I need to write a paper appying on of the sociological theories to the song american idiot.?

Question

I have to choose one of the following: conflict theory,symbolic interactionists, and functionalism.

Answer 1

How long is the paper?  Are you supposed to bring in specific theorists?

I'll try to give you some useful links to start:

Conflict Theory

http://holonet.thebhg.org/index.php?modu...

http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheor...

http://web.grinnell.edu/courses/soc/s00/...

http://www.politicsprofessor.com/politic...

Symbolic Interactionism

http://web.grinnell.edu/courses/soc/s00/...

http://www.colorado.edu/Communication/me...

Herbert Blumer(1969), who coined the term "symbolic interactionism," set out three basic premises of the perspective:

   1. "Human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings they ascribe to those things."

   2. "The meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of, the social interaction that one has with others and the society."

   3. "These meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretive process used by the person in dealing with the things he/she encounters."

Functionalism

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/functi...

http://www.sociologyprofessor.com/social...

http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/Faculty/murphy/...

http://web.grinnell.edu/courses/soc/s00/...

"Focus on the ways in which social institutions fill social needs, especially social stability"

Don't want to be an American idiot.

Don't want a nation under the new mania.

And can you hear the sound of hysteria? ( here he is saying that the mania, hysteria etc is a subliminal mind **** when people numbly buy into advertising, controlled media, and just what the government and fake news tells them.  In theory these institutions are in place to fulfill social needs and help society at large but really it is a failing system...blame capitalism)

The subliminal mind **** America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.

All across the alienation.

Where everything isn't meant to be okay.

Television dreams of tomorrow. (Symbolic Int?)

We're not the ones meant to follow.

For that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the ****** America.

I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.

Now everybody do the propaganda. (Symb)

And sing along in the age of paranoia. (Symb)

Welcome to a new kind of tension.

All across the alienation.

Where everything isn't meant to be okay.

Television dreams of tomorrow.

We're not the ones meant to follow.

For that's enough to argue.

Don't wanna be an American idiot.

One nation controlled by the media.

Information age of hysteria.

It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.

All across the alienation.

Where everything isn't meant to be okay.

Television dreams of tomorrow.

We're not the ones meant to follow.

For that's enough to argue.

So if people just go along with what the govt/media/hysteria/propaganda is telling them it won't acutally benefit society.  Armstrong is calling everyone out, trying to expose the lies.  He is standing up and saying that he isnt going to buy into it anymore.  I'm not 100% sure about functionalism, although it is very closely linked to Conflict Theory.  So

Answer 2

Go on...