is irrelevant, invalid, or inaccurate.
Response may lack clarity or purpose. Overall impression is "Adequate job."
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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2 points - Criterion is substandard and needs improvement. Substandard work is characterized
by inconsistency, rambling, weak or no development of ideas, errors, missing and/or inaccurate
information, failure to adequately apply course content or to show
understanding/comprehension of course content. Response is unclear, or not relevant, valid or
logical. Overall impression is "Off the mark!"
0 points - Criterion is not addressed.
Scoring Guide
Criteria
Ratings
1.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the functionalist perspective. by identifying manifest
functions.
5
4
3
2
0
2.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the functionalist perspective. by identifying latent
functions.
5
4
3
2
0
3.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the functionalist perspective. by identifying manifest
dysfunctions.
5
4
3
2
0
4.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the functionalist perspective. by identifying latent
dysfunctions.
5
4
3
2
0
5.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the conflict perspective by identifying the "winners;"
that is, who benefits and has the power to dictate how society will
operate and why they have that power.
5
4
3
2
0
6.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the conflict perspective by identifying the "losers;"
that is, who does not have access to the resources to "win" or
control the situation.
5
4
3
2
0
7.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the conflict perspective by explaining how the
facades of legitimacy are used to maintain the status quo; that is
what reasoning is genuinely unsound yet is designed to get "the
masses" to go along.
5
4
3
2
0
8.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the interactionist perspective by identifying an
action people attach meaning/significance to; that is, explain how
meaning grows out of interaction with others.
5
4
3
2
0
9.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the interactionist perspective by explaining how
people react to symbols, either concrete, verbal or nonverbal, and
how those symbols become significant in their experience.
5
4
3
2
0
10.
You analyze a social change, issue, problem, event, and/or
institution from the interactionist perspective by explaining how
people reevaluate their knowledge and experiences and change
their behaviors and attitudes.
5
4
3
2
0
11.
You identify the social structure relevant to a social change, issue,
5
4
3
2
0
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
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problem, event, and/or institution (social structure concepts include
culture, social class, social status, roles, and groups)
12.
You identify the social institution(s) relevant to a social change,
issue, problem event, and/or institution (social institutions include
family, education, government (politics), economy, religion,
medicine, sports, media).
5
4
3
2
0
13.
You apply the concept of social cohesion to a social change, issue,
problem, event, and/or institution.
5
4
3
2
0
14.
You explain how your location in the social structure affects your
perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors regarding a social change,
issue, problem, event and/or institution.
5
4
3
2
0
CORE ABILITIES - COMMUNICATE CLEARLY
CORE ABILITIES COMMUNICATE CLEARLY
15
You demonstrate mastery of grammar, spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, word usage and sentence structure.
5
4
3
2
0
16
Your writing is organized (paragraphs, headings and subheadings,
or other organizational devices), clear (it's easy to read and
understand), concise (you use action verbs; you do not ramble or
include irrelevant information), and cohesive (words and ideas flow
logically from one idea, sentence and/or paragraph to another).
5
4
3
2
0
CORE ABILITIES - THINK CRITICALLY AND CREATIVELY
CORE ABILITIES - THINK
CRITICALLY AND
CREATIVELY
17.
You provide sufficient, specific, valid, relevant support (i.e., facts.
reasons, examples, details, statistics, anecdotes and quotes) to
aid in understanding your ideas and information, and to support
your conclusions and/or opinions.
5
4
3
2
0
18.
CORE ABILITIES - ACT RESPONSIBLY
19.
You provide APA formatted in-text citations and references to
document your sources of information. (NOTE: Using ideas or
information that are not your own without documentation is
plagiarism).
5
4
3
2
0
20.
You follow directions (followed Formatting Requirements, APA
Requirements, included name on assignment, saved document
per directions).
5
4
3
2
0
21.
Total Points Possible
22.
Total Points Earned
23.
Percent grade = Total Points Earned divided by Total Points
Possible
24.
You meet deadlines. (Points subtracted from Points Earned score)
- 5 percentage points if
submitted after the due date
25.
Submitted without scoring guide (Points subtracted from Points
Earned score)
- 5 percentage points if
submitted without the scoring
guide
CORE ABILITIES - ACT
RESPONSIBLY
95
Elise Schmidt
Online Sociology
LP2
13
26.
Final Grade/Percent